We’re ending our live coverage for the day and will be closing this blog shortly.
Here is a brief recap of where things stand:
On Tuesday afternoon Kevin McCarthy became the first speaker of the House in US history to be removed from the position. Far-right Republicans voted with Democrats voted to vacate the speaker, who served a tumultuous nine months in the role.
The removal was a victory for Matt Gaetz, a hard-right Republican who has had it out for McCarthy from the start. Gaetz introduced a motion to vacate the speaker after he worked with House Democrats to pass a stopgap spending bill, known as a continuing resolution, to extend government funding through 17 November.
McCarthy confirmed to reporters that he wouldn’t run for speaker again, leaving it unclear who will replace him. Republicans intend to scrounge up candidates on Tuesday, and vote for a new speaker next Wednesday.
North Carolina Republican Patrick McHenry has now taken over as House speaker pro tempore, or “for the time being.” McHenry is the chair of the financial services committee, and voted against removing McCarthy. The House will be out for the next week, and it remains unclear who would have the support to become the next speaker. Steve Scalise, a Louisiana Republican who was once reported to have called himself “David Duke without the baggage”, is one possibility.
You can read my colleague Joan E Greve’s full story on McCarthy being removed as US House speaker at the link below:
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Who is Patrick Timothy McHenry?
Immediately following Tuesday’s 216-210 ouster vote, the North Carolina Republican representative Patrick McHenry, a McCarthy ally, was appointed acting speaker for a very limited time – up to three legislative days in this case.
So who is McHenry?
The New York Times describes him as a one-time “rabble-rousing presence on the House floor and on cable news shows” who now “has a reputation among other lawmakers for brainy wonkishness”.
The profile continues:
“Among the potential candidates to succeed Mr McCarthy, Mr McHenry is the only one who voted to certify the 2020 presidential election. On Saturday, he voted with Democrats for the stopgap spending measure to keep the government open.
“Mr McHenry, though, seems unlikely to take on the role permanently. He chose not to run for a leadership role last year, deciding to lead the financial services committee instead.”
According to Politico, McHenry “rose through the House GOP by bashing the government’s economic rescue plans in the wake of the global financial crisis”, but has gone from what one commentator quoted by Politico described as, “the GOP’s attack dog-in-training” and another as, “extremely right-wing” to being “methodical” and a “peacemaker”.
He “defended McCarthy’s role asspeaker on Tuesday evening, urging his Republican colleagues to reconsider voting to vacate the speaker,” the Hill reports, with McHenry saying:
“Why would we give up a conservative working majority for better outcomes and hand the keys over to the Democrats?”
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Until a House speaker is installed, it is unlikely that further action will be taken on bills to fund the government, Reuters reports, with lawmakers facing a 17 November deadline to provide more money or face a partial government shutdown.
Republican lawmakers said they would need at least a week to choose a new speaker, which will eat into the time necessary to pass that needed legislation.
Battles over those bills and anger over McCarthy‘s failure to win extremely deep spending cuts sought by hard-right conservatives sparked the successful move by Representative Matt Gaetz to unseat him.
What can an acting speaker do?
The acting speaker’s duties are vague, according to a guide to the chamber’s rules and procedures: that person “may exercise such authorities of the office of speaker as may be necessary and appropriate pending the election of a speaker or speaker pro tempore”.
While the speaker sets the overall legislative agenda in the House, it is the House majority leader who schedules specific bills to be debated and voted upon in the chamber.
Kelly Armstrong, a Republican representative, told reporters that McHenry’s main task will be to “get us a new speaker”. Anything further, he said, would spark a move to oust McHenry.
What are House Democrats doing?
The House’s 221 Republicans and 212 Democrats huddled privately to figure out their next steps – both political and legislative.
Each party was expected to try to settle on a candidate for speaker. That’s fairly easy for Democrats as they are solidly behind the minority leader Hakeem Jeffries, who ran for speaker in January against McCarthy and other candidates.
Who can run for speaker?
Under the US constitution, the House speaker does not have to be a member of Congress. That is the reason some Republicans have floated the name of former President Donald Trump for the job, even though he is running for president and has said he does not want the job.
– Reuters
Updated
CNN reporter Ryan Struyk has just posted this exchange to X:
Question: “When you look back, is there anything you would have done differently … ?”
McCarthy: “Yeah, a lot of them I helped get elected, so I probably should have picked somebody else.”
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The Democratic National Committee chair Jaime Harrison says meanwhile that today’s events are an example of the “feckless, incompetent and chaotic Republican leadership that has done nothing but bend the knee to Donald Trump and make a mockery of our institutions”.
In its statement, it called Democrats the “adults in the room” and said “enough is enough”:
“Ladies and gentlemen, these are the Maga Republicans of the 118th Congress. Since House Republicans assumed the majority in January, we have witnessed time and again the feckless, incompetent and chaotic Republican leadership that has done nothing but bend the knee to Donald Trump and make a mockery of our institutions. Enough is enough; the American people expect a government that serves them – not the egos of Donald Trump and Maga extremists in Congress. In the midst of Republican chaos and incompetence, Democrats will continue to be the adults in the room and fight to deliver for the American people like we have every single day since President Biden was sworn into office.”
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The Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell has released a statement on McCarthy, saying, “Speaker’s tenure was bookended by historic fights, but as he reminded his colleagues when he took the gavel, ‘our nation is worth fighting for.’”
Earlier on Tuesday, McConnell told a reporter he was “pulling” for McCarthy to keep his job as speaker. McConnell also backs continued assistance for Ukraine, in a point of difference with the far-right members who ousted McCarthy.
McConnell’s statement continues:
“The Speaker’s appetite for worthy causes steered a narrow majority to seize historic opportunities for the American people and for conservative principles. His willingness to face the biggest challenges head-on helped preserve the full faith and credit of the United States and showed colleagues how to handle every outcome with grace.
“Speaker McCarthy brought the hopes, dreams, and concerns of the people of California’s 20th congressional district to the highest reaches of our national conversation. He embraced his role as foremost steward of the Capitol, welcoming American families to the center of their representative democracy.
“I am particularly grateful to the speaker for our close working partnership. As congressional Republicans continue the essential work begun during his tenure, Speaker McCarthy’s unapologetic patriotism and unshakeable optimism will remain a valuable guide.”
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Summary
Hi, this is Helen Sullivan taking over our live US politics news.
If you’re just joining us, here’s a quick recap :
On Tuesday afternoon Kevin McCarthy became the first speaker of the House in US history to be removed from the position. Far-right Republicans voted with Democrats to vacate the speaker, who served a tumultuous nine months in the role.
The removal was a victory for Matt Gaetz, a hard-right Republican who has had it out for McCarthy from the start. Gaetz introduced a motion to vacate the speaker after he worked with House Democrats to pass a stopgap spending bill, known as a continuing resolution, to extend government funding through 17 November.
