00:00 Kevin McCarthy has been ousted in a right-wing revolt, the first time ever that a U.S. House
00:05 of Representatives speaker has lost a no-confidence vote.
00:09 The final tally was 216-210 to remove the California congressman as leader of the Republican
00:16 majority in the lower chamber of Congress.
00:19 Ultra-conservatives mutinate after he struck a deal on Saturday with Senate Democrats to
00:24 fund government agencies.
00:26 There is no obvious successor to oversee the House Republican majority.
00:31 Florida Republican Matt Gaetz, a Trump ally, filed a procedural tool on Monday night to
00:37 oust Mr. McCarthy.
00:39 He accused the speaker of making a secret deal with the White House to continue funding
00:43 for Ukraine, which Mr. McCarthy denies.
00:46 At a private meeting of Republican lawmakers on Tuesday evening, Mr. McCarthy told his
00:52 colleagues he does not plan to run for speaker again.
00:55 He later took aim at his political nemesis, Mr. Gaetz, accusing him of attention-seeking.
01:01 You know it was personal, Mr. McCarthy told a news conference, it had nothing to do with
01:07 spending.
01:08 He said fundraising emails sent by Mr. Gaetz amid the infighting were not becoming of a
01:13 member of Congress.
01:15 The hardliners who ousted him are not conservatives, Mr. McCarthy added.
01:19 He only became speaker in January after a grueling 15 rounds of voting in the chamber
01:25 as Mr. Gaetz and other right-wingers refused to support him.
01:29 Eight Republicans voted to oust Mr. McCarthy in Tuesday's vote.
01:33 Another 210, all Republicans, voted to keep Mr. McCarthy in the role.
01:39 But Democrats joined with the speaker's Republican critics to topple him.
01:43 Democratic House Leader Hakeem Jeffress had said in a letter to colleagues that he would
01:48 not provide the votes needed to rescue Mr. McCarthy.
01:52 Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, a left-wing Democrat from the northwestern U.S. state
01:57 of Washington, told reporters before the vote, "Let them wallow in their pigsty of incompetence."
02:03 After the vote, two Democratic lawmakers laughed about the Republican feuding.
02:08 Let the civil war begin, one of them quipped in a lift.
02:11 The packed chamber, which Republicans control by a narrow 221-212 majority, was mostly silent
02:19 as members awaited the result of the roll call vote.
02:23 The office of Speaker of the House is hereby declared vacant, declared Arkansas Republican
02:28 Steve Womack with a bang of his gavel, two audible gasps.
02:32 Ahead of the vote former U.S. President Donald Trump posted on his social media platform,
02:38 Truth Social, that the party should be fighting the radical left Democrats instead of each
02:43 other.
02:44 During Tuesday's debate, all of the next three top-ranking members rose to speak in
02:49 Mr. McCarthy's defense.
02:51 House Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik praised Mr. McCarthy as a "happy
02:57 warrior."
02:58 One vote against Mr. McCarthy that surprised many observers came from a moderate Republican,
03:03 Nancy Mace.
03:04 The South Carolina lawmaker said after the vote, "I am looking for a speaker who will
03:08 tell the truth to the American people, who will be honest and trustworthy with Congress,
03:14 with both parties."
03:15 After ousting Mr. McCarthy, Mr. Geetz sounded unconcerned when asked whether his colleagues
03:21 might attempt to remove him.
03:23 He told reporters outside the Capitol, "If they want to expel me let me know when they
03:28 have the votes."
03:29 North Carolina Republican Patrick McHenry, who supported Mr. McCarthy, is now the speaker
03:35 pro tempore, or interim speaker.
03:38 He gaveled the House into recess.
03:40 It is unclear if the temporary speaker will have the full powers of the office, or merely
03:45 administrative powers and the ability to supervise a new election.
03:50 The rules do not state how long a person could fill in as an interim speaker, though a vote
03:55 on a new speaker is planned for 11 October.
03:58 It is not clear who will replace Mr. McCarthy, but Louisiana Republican Steve Scalise and
04:04 Minnesota Republican Tom Emmer have been mentioned as contenders, though they have not expressed
04:09 any interest in the role.
04:11 White House Press Secretary Karen Jean-Pierre said in a statement that President Joe Biden
04:16 hopes the House will quickly elect a speaker, noting that "the challenges facing our nation
04:21 will not wait."
04:23 The speaker is second in the line of succession for the presidency after the U.S. vice president.
04:28 He or she sets the lower house of Congress's legislative priorities, controls committee
04:34 assignments, and can make or break the White House's agenda.
04:38 The last two Republican speakers, Paul Ryan and John Boehner, left Congress after repeated
04:44 tangles with their more conservative colleagues.
04:47 The so-called motion to vacate had only previously been used twice in the past century to remove
04:53 a speaker, in 2015 and 2010, though never successfully until
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