Last updated on September 25th, 2023 at 02:57 pm
House Democrats and progressives are getting set to give Kevin McCarthy constant headaches by filing motions to remove him as speaker.
“Why not? You know, that sounds like a good idea. I mean, you’re still going to need what, 218 for passage, right? But listen, man, he has a very slim majority,†mused Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.). “Whenever we want to cause complete chaos, we’ll do that.â€
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The gambit, known as the motion to vacate, would almost certainly fail this early in the new Congress, as Republicans can use a procedural move to toss the motion before it actually gets a vote and Democrats would need GOP support to reach the required majority. But progressives’ zeal confirms a fear from McCarthy’s allies — that a rule he greenlighted to assuage conservatives could easily cause frequent headaches.
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The motion would be a way to cause chaos and troll McCarthy with his own rules. Plus, if something totally bonkers happens, it just may work. Mostly though, this is just something that the House minority can do to give the Speaker of the House a headache when he has a really small majority and no room for error.
If the vote got to the House floor, it would be complete madness and a massive problem for Kevin McCarthy. A handful of Republicans who decide that they have had enough of McCarthy could end his speakership, and make last week’s drama look like a walk in the park.
Speaker McCarthy made the concession, and now he has to sleep with one eye open because his speakership could end at any time.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