McCarthy confirmed to reporters that he wouldn’t run for speaker again, leaving it unclear who will replace him. Republicans intend to scrounge up candidates on Tuesday, and vote for a new speaker next Wednesday.
The North Carolina Republican Patrick McHenry has now taken over as House speaker pro tempore, or “for the time being.” McHenry is the chair of the financial services committee, and voted against removing McCarthy. The House will be out for the next week, and it remains unclear who would have the support to become the next speaker. Steve Scalise, a Louisiana Republican who was once reported to have called himself “David Duke without the baggage”, is one possibility.
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Kevin McCarthy says hard-right Republican campaign to oust him was ‘personal’
Kevin McCarthy did have some criticism for his nemesis, Matt Gaetz – who led the charge against him.
“It was personal,” McCarthy said of Gaetz’s motivations. “It all was about getting attention.”
And, McCarthy, said “it was all about his ethics” – apparently referencing the ethics investigation into allegations against Gaetz of sexual misconduct, including sex trafficking and sex with a minor, illicit drug use and misuse of campaign funds.
As my colleague Lauren Gambino wrote in her profile of the controversial far-right representative, Gaetz initially led the bid to block McCarthy from ever becoming speaker, and has often dangled the thread to remove him.
Earlier this year, Gaetz led the bid to block McCarthy from becoming speaker, relenting on the 15th round of balloting after McCarthy consented to concessions. Among promises McCarthy made to hard-right lawmakers was to allow any member to bring a motion to remove the speaker from the leadership position.
Gaetz and other far-right members threatened to deploy the tactic if McCarthy relied on Democratic votes to pass any spending legislation, as he did over the weekend to narrowly avert a government shutdown. On Monday, Gaetz filed the motion that resulted in McCarthy’s removal.
Gaetz has argued that he is acting in the interest of the American people and Republican voters who want McCarthy to stand up to the president, even if that means risking a debt default or a government shutdown.
McCarthy has charged that Gaetz was motivated by vengeance after McCarthy declined to interfere in a congressional investigation into Gaetz’s conduct. Over the past two years, the House ethics committee has been leading an inquiry into allegations of sexual misconduct, including sex trafficking and sex with a minor, illicit drug use and misuse of campaign funds, among others.
In February, the justice department declined to bring charges against Gaetz, who had maintained his innocence throughout.
“I am the most investigated man in the United States Congress,” Gaetz told reporters on Monday, insinuating that the inquiry was an effort to smear him. “It seems that the ethics committee’s interest in me waxes and wanes based on my relationship with the speaker.”
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Reporters on the Hill say that many Democrats were initially open to backing McCarthy in exchange for his cooperation to keep the government running. Then they saw him bashing Democrats on Face of the Nation.
Democrat James Clyburn told reporters that McCarthy’s discrediting of House Democrats changed their minds.
.@RepJamesClyburn to reporters today just outside chamber as House voted on motion to vacate: “For McCarthy to go on TV the next day [after CR passed] and saying to all the media that the Democrats did this, the Democrats did that, it was all our fault….everybody got very upset”
— Laura Barrón-López (@lbarronlopez) October 3, 2023
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McCarthy: 'I made history, didn’t I?'
The former speaker said that the eight Republicans who voted to remove him banded with Democrats to do so, in a way pushing back against the hard-right contingency that accused him of partnering with the Democrats in working to keep the government funded.
He also wouldn’t say whether he’ll stay in Congress.
“I made history, didn’t I?” said McCarthy, which is true – though it’s not the sort of history most speakers would want to make.
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The ousted speaker briefly referred to the eight hard-right Republicans who joined 208 Democrats to remove him from his post, saying: “This country is too great for small visions of those eight.”
“I’m not quite sure those individuals are looking to be productive,” he said, and also: “They don’t get to say they’re conservative because they’re angry and chaotic.”
But he saved his harshest criticism for the Democrats, who he blamed for the day’s events. “I think today was a political decision by the Democrats. And I think the things they have done in the past hurt the institution,” he said.
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Kevin McCarthy speaks to press after ouster: 'I wouldn't change a thing'
“I leave the speakership with a sense of pride and accomplishment. And yes, optimism,” McCarthy said, in a presser following his ousting as speaker.
He confirmed that he wouldn’t be running for speaker again. “I believe I can continue to fight maybe in a different manner,” he said.
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There will be a closed-door forum next Tuesday to discuss candidates for speaker and House Republicans will meet next Wednesday to vote, Reuters has reported, citing information from representatives.
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Kevin McCarthy tells colleagues he will not run for House Speaker again
Kevin McCarthy has told House Republicans that he will not run for Speaker again, after the House voted to oust him from the post hours earlier.
Reuters is citing Republican congressman Kevin Hern, who said:
[McCarthy] just felt like he wasn’t going to negotiate with Democrats, that he had given it all for his conference and he was not going to negotiate with the Democrats to become speaker.
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Kevin McCarthy, who just two hours ago was removed from his role as House speaker, is currently addressing House Republicans in a closed-door meeting.
Punchbowl News’ Jake Sherman is covering McCarthy’s remarks:
MCCARTHY IN CLOSED GOP MEETING
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) October 3, 2023
We got a lot of big challenges
I dont want this to be an angry meeting. I firmly trust in God
You need 218 votes to be speaker -- and for the rules and amendments.
U held my mouth until you said something that wasnt true. And i did it for the…
And i did it for the good of the conference. The Dems came to me to make a deal. I wasnt goign to make a deal.
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) October 3, 2023
When eight people work with the Democrats, it's not for the best of the conference.
I got to be the 55th speaker -- my goal has been to save the country. I love a lot…
Those who stuck with me ill never forget it. I want you to all go home and see your family.
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) October 3, 2023
He quoted Lou Gehrig -- he said he is the luckiest man on the face of the earth. I'm optimistic because i dont know what else to be
Im not going to sell my soul to Democrats. Ill still work to get you elected -- maybe not all of you because i'm a free agent.
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) October 3, 2023
When we come out of the next vote, let's elect that person on the first round. if i have to be the sacrifice, so be it.
We're the only conservative…
Kevin McCarthy will not run for speaker again – reports
Kevin McCarthy will announce that he is not running for speaker of the House again during a closed-door GOP meeting this evening, according to several reports.
Politico’s Olivia Beavers writes:
MCCARTHY NOT RUNNING AGAIN, 4 sources tell me
— Olivia Beavers (@Olivia_Beavers) October 3, 2023
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House Republicans are about to hold a closed-door meeting to discuss next steps after eight rightwing members joined with Democrats to oust Kevin McCarthy from the post of speaker of the House.
Punchbowl News’ John Bresnahan reports:
.@SpeakerMcCarthy just walked into GOP conference mtg
— John Bresnahan (@bresreports) October 3, 2023
Kevin McCarthy was pictured walking back to his office after the House of Representatives voted to remove him from his leadership position at the US Capitol in Washington DC.
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Patrick McHenry, who is now acting House speaker, has been given a new security detail along with his new temporary role.
