Motion to vacate: What is the pro­ce­dure to oust McCarthy, and how does it work

After Con­gress nar­row­ly avoid­ed a gov­ern­ment shut­down for at least 45 days last week­end, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R‑FL) intro­duced a motion to remove House Speak­er Kevin McCarthy (R‑CA) from the chamber’s top lead­er­ship posi­tion.
The pro­ce­dur­al tool, which is called a motion to vacate, is a priv­i­leged res­o­lu­tion that can be intro­duced by any mem­ber of the House to declare the office of the House speak­er vacant. Mul­ti­ple oth­er Repub­li­cans, some of whom have opposed McCarthy’s speak­er­ship in the past, have shown sup­port for Gaetz’s intro­duc­tion, includ­ing Reps. Tim Burchett (R‑TN), Andy Big­gs (R‑AZ), Bob Good (R‑VA), and Eli Crane (R‑AZ).
DEMOCRACY DERBY: HOW THE KENTUCKY GOVERNOR’S RACE COULD SERVE AS A SPRINGBOARD INTO 2028
With a full House vote on Gaet­z’s motion expect­ed Tues­day or Wednes­day, here is every­thing you need to know about the process of remov­ing a speak­er of the House, some­thing that has only hap­pened three times in his­to­ry.
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