(Cupventi.com) – Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy stated on Tuesday evening that he won’t pursue another term as House speaker, following a narrow vote that removed him from the role earlier in the day.
In his remarks, McCarthy expressed gratitude for serving the American people and highlighted his sense of pride and accomplishment during his tenure as speaker. He acknowledged the vote outcome and revealed his decision not to seek the position again, suggesting that the conference should select a new speaker.
During the vote to remove McCarthy from his position, eight Republican lawmakers joined all present House Democrats in support of the move. McCarthy criticized this outcome, emphasizing that a small percentage of the party’s conference joined with Democrats to influence the Republican speaker selection.
He shared this decision with fellow Republicans during a brief closed-door conference meeting on Tuesday night, an unusual departure from the typically longer GOP conference meetings. Speaking after McCarthy’s ouster, some Republican representatives described him as visibly affected and expressed optimism about the opportunity for a new leader to step up.
Representative Ralph Norman mentioned plans for a candidate forum and a subsequent vote to determine McCarthy’s successor. The motion to remove McCarthy was initiated by Representative Matt Gaetz, and McCarthy perceived it as a personal vendetta, potentially linked to an ongoing Ethics Committee investigation into his conduct.
This development followed a period of discord within the House GOP conference regarding government funding. McCarthy faced backlash from certain factions of the party for passing a short-term spending bill, known as a continuing resolution (CR), to avert a government shutdown and provide more time for deliberations on individual spending bills.
A significant number of House Republicans opposed the CR, asserting that it merely extended policies from the previous Democrat-controlled Congress. Despite attempts to propose a spending-cut-oriented CR, McCarthy faced resistance from some conservatives who held steadfast against such measures.