History was made this week as Congress voted to remove House Speaker Kevin McCarthy from his leadership office. By a vote of 216-210, the measure to “vacate the chair” passed, making McCarthy the first in U.S. history to be removed from speakership.
“The California and Nevada Credit Union Leagues would like to thank Kevin McCarthy for his years of service as House speaker, and for his leadership in keeping the U.S. government open with a bipartisan vote,” said Stephanie Cuevas, senior vice president of federal government affairs for the Leagues. “His hard work as a longtime California representative and speaker, both locally and nationally, speaks volumes on behalf of his constituents, local credit unions, and credit unions nationwide.”
For a breakdown on how each member of Congress voted, please click here.
In prior years, House speakers who were threatened with a vote to “vacate the chair” resigned before a formal action could be taken. Although McCarthy was removed from his role as speaker, he will continue to serve as the representative for California’s 20th congressional district (the broader Bakersfield region). He has indicated he will not run for the House speakership again.
So, what’s next?
House Financial Services Committee Chair Patrick McHenry has been appointed as speaker pro tempore (“pro tem” for short). He will manage business on the House floor, serving as “temporary” speaker of the House. After being appointed to speaker pro tem, McHenry shared that the House would go into recess to discuss the best “path forward.”
McHenry will decide when votes are called to elect a new House speaker. McHenry also has the discretion to determine whether the House votes on other business, such as appropriations bills. As a reminder, Congress must pass 12 appropriations bills before November 17 to avoid another federal government shutdown.
As of now, votes are expected to resume on Tuesday, October 10. However, the vote schedule is unpredictable with new leadership in office. For context, the voting schedule for Congress is determined by the House speaker. Until that role is filled, it will be determined by McHenry.
If you have any questions about this development, please reach out to Stephanie Cuevas at scuevas@ccul.org.
