WASHINGTON: US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy faced ever-dwindling chances of political survival Tuesday after Democrats announced they would not bail him out of a move by hardliners within his own Republican party to remove him from the powerful post.
McCarthy sparked fury among the ultra-conservative wing of the Republicans at the weekend when he worked with Democrats to pass a stopgap funding measure to avert a government shutdown.
Leading the criticism is congressman Matt Gaetz, a longtime McCarthy antagonist who on Monday moved to topple the speaker with a “motion to vacate the chair” — forcing a vote scheduled for around 2:00pm (1800 GMT).
The move meant Democrats were faced with the choice of voting to rescue a speaker who has spent much of his term opposing their agenda and who supports scandal-embroiled Donald Trump and recently opened an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries ultimately encouraged Democrats to oust McCarthy, criticizing the right-wing lawmakers he refers to as “MAGA extremists” after Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement. “Given their unwillingness to break from MAGA extremism in an authentic and comprehensive manner, House Democratic leadership will vote yes on the pending Republican motion to vacate the chair,” Jeffries said in a letter to colleagues.
The entire House of Representatives is allowed a say on McCarthy’s future, and with the slim Republican majority, the speaker can only lose four lawmakers if all members are present and Democrats vote against him.
“I’m confident I’ll hold on,” a defiant McCarthy told reporters on Capitol Hill.
But Gaetz says he is certain he has at least five Republicans ready to vote in favor of ousting McCarthy — enough, as long as Democrats don’t intervene with their own votes to rescue the speaker.
“I have enough Republicans where at this point next week, one of two things will happen: Kevin McCarthy won’t be the speaker of the House, or he’ll be the speaker of the House working at the pleasure of the Democrats,” the Florida lawmaker said.