McHenry adjusting to his brand new massive security detail pic.twitter.com/drLMaLsLf8
— Anthony Adragna (@AnthonyAdragna) October 3, 2023
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Biden 'hopes House will quickly elect new speaker', says White House
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre has released a statement to say that Joe Biden hopes the House will quickly elect a speaker “because the urgent challenges facing our nation will not wait”.
The statement goes on:
The American people deserve leadership that puts the issues affecting their lives front and center, as President Biden did today with more historic action to lower prescription drug prices.
Once the House has met their responsibility to elect a Speaker, he looks forward to working together with them and with the Senate to address the American peoples’ priorities.
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Who is Matt Gaetz? The congressman who led the ouster of Kevin McCarthy
All it took was a single-page resolution for the congressman Matt Gaetz, a hard-right Republican from Florida, to set in motion a move unprecedented in congressional history: the ousting of a House speaker.
On Tuesday, a handful of conservative rebels joined Gaetz in voting to depose Kevin McCarthy, the Republican speaker. By a vote of 216-210, the effort succeeded, plunging the Republican-controlled House once again into chaos and cementing Gaetz’s position as one of Capitol Hill’s chief antagonists.
It has also brought renewed media attention to a controversial politician who thrives on it.
“Florida Man. Built for Battle,” reads Gaetz’s bio on X, formerly Twitter.
Since his arrival in Washington, the pompadoured lawmaker has built a political brand as a far-right provocateur, courting controversy seemingly as a matter of course.
Read the Guardian’s full profile of Gaetz here.
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A plaque identifying Kevin McCarthy as speaker of the House is still hanging above the entrance to the House speaker’s office, as the New Republic’s Grace Segers points out.
So, how long does this stay up? pic.twitter.com/EGEFBVFgBT
— Grace Segers (@Grace_Segers) October 3, 2023
Some Republican members are “actively discussing leaving Problem Solvers [Caucus] en masse” after the vote to oust Kevin McCarthy, according to reports.
This is from CNN’s Melanie Zanona:
NEW: Republicans on the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus are considering quitting the group “en masse” after Democrats in the group voted to oust McCarthy, per a GOP member of the group.
— Melanie Zanona (@MZanona) October 3, 2023
Latest sign of fallout after the historic removal of the speaker.
confirming @juliegraceb
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House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries issued a statement following the vote to vacate Kevin McCarthy, calling it a “solemn moment for the country and for the House of Representatives”.
House Democrats “will continue to put people over politics and work together in a bipartisan way to make life better for everyday Americans”, Jeffries said.
It is our hope that traditional Republicans will walk away from Maga extremism and join us in partnership for the good of the country.
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House Democrats to meet tomorrow morning
House Democrats will meet at 9am eastern time on Wednesday after the chamber voted to remove Kevin McCarthy from his role as speaker.
As we reported earlier, House Republicans are expected to meet at 6.30pm this evening to decide their next steps.
Speaker election votes are not expected tonight, according to reports.
Lates plan for tonight via @MZanona and @haleytalbotcnn:
— Abby D. Phillip (@abbydphillip) October 3, 2023
The House GOP will have a conference meeting tonight...
Sources also said speaker election votes are NOT expected tonight.
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South Carolina congresswoman Nancy Mace was among the eight Republicans who voted to oust Kevin McCarthy from the speakership.
Explaining her decision, Mace said McCarthy “has not lived up to his word on how the House would operate”. She added:
With the current speaker, this chaos will continue. We need a fresh start so we can get back to the people’s business free of these distractions.
Today I voted for the Motion to Vacate and remove the Speaker.
— Nancy Mace (@NancyMace) October 3, 2023
This isn’t about left vs right.
This isn’t about ideology.
This is about trust and keeping your word.
This is about making Congress do it’s job.
I promised the Lowcountry I would be an independent voice in…
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House Republicans to meet this evening – report
House Republicans will convene to meet at 6.30pm to decide their next steps after eight rightwing members joined with Democrats to oust Kevin McCarthy from the post of speaker of the House, according to Punchbowl News:
THE HOUSE REPUBLICAN CONFERENCE is meeting tonight at 6:30 p.m.
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) October 3, 2023
w @MicaSoellnerDC
The big question before them is who will they elect to replace McCarthy. One obvious name: Kevin McCarthy. Nothing is stopping him from running for the speakership again and hoping his detractors have changed their minds.
But if they refuse, the GOP will have to find someone else.
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Lots of emotions in the Capitol right now, particularly among the many House Republicans who did not want to see Kevin McCarthy booted as their speaker.
Case in point: Patrick McHenry, who is now acting House speaker. The way he gavelled the chamber into recess following the successful expulsion vote says it all:
The Rep. Patrick McHenry gavel slam .... pic.twitter.com/TV1VGbkT7Y
— Howard Mortman (@HowardMortman) October 3, 2023
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Speaking at an event at Georgetown University in Washington DC, Mike Pence, the former vice-president and current candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, condemned Kevin McCarthy’s overthrow as ‘chaos’.
Chaos is never America’s strength and it’s never a friend of American families that are struggling. I’m deeply disappointed that a handful of Republicans have partnered with Democrats to oust Kevin McCarthy as speaker of the House.
Pence added: “Political performance art in Washington DC does little to address the issues the American people are facing.”
Pence represented an Indiana district in the House from 2001 to 2013.
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Per CNN, Kevin McCarthy had nothing to say as he left the House chamber following the vote that removed him as speaker:
No comment from Kevin McCarhy as he walked out of the chamber pic.twitter.com/Kp4OR0x4b4
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) October 3, 2023
Eight Republicans voted to remove Kevin McCarthy, among them Tim Burchett of Tennessee.
Burchett said that as he was considering whether or not to support ejecting McCarthy, the then speaker called him and “said something that I thought belittled me and my belief system”, Burchett told CNN.
“You know, that pretty much sealed it with me right there. I thought that showed the character of a man,” he continued, but declined to elaborate on what McCarthy said.
Asked by anchor Jake Tapper if he would support any of the high-ranking Republicans who have been floated as potential McCarthy replacements – such as Minnesota’s Tom Emmer, Oklahoma’s Tom Cole or Louisiana’s Steve Scalise – Burchett replied “All three of those would be excellent choices, and I think they can do an excellent job. They’re honorable men.”
“They’ve never openly mocked me anyway,” he added.
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North Carolina's Patrick McHenry takes over as temporary House speaker
North Carolina Republican Patrick McHenry has taken over as House speaker pro tempore following Kevin McCarthy’s removal from the leadership role in Congress’s lower chamber moments ago.
Per House rules, McCarthy submitted to the chamber’s clerk a list of lawmakers who would take over if his seat becomes vacant, of which McHenry was apparently first.
McHenry is the chair of the financial services committee, and voted against removing McCarthy. After picking up the gavel, he recessed the House.
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Some sharp intakes of breath in the chamber as Kevin McCarthy was removed.
