A vote to remove House Speaker Kevin McCarthy from his position passed on Tuesday by a vote of 216 to 210.
Local lawmakers responded to the vote:
Bobby Scott (D):
The Republicans are in the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives. It is their responsibility to govern despite their own civil war. I look forward to working with whoever they decide to elect as the Speaker.
— Rep. Bobby Scott (@BobbyScott) October 3, 2023
Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan (VA-04):
“Today is a solemn day for the House of Representatives, as Kevin McCarthy became the first speaker to be removed from his leadership position through a motion to vacate. Since day one of the 118th Congress, McCarthy has shown an inability to govern, a lack of leadership over his conference, and an unwillingness to focus on the issues that matter to the American people.
“McCarthy has also proven he cannot be trusted and his word means nothing. Despite making an agreement with the Biden-Harris Administration and Senate Leadership regarding Fiscal Year 2024 funding levels in the Bipartisan Budget Agreement, McCarthy quickly reneged on those promises to cater to the extreme MAGA Republican wing of his conference. He unilaterally launched a baseless impeachment inquiry at the behest of Donald Trump and his MAGA Republican allies in the House in an attempt to exact petty, partisan revenge to distract from their extreme agenda. As a result, the Chaos Caucus reigned over the House and brought us to the brink of a government shutdown.
“Now, House Republicans’ infighting has yet again ground our legislative processes to a halt and thrown their conference into chaos. House Democrats stand united in our commitment to serve the American people and in our support of Leader Hakeem Jeffries, the best option to lead the House – and our country – forward.”
Rep. Don Davis (D-N.C.):
My message following the vote to vacate the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. pic.twitter.com/VjWiDyRcbs
— Congressman Don Davis (@RepDonDavis) October 4, 2023
Congressman Greg Murphy (R-N.C.)
My statement on today's vote to vacate the office of the Speaker of the House of Representatives: pic.twitter.com/P47r8Vb5Se
— Congressman Greg Murphy, M.D. (@RepGregMurphy) October 3, 2023
Rep. Murphy made several other posts on X regarding the ousting.
Congresswoman Jen Kiggans (VA-02)
“Yesterday was a sad day for our democracy. I believe in leading by example and prioritizing the mission of the team. Clearly the same cannot be said for eight of my colleagues who chose to side with Democrats and paralyze our conservative agenda.
“Washington is broken, and instead of working toward solutions, we find ourselves back playing political games. This is not why I came to Congress and unfortunately, the American people will be the ones to suffer because of this dysfunction.
“The working families I represent deserve better than this self-serving chaos. They deserve lawmakers who are committed to fighting the failed policies of the Biden Administration that have pushed the American Dream out of reach.
“We must refocus, unify, and get back to work advancing the conservative agenda to get our great nation back on the right track.”
Congressman Rob Wittman (VA-01)
“I did not support the motion to vacate. I believe the House Republican Conference must unite to fund our government through passing appropriations bills that will secure our border, prioritize national security, and combat the waste and overreach of the Biden administration. I am hopeful my colleagues in Congress can come together in the best interest of the American people.”
