Professor of politics at Juniata College reacts to McCarthy’s removal

WASHINGTON D.C. (WTAJ)– For the first time in United States history, members of Congress have pushed out the Speaker of the House.

On Tuesday afternoon the presiding officer gaveled the vote closed, 216-210, saying the office of the speaker “is hereby declared vacant.”

“Right now what it means is that Congress is in Chaos,” Professor of Politics at Juniata College Jack Barlow said. “The idea of investigating or taking action to remove someone from office is hardly unprecedented.”

This is the first vote to remove a speaker since 1910. It was initiated by Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz, who opposed McCarthy’s run for speaker earlier in the year. Gaetz was more critical of McCarthy after he partnered with House Democrats to pass a short-term spending bill to prevent a government shutdown.

“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 that 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,” Gaetz said.

Barlow says that the move by Gaetz was a personal attack on McCarthy.

“He wants to be the guy who brought McCarthy down,” Barlow said. “He doesn’t like McCarthy, that’s pretty obvious. And frankly, McCarthy was a weak speaker. Partly because of the conditions that they put on him when he became speaker.”

Ultimately Barlow says that McCarthy’s promises to Gaetz and other members of the Republican Caucus that got him the position are what lost him it. He believes that this could set a precedent for the next speaker, which could leave the House further divided.

“Now anybody who comes in is going to have to, is going to be expected to make those same promises,” Barlow said.