McCarthy threw his head back and chuckled – perhaps the only thing he could do – as a couple of members walked over to shake his hand. The upper section of the gallery emptied pretty quickly as soon as the vote to remove was gavelled.
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Kevin McCarthy removed as speaker of the House
California Republican Kevin McCarthy has become the first speaker of the House forced out of the job in US history, after a rebellion by far-right Republicans that was aided by Democrats and fueled by frustration over his approach to government spending and negotiating with Joe Biden.
The final vote tally was 216 in favor and 210 against.
A congressman since 2007, McCarthy was elected to the speaker’s post in January, but only through a grueling 15 rounds of balloting after the same rightwing Republicans who would later plot his ouster demanded concessions in exchange for their assent. In the months that followed, those lawmakers grew frustrated with the speaker’s approach to governing after he struck deals with Biden and the Democrats to raise the debt ceiling and, this past weekend, keep the federal government open while lawmakers worked out long-term spending plans.
That agreement prompted Florida Republican Matt Gaetz to on Monday file a motion to vacate the speaker’s chair. While most House Republicans supported McCarthy, Democrats’ hostility to the speaker, who is an ally of Donald Trump, and a handful of GOP defections sealed his fate.
The House must now begin the process of finding a new speaker. Republicans maintain a four-set majority in Congress’s lower chamber.
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The vote is nearly over.
The motion to vacate is currently leading with 216 in favor, and 207 opposed. Kevin McCarthy is on course to lose his position as speaker of the House.
Kevin McCarthy looks resigned as he sits in his chair with his palms over each other in his lap.
The number of Republicans voting for his ouster just crossed eight members – likely enough to end his speakership.
Matt Gaetz, who filed the motion to remove him as speaker, is sitting towards the back of the chamber, also in an aisle seat, leaning forward in his chair and talking to a few members sitting around him.
Standing near Gaetz is George Santos, the Republican congressman who is an admitted fabulist and also facing a federal indictment. It seems like he’s eavesdropping on Gaetz’s conversation.
Seven Republicans have now voted to remove Kevin McCarthy as speaker.
Assuming all Democrats vote for his ouster, McCarthy is on track to become the first House speaker in American history ejected from the job.
Ohio Republican Warren Davidson joined with Democrats to vote for proceeding with the vote to remove Kevin McCarthy as speaker.
But, interestingly, he just voted against actually removing McCarthy.
I’m standing in the House press gallery, which is on the second level above the dais, and currently packed with reporters.
The chamber feels tense. None of the lawmakers are moving around, and are barely speaking except to call out their votes. Kevin McCarthy is sitting three rows in from the well, in an aisle seat. He seems to be gripping the arm rest quite tightly with his right hand.
Most of the rest of the Republican conference is standing at the back of the chamber.
So far, about 120 votes have been cast, and the motion to vacate has a small lead.
House begins voting on whether to remove McCarthy as speaker
The House is now voting on whether to remove Kevin McCarthy as speaker. Lawmakers will be called to vote in alphabetical order, similarly to how it was done in January, when he was elected to the post.
About an hour ago, a motion to block the removal motion was defeated with 218 votes. That amount of support would also be enough to remove McCarthy as speaker, assuming no lawmakers change their minds.
Should the motion to vacate be successful, McCarthy will become the first speaker of the House removed from his post in US history.
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As Republicans debate his fate on the House floor, NBC News reports that Kevin McCarthy’s office has reached out to some moderate Democrats to ask them to vote to keep him as speaker.
There is no indication they are willing to oblige:
NEW: Some House Dem mods have received calls from GOP counterparts asking them to vote to save McCarthy’s job, four sources familiar tell @nbcnews. One source describing those calls as “begging,” another describing them as “temperature taking.” W/ @GarrettHaake @ryanobles
— Ali Vitali (@alivitali) October 3, 2023
Dems remain steadfast in their unity not to help though. GOP has the majority and GOP should figure this out themselves.
— Ali Vitali (@alivitali) October 3, 2023
If Democrats were to save McCarthy, he would likely have had to make substantial concessions to Joe Biden’s allies. One can only imagine what those would have been, but ending the impeachment inquiry would probably have been one of them.
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Mike Garcia’s message to his fellow Republicans is that removing Kevin McCarthy as speaker is the sort of “drama” the GOP cannot afford.
“Today, this body is filled with people in fancy suits led by a few Republicans who are running with scissors and supported by Democrats who have personal issues with the speaker, have uncertain intentions and even more uncertain goals. And they’ve decided to make today about drama, not about solving problems and helping our constituents but about drama,” the Californian said.
Next year’s presidential and congressional elections were surely on Garcia’s mind as he continued:
We need to be the no-drama option for America, this party, this majority, and I fear that this self-inflicted drama of today jeopardizes our majority and, by definition, removes the last layer of defense protecting America from this Biden administration. Let’s dispense with the drama, do our jobs and move on with defending this beautiful country.
Tom McClintock struck an almost apocalyptic tone as he encouraged his fellow Republicans to keep Kevin McCarthy as speaker.
“If there was ever a time for sobriety, wisdom and caution in this house, it is right now. If this motion carries, the House will be paralyzed. We can expect week after week of fruitless ballots while no other business can be conducted. The Democrats will revel in Republican dysfunction and the public will rightly be repulsed,” McClintock said.
He predicted that Democrats would then a “enlist rump caucus of Republicans to join a coalition to end the impasse. This House will shift dramatically to the left and will effectively end the Republican House majority that the voters elected in 2022. And this, in turn, will neutralize the only counterweight in our elected government to the woke left control of the Senate and the White House at a time when their … policies are destroying our economy and have opened our borders to invasion.”
McClintock then dialed up the stakes:
There are turning points in history whose significance is only realized by the events that they unleash.
This is one of those times. We are at the precipice. There are only minutes left to come to our senses and realize the grave danger our country is in at this moment. Dear God, grant us the wisdom to see it and to save our country from it.
A perfect illustration of the split within conservative Republicans came when the congressman Jim Jordan stepped up to the podium to speak against removing Kevin McCarthy.
Like Matt Gaetz, Jordan is a rightwing ally of Donald Trump, but he spoke forcefully against kicking McCarthy out of his job.
“On January 3, we said the 218th Congress was about three things: pass the bills that need to pass, do the oversight work that needs to be done and stop the inevitable omnibus [spending bill] that comes from the United States Senate right before the holidays,” said Jordan, who, as chair of the judiciary committee, has been a major antagonist of the Biden administration. “Kevin McCarthy has been rock solid on all three.”
“I think the speaker has kept his word,” Jordan concluded. “I know my colleagues and friends are saying different. I think he has kept his word on those three things that we talked about on January 3 and, frankly, that entire week. He has kept his word. I think we should keep him as speaker.”
Gaetz then came up to the podium briefly to rebut him, taking issue, in particular, with the effectiveness of the GOP’s investigations into Joe Biden.
