By Will Hall, Baptist Message executive editor
WASHINGTON (LBM) – Eight Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives together with 208 Democrats voted, Oct. 3, to oust Kevin McCarthy, a member of Valley Baptist Church in Bakersfield, California, as speaker.
Matt Gaetz, a member of First Baptist Church, Fort Walton Beach, Florida, initiated the removal process, filing a motion, Oct. 2, to vacate the office of speaker, which precipitated the vote of no confidence that removed McCarthy from this key leadership role.
McCarthy had known of his precarious position since January when he failed to win the office of speaker after 14 votes. He was successful on the 15th ballot only after he agreed to several concessions to a core group of Republicans, including Gaetz, who were reluctant to back him. One of the changes was made to the rule about the motion to vacate. McCarthy agreed to allow a single person to request such a vote instead of the previous requirement that a majority of the speaker’s party bring the issue to the floor. Consequently, eight Republicans, out of 220, were able to swing McCarthy’s ouster.
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, a member of St. Catherine of Siena Church in Metairie, Louisiana, and Rep. Jim Jordan, a member of the nondenominational Grace Bible Church in Urbana, Ohio, have announced their bids to succeed McCarthy, according to multiple media outlets.
However, CNN has reported that Republican Study Committee Chairman Kevin Hern, a member of the BattleCreek Church, a Southern Baptist congregation in Tulsa, Oklahoma, has been approached about running. The RSC is the largest conservative group in the House.
Two seats in the House are vacant (one Democrat, one Republican) and seven members were absent (four Democrats, three Republicans) for the vote of 216 against and 210 for McCarthy.