“The problem with my friend from Ohio’s argument is that many of the bills he referenced as having passed are not law. We are on a fast track to an omnibus bill and it is difficult to champion oversight when House Republicans haven’t even sent a subpoena to Hunter Biden,” Gaetz said, amid sporadic booing in the audience. Republican lawmakers have for years insisted that the president benefited financially from his son’s overseas business activities, but haven’t turned up any proof, despite putting the allegation at the center of their impeachment inquiry against Biden.
“So, it’s hard to make the argument that oversight is the reason to continue when it sort of looks like failure theater,” Gaetz concluded.
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He was followed by Matt Gaetz, the rightwing lawmaker who introduced the removal motion.
Gaetz took issue with Tom Cole’s prediction that removing McCarthy would spark “chaos”.
“Chaos is speaker McCarthy. Chaos is somebody who we cannot trust with their word,” Gaetz countered.
“The one thing that the White House, House Democrats and many of us on the conservative side of the Republican caucus would argue is that the thing we have in common [is]: Kevin McCarthy said something to all of us at one point or another that he didn’t really mean and never intended to live up to.”
He then went on to accuse the speaker of bad tactics, particularly for cutting a deal with Democrats to keep the government open.
“We’ve suspended the momentum that we had established the week earlier, where we were bringing bills to the floor … staying late at night, working hard, that’s what the American people expect. It’s something speaker McCarthy hasn’t delivered. And that’s why I’ve moved to vacate the chair,” Gaetz said.
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Next up was Tom Cole, an ally of McCarthy, who accused the party’s rightwing insurgents of pursuing a pointless removal motion.
“They’re willing … to plunge this body into chaos and … uncertainty for reasons that only they really understand. I certainly don’t,” Cole said.
He then turned to Democrats, who have said they will support removing McCarthy. “I would say, think long and hard before you plunge us into chaos, because that’s where we’re headed if we vacate the speakership,” Cole said.
“I’m very proud of this speaker. I’m very proud to stand behind him. Tomorrow morning, whether I win or lose. I’m going to be pretty proud of the people I’ve fought with. And I’m going to be extraordinarily proud of the person I fought for the speaker of the House, Kevin McCarthy,” Cole concluded, to applause.
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Speaking, unusually, from the Democratic side of the House, the Republican Bob Good aired a litany of grievances against Kevin McCarthy’s leadership since becoming speaker in January.
“Like so many others, I deeply regret that we are here in what was a totally avoidable situation,” Good began.
He characterized himself as a gracious ally of McCarthy in his bruising speakership election, only to be betrayed.
“Most in here wouldn’t know that I helped persuade my five colleagues who comprise the remaining resistance in the wee morning hours of January 7, to switch our votes to present to let Mr McCarthy become speaker,” Good said.
“And I went to him on this very floor to tell him that he was finally going to become speaker on the next vote. In that moment, it was clear to me that I or we could have asked for anything in exchange for switching our votes to present but I and we asked for nothing.”
Good faults McCarthy for not using leverage such as the debt ceiling, or the possibility of a government shutdown, to further cut government spending. Over the weekend, the speaker cut a deal with Democrats to keep the government open for the next few weeks by passing a continuing resolution while lawmakers worked out longer-term spending plans.
“The speaker fought through 15 votes in January to become speaker, but was only willing to fight through one failed [continuing resolution] before surrendering to the Democrats on Saturday. We need a speaker who will fight for something, anything, besides just staying or becoming speaker,” Good said.
Updated
The House is now moving to debate the motion to vacate the speaker’s chair.
Florida’s Matt Gaetz, who introduced the motion to remove Kevin McCarthy as House speaker, has yielded the floor to Virginia’s Bob Good, a fellow rightwing insurgent. Good is now speaking in favor of removing McCarthy.
McCarthy on verge of removal from House speakership after allies fail to block motion to vacate
Kevin McCarthy’s allies have failed to table the motion to vacate the House speaker’s chair, putting the veteran California congressman on the cusp of being ejected from his position leading Congress’s lower chamber.
The House will now debate and vote on removing McCarthy from his leadership position, and if the vote to table the motion is any indication, it will succeed. Eleven Republicans joined with all Democrats to oppose blocking the motion to vacate, which, if that tally holds, will be enough for McCarthy to be removed.
Updated
The “no” votes are currently leading on the motion to table.
The count is 214 opposed and 206 in favor. Broken down by party, 206 Republicans are in favor, and 10 opposed. All 205 Democrats are opposed.
Effort to stop McCarthy removal motion on course to fail
So far, ten Republicans have voted against an effort by Kevin McCarthy’s allies to table the resolution removing him as House speaker.
Voting is still ongoing, and all Democrats are expected to oppose the motion. If it fails, the House will debate the motion to vacate the speaker’s chair, and then vote on whether to make McCarthy the first speaker in American history removed from his post.
House begins voting on resolution to block McCarthy removal
The House is now voting on a motion to table the attempt to remove Kevin McCarthy as speaker. If it succeeds, McCarthy will have successfully blocked the removal effort by Matt Gaetz and other far-right Republicans.
Before they vote to remove Kevin McCarthy as speaker, the House is voting on whether to begin debate on a spending bill unconnected to the motion to vacate.
But Democratic lawmakers are voting as slowly as possible, because, as Semafor reports, not all their members are at the Capitol:
Dems are voting by card on the Rule for an appropriation bill so they can slow things down to get members here
— Kadia Goba (@kadiagoba) October 3, 2023
Democratic absences could affect the success or failure of the McCarthy removal effort.
As lawmakers filed into the House chamber ahead of the expected vote on removing Kevin McCarthy as speaker, Donald Trump posted the following on Truth Social:
Why is it that Republicans are always fighting among themselves, why aren’t they fighting the Radical Left Democrats who are destroying our Country?
It’s pretty rich coming from Trump, who has spent plenty of time attacking fellow Republicans for various reasons. But one must wonder what he makes of the attempt to remove Kevin McCarthy as House speaker. The architects of the effort are among his diehard supporters, but many of those opposed, including McCarthy himself, are also Trump allies.
Updated
From Politico, here are the five Republicans who are currently saying they will vote to remove Kevin McCarthy as House speaker:
At least 5 House GOP hardliners plan to vote to oust McCarthy, per those who have publicly announced. Could be more + absences make it a numbers game
— Olivia Beavers (@Olivia_Beavers) October 3, 2023
1. Gaetz
2. Crane
3. Good
4. Rosendale
5. Burchett https://t.co/InlkmNoA8t
That would be enough to oust him, however, it appears there are several Democrats who are absent, which may affect the count. We will see.
House to soon begin voting on attempt to block McCarthy removal
The House will at 2pm begin voting on an attempt to block the motion to remove Kevin McCarthy from the speaker’s chair.
If the motion to table the removal attempt succeeds, McCarthy will remain as speaker, at least for now. If it fails, the House is then expected to vote on the motion to remove him as speaker.
This post has been corrected to note that the vote is upcoming, rather than currently happening.
Updated
The House will gavel in at 1.30pm to vote on the motion to remove Kevin McCarthy as speaker.
Follow along here as we cover it live. And ahead of that vote, consider this perspective from Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic former House speaker who has stepped down from her leadership position but remains a congresswoman, on why her party will support McCarthy’s ouster:
The Speaker of the House is chosen by the Majority Party. In this Congress, it is the responsibility of House Republicans to choose a nominee & elect the Speaker on the Floor. At this time there is no justification for a departure from this tradition.
— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) October 3, 2023
The House will be in order.
Democratic whip Katherine Clark has advised her party’s lawmakers on what to do for the potentially two votes that will determine whether Kevin McCarthy stays or goes as House speaker.
McCarthy’s allies are expected to first attempt to table the removal motion, which would kill the effort to boot him from the speaker’s chair. Clark has told Democrats to oppose this.
Assuming that fails, the House will then vote on whether or not to remove McCarthy as speaker. Clark tells Democrats to vote yes on this.
Citing GOP 'unwillingness to break from Maga extremism', top House Democrat Jeffries encourages members to oust McCarthy
In a letter to House Democrats, minority leader Hakeem Jeffries says the GOP’s “unwillingness to break from Maga extremism” has left him with no choice but to call on lawmakers to support removing Kevin McCarthy as speaker of the House.
“House Democrats remain willing to find common ground on an enlightened path forward. Unfortunately, our extreme Republican colleagues have shown no willingness to do the same,” the New York congressman writes.
“It is now the responsibility of the GOP members to end the House Republican Civil War. 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.”
In his letter, Jeffries recounts a host of transgressions Republicans have committed since taking the majority in Congress’s lower chamber earlier this year. These include the “unprecedented dysfunction” caused by the lengthy fight over McCarthy’s election as House speaker in January, the insertion of “radical provisions” into an annual military policy bill, and the commencement of an impeachment inquiry against Joe Biden without a vote of the House, which Jeffries said wastes “time and taxpayer dollars … despite their own witnesses testifying under oath that there is no evidence that President Joe Biden engaged in any wrongdoing.”
“We confront a serious, solemn and sober moment,” Jeffries wrote. “The vote that the House will cast this week in connection with a Motion to Vacate the Chair is not about any one individual. Our responsibility as Members of Congress relates to the Constitution, the principle of good governance and the people we are privileged to serve. Nothing more, and nothing less.”
Former speaker of the House Newt Gingrich has called for his fellow Republicans to vote down the motion to vacate Kevin McCarthy from the House speaker’s chair, and then expel the motion’s architect, Matt Gaetz, from the GOP caucus.
Here’s more from Gingrich, who served as speaker from 1995 to 1999, in the Washington Post:
Instead of taking these positive steps — which would help move the conservative agenda forward — Gaetz has been egocentrically going from TV show to TV show and attacking his own party by repeatedly threatening to bring a motion to oust McCarthy as speaker, which he did late Monday.
Furthermore, Gaetz is violating the House Republican Conference rule that states the motion to vacate “should only be available with the agreement of the Republican Conference so as to not allow Democrats to choose the Speaker.” The agreement made when McCarthy became speaker doesn’t supersede the conference rules. Gaetz still needs a majority of the conference.
Gaetz knows he can’t possibly get a majority of the House GOP conference to his side. He is simply violating the rules in the pursuit of personal attention and fundraising — just like Pelosi said.
I served 20 years in the House, including four as speaker. On occasion, I fought against the GOP establishment. I led the fight against President George H.W. Bush’s 1990 tax increase after he had broken his word about “no new taxes.” I felt bound to stay with my commitment to the American voters.
Unlike Gaetz, though, when I rebelled, I represented the majority view of the caucus at the time.
Gaetz’s motion to remove McCarthy should be swiftly defeated, and then he should be expelled from the House Republican Conference. House Republicans have far more important things to do than entertain one member’s ego.
Democratic congresswoman Summer Lee has released a statement ahead of the motion to remove Kevin McCarthy from the speaker’s chair.
McCarthy voted to sell out our democracy to a mob of armed white supremacists to become Speaker. He then sold his Speakership to help MAGA extremists criminalize abortion, cut Social Security and Medicare, ban Black history, gut workers’ rights and voting rights, and sell out our children’s safety to the gun lobby and corporate polluters. If we didn’t stop him, he would have sold out the entire country to keep his little gig as Speaker of the chaos caucus.
She added:
Why would I – or any Democrat - vote for a Republican speaker who supports Donald Trump and white supremacists? It’s a NO from me
Meanwhile in New York, Donald Trump confirmed he will testify at his civil fraud trial.
Speaking in front of cameras during a break on the second day of the trial, Trump said he thought the trial is “going very well”. He added:
This case is a fraud, and it’s a scam.
Reporter: “Will you be testifying [in your civil fraud trial]?”
— The Recount (@therecount) October 3, 2023
Donald Trump, moments ago: “Yes, I will. At the appropriate time, I will be.” pic.twitter.com/oRPb6ipbvX
North Carolina congressman Dan Bishop was the first House Republican to voice support for ousting Kevin McCarthy from the speakership back in May over his deal with Joe Biden.
But Bishop has changed his mind since, announcing today that he will vote against the motion to vacate McCarthy.
— Rep. Dan Bishop (@RepDanBishop) October 3, 2023
House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries posted to X, formerly known as Twitter, to say that it is up to Republicans to “end the House Republican Civil War”.
House Democrats “are ready to find bipartisan common ground”, Jeffries said.
House Democrats will continue to put people over politics.
— Hakeem Jeffries (@RepJeffries) October 3, 2023
We are ready to find bipartisan common ground.
Our extreme colleagues have shown no willingness to do the same.
They must find a way to end the House Republican Civil War.
Speaking in front of cameras, Jeffries said Democrats are “ready, willing and able” to work with GOP colleagues, “but it is on them to join us”.
“This is a serious, solemn, & sober moment…We encourage our Republican colleagues who claim to be more traditional to break from the extremists…We are ready, willing, & able to work together.”
— The Recount (@therecount) October 3, 2023
— Minority Leader Jeffries (D-NY) amid GOP effort to oust Speaker McCarthy (R-CA) pic.twitter.com/068JveUdma
The day so far
Kevin McCarthy may, as soon as this afternoon, become the first speaker of the House in American history to be removed from the job. The far-right Republicans who held up his election to the leadership post for days in January have struck again, proposing a motion to vacate that will go up for a vote this afternoon. While the Californian has the option of asking the sizable Democratic minority for their support to save him, he has rejected doing that – and they, in turn, have unanimously said they will not help McCarthy, a Donald Trump ally who has been crucial to the effort to downplay the severity of the January 6 insurrection.
How did we get here? The trouble for the House GOP began last November, when they retook the majority in the chamber, but only by a measly four seats. That empowered far-right lawmakers such as Matt Gaetz to hold up McCarthy’s election as speaker for days, relenting only after he agreed to concessions, which included allowing any member to make a motion to vacate. Rightwing lawmakers generally demanded McCarthy adopt a take-no-prisoners approach to dealing with Joe Biden and the Democrats, who control the Senate, but their anger grew over the months that followed, when McCarthy cut a deal with Biden to increase the debt limit while slashing some government spending. The far-right fury peaked this past weekend, when McCarthy worked with Democrats to fund the government for a few weeks while the parties negotiate its long-term budget, narrowly averting a shutdown.
That latter event prompted Gaetz to follow through on his implied threat and introduce a motion to vacate, which, as of this writing, appears to have enough votes to successfully boot McCarthy from the speaker’s chair. But as he made clear in comments earlier today, McCarthy is a survivor and will not go down without a fight.
Keep following this blog as we cover what will be an action-packed afternoon.
Here’s what else is going on today:
Hunter Biden pleaded not guilty to federal gun charges at his arraignment in Delaware.
Trump is back in court in New York City as a judge considers how much in damages he and his family should pay for fraudulently inflating the value of their assets over the course of years.
All House Democrats will vote against McCarthy- source
A House Democratic aide confirms to the Guardian’s US politics live blog that all of the party’s lawmakers plan to vote against Kevin McCarthy remaining as speaker.
The Democrats were similarly united in January, when they repeatedly voted for minority leader Hakeem Jeffries as speaker of the House, giving no lifeline to McCarthy and his allies after far-right GOP lawmakers held up his election for days.
The House is expected to consider the motion to vacate beginning at 1pm today.
Democrats unified against McCarthy as vote to oust him looms - report
The Washington Post reports that Democrats are unified in voting for the motion to remove Kevin McCarthy as speaker of the House for his support of Donald Trump and his downplaying of the January 6 attack on the Capitol:
NEWS: Democrats will NOT vote present and will NOT vote to table.
— Leigh Ann Caldwell (@LACaldwellDC) October 3, 2023
Sources say the caucus is unified.
McCarthy’s actions on Jan 6, his trip to Mar a Lago, his attempt to discredit the Jan 6 Cmte, his reneging on debt limit deal and his actions this weekend are all the reasons
Democrats have the option of voting present on the motion to vacate, or supporting a motion to table the removal attempt, which would have blocked it. According to the Post, the minority party has ruled that out, and McCarthy earlier today said he was not going to ask the Democrats for help to remain as speaker.
Updated
Leader of centrist Democrats condemns McCarthy as 'not trustworthy'
Centrist House Democrats appear to have also rejected helping Kevin McCarthy survive the vote on the motion to vacate, with the chair of the New Democrat Coalition Annie Kuster releasing a statement calling the Republican House speaker “simply not trustworthy”.
Here it is, in full:
You are only as good as your word — and time and again, Speaker McCarthy has proven that he is not a man of his word. He is simply not trustworthy.
While Republicans have lost their way, Democrats stand united in our purpose and our Caucus. Leader Jeffries continues to be the steady, forward-looking voice we need to lead our country forward. New Dems are proud to stand with our Leader and our Caucus to deliver progress for the American people, not chaos.
The New Democrat Coalition is the second-largest caucus among Democrats in the House.
'This is not a Democratic problem', House progressive leader says ahead of vote on motion to vacate
Leader of the Congressional Progressive Caucus Pramila Jayapal ruled out helping Kevin McCarthy survive as the chamber’s speaker, saying the vote to oust him is “not a Democratic problem”.
“We are not voting in any way that would help save Speaker McCarthy,” said Jayapal, whose 100-member caucus is the largest among House Democrats:
“We are not voting in any way that would help save Speaker McCarthy … Nobody trusts Kevin McCarthy, and why should we?”
— The Recount (@therecount) October 3, 2023
— House Progressives Chair Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) after the Democratic Caucus meeting pic.twitter.com/QG1jc3Velv
No signs Democrats plan to bail out McCarthy
One way for Kevin McCarthy to hold on to his speaker’s gavel would be to ask the Democratic minority for help. But he has ruled out doing that and, as is becoming clear, Democrats have no interest in helping him.
Citing California congressman Mark Takano, CNN reports that at a closed-door meeting, Democratic lawmakers were unanimously critical of McCarthy:
Rep. Mark Takano, a California Democrat, said member after member criticized Speaker McCarthy in meeting. “I didn’t hear a single member express we felt responsible for ‘saving’ Speaker McCarthy or helping Kevin McCarthy,” he told me
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) October 3, 2023
Takano represents a fairly safe district. But the sentiment extends even to Democrats holding more tenuous ground. Here’s Jared Golden of Maine, one of their most vulnerable lawmakers. From Politico:
Centrist Dem Rep. Golden on McCarthy: “Absent any significantly meaningful benefit for Maine’s Second District, I see no reason to vote for him.” pic.twitter.com/FnF0hpX4A6
— Nicholas Wu (@nicholaswu12) October 3, 2023
And Virginia’s Abigail Spanberger, a leader of vulnerable Democrats. Courtesy of Punchbowl News:
Really good sense of where Frontliners are at from @RepSpanberger, who represents vulnerable member perspectives in House Dem leadership https://t.co/ZRsyssvfX9 pic.twitter.com/WWgD0LlsEK
— Max Cohen (@maxpcohen) October 3, 2023
Despite far-right revolt, McCarthy says 'confident' he can remain as speaker
Kevin McCarthy simultaneously said he was “confident” he could remain as speaker of the House, noting it took him 15 ballots be elected to the chamber’s top job earlier this year.
“Have you ever come to me on no matter what you thought I couldn’t solve, that I wasn’t confident?” the Republican speaker said in an exchange with a reporter.
He continued:
You’re asking why I’m confident – because who I am. And I just don’t give up. So, there are obstacles in my life, I have fallen many times, there was a time I was going to be speaker and I couldn’t and you guys all counted me out. I’m speaker. I’m the 55th speaker of the House. You’re confident that government was going to shut down, you were confident the debt ceiling wouldn’t get done. But each and every time … if it’s an obstacle, I view it as a challenge, and we’re gonna solve the challenge.
McCarthy was then asked: “Are you confident that you’ll hold on?”
“I’m confident I’ll hold on,” he replied.
'If five Republicans go with Democrats, then I'm out': McCarthy
In brief comments to reporters after meeting with Republican lawmakers, Kevin McCarthy sounded fatalistic about surviving the motion to remove him as speaker of the House brought by far-right insurgents.
“If five Republicans go with Democrats, then I’m out,” McCarthy said.
“Sounds likely,” a reporter remarked.
“Probably so,” the speaker replied.
Votes on the motion are expected to begin around 1pm eastern time.
Hunter Biden pleads not guilty to federal gun charges
Hunter Biden has entered pleas of not guilty to three federal gun charges at his arraignment in Wilmington, Delaware today, the Associated Press reports.
The president’s son was indicted for lying about his drug use when buying a gun, after a plea deal to resolve that charge and separate allegations that he failed to pay income taxes collapsed in July. House Republicans have seized on Biden’s legal troubles as well as his foreign business dealings to launch impeachment proceedings against Joe Biden, arguing the president is corrupt. But despite years of investigation, the GOP and outside conservative groups have so far failed to prove the president financially benefited from his son’s businesses.
Here’s the Guardian’s David Smith, with more on Hunter Biden’s legal troubles:
Joe Biden’s son Hunter is set to be arraigned in a Delaware court on Tuesday in a politically fraught case that could unfold in the heat of the US president’s 2024 re-election campaign.
Hunter, 53, the first child of a sitting president to be indicted, is expected to plead not guilty to unlawfully possessing a gun as an illegal drug user and lying about his drug use on a background check form when he bought a Colt Cobra revolver in 2018.
The indictment was secured last month by special counsel David Weiss after a plea agreement between Hunter and prosecutors collapsed in August. The justice department has not said whether it will also bring an indictment over separate tax misdemeanour charges.
If convicted, Hunter faces a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison, although as a first-time, nonviolent offender who did not use the gun to commit an offence, a more lenient punishment is likely.
Hunter, who acknowledged past cocaine use in his memoir, is expected to ask district judge Maryellen Noreika to dismiss the gun possession charge by arguing that a federal law banning illegal drug users from owning guns has no historical counterpart and violates his right “to keep and bear arms” under the constitution’s second amendment.
He could receive an unlikely boost from the supreme court which, in a ruling last year, New York State Rifle & Pistol Association Inc v Bruen, set a new standard to apply in judging the legality of gun restrictions imposed by governments, declaring that they must be consistent with “historical tradition of firearm regulation”.
Abbe Lowell, Biden’s defence lawyer, has suggested that he may challenge at least some of the indictment based on the Bruen decision.
In a public statement on the day of the indictment, Lowell said: “We believe these charges are barred by the agreement the prosecutors made with Mr. Biden, the recent rulings by several federal courts that this statute is unconstitutional, and the facts that he did not violate that law, and we plan to demonstrate all of that in court.”
In New York City, Donald Trump has returned for the second day of his civil fraud trial.
The trial, which opened yesterday, will determine how much in damages the former president and his family will pay after a judge determined they had for years inflated the value of their assets to secure more favorable loan conditions and other benefits.
As he did on Monday, Trump spoke to reporters before entering the courtroom, and called for the case to be dismissed:
Meanwhile, in Wilmington, Delaware, Hunter Biden has arrived at the federal courthouse to be arraigned on charges related to lying about his drug use when purchasing a gun:
Hunter Biden arrives at a Delaware courthouse for his arraignment on three gun charges. pic.twitter.com/joTHHOYO29
— The Recount (@therecount) October 3, 2023
Per Politico, Kevin McCarthy said in a behind-closed-doors meeting with House Republicans that he has ruled out working with the Democratic minority to save his speakership:
McCarthy also tells his members he won’t deal with Dems to help save his speakership, im told
— Olivia Beavers (@Olivia_Beavers) October 3, 2023
In an interview with MSNBC this morning, House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries was coy when asked if Democrats will help Kevin McCarthy survive the motion to vacate:
"It was a private conversation that we had."
— The Recount (@therecount) October 3, 2023
— House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) on the call he had with Speaker McCarthy last night and whether Dems will help him battle the motion to vacate pic.twitter.com/d9TKHLJ0rW
The Democrats’ caucus meeting is ongoing, and we will let you know what strategy they settle on as soon as we know.
McCarthy to hold vote on motion to vacate this afternoon - report
Kevin McCarthy will hold a vote on the motion to remove him from his position as speaker of the House this afternoon, Punchbowl News reports:
🚨BREAKING ... MCCARTHY SAID HE WILL BRING THE MOTION TO VACATE VOTE UP IN THE FIRST VOTE SERIES
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) October 3, 2023
The House’s first votes of the day are expected around 1.30pm. It’s not clear if the House will vote on the motion itself, or if McCarthy’s allies will first vote to table to motion, which would effectively kill the effort to remove him as the chamber’s leader.
House could take up motion to vacate 'at any time' from 12pm, Democrats say
In a notice to lawmakers, Democratic whip Katherine Clark’s office said votes on the motion to vacate Kevin McCarthy from his position as speaker of the House could take place “at any time after the House convenes at 12:00 p.m. today.”
“Members should keep their schedules flexible and be prepared to vote at the appropriate time,” the notice adds.
Before voting on the motion itself, McCarthy’s allies may move to table the proposal, which, if successful, would block the motion to vacate, and save McCarthy’s speakership. That would need a simply majority to pass, and, the way the numbers are looking now, can’t be achieved without Democratic help.
McCarthy says Democrats 'haven't asked for anything' to save speakership
In an interview on CNBC, Kevin McCarthy says the Democratic minority has not “asked for anything” in exchange for their help in saving his speakership.
Matt Gaetz and his far-right allies appear to have the votes to remove McCarthy from his post leading the House, assuming all Democrats support their motion to vacate. That has led to speculation that McCarthy will broker a deal with the minority in order to remain as House speaker, but in the interview, he appeared to shoot that down, saying “I’m not going to provide anything.”
You can watch it here:
"They haven't asked for anything. I'm not going to provide anything" -- McCarthy on CNBC on what Dems want in order to help him stay speaker pic.twitter.com/P8oDhkZyAk
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 3, 2023
Democrats in the middle as far-right moves to boot McCarthy from speaker's chair
Good morning, US politics blog readers. Eight months after they delayed Kevin McCarthy’s election as speaker of the House of Republicans for days, far-right Republicans are now moving to boot him out of the job, and it may be up to Democrats to save him – should they choose to do so. The leader of the insurgent group, Matt Gaetz, last night filed a motion to vacate the speaker’s post, and it appears he may indeed have the numbers to remove McCarthy, but only if Democrats also vote to oust him.
The minority party in the House traditionally does not support the majority’s choice for speaker, but motions to vacate are exceedingly rare, and this is a situation not seen in more than a century. Led by minority leader Hakeem Jeffries, it will now be up to Democrats to decide if they vote to remove McCarthy and potentially plunge the House into a chaotic search for a new speaker, or use their newfound leverage to broker a deal with McCarthy in exchange for saving his speakership, but risk blowback for helping out a conservative stalwart who does their party few favors.
This matter is expected to come to a head quickly. The House could begin debating the motion as soon as this afternoon, while both the Republican and Democratic caucuses will be meeting this morning to nail down their strategies. Stay tuned to this blog as we cover it live.
All that said, there is a world beyond Congress, and here is what is happening in it:
Hunter Biden will be arraigned in a Delaware federal court on a charge related to lying about using drugs when buying a gun years ago.
Donald Trump and his family’s trial to determine damages in New York state’s civil suit over fraudulently inflating the value of their businesses to get better loan conditions and other benefits enters its second day in Manhattan.
A new Gallup poll finds both political parties are viewed unfavorably, but the GOP has the edge in both protecting the country, and keeping it prosperous.
