As Shutdown Looms, Kevin McCarthy Gets TERRIBLE News About His Future As Speaker

As a government shutdown loomed over Congress this week, a growing chorus of House Republican voices have come out against Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) prompting a number of names being floated as his potential replacement.

The government shutdown has been a key leadership moment for Speaker McCarthy and thus far he has been unable to get a spending deal across the finish line with the shutdown set to begin on Saturday if legislation is not passed.

According to Just The News, the effort to unseat McCarthy from one of the most powerful posts in Washington, D.C. has been led by Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) who has said that he would call for a motion to vacate the speaker if McCarthy passed a spending bill alongside Democrats.

"Today [Speaker McCarthy] improved compliance with the January Agreement by holding a term limits vote, which sadly failed," Gaetz wrote on X/Twitter alongside a picture of a McCarthy report card. "There remain significant areas for needed improvement."

Gaetz is reportedly considering, alongside a number of other conservative members, calling for a motion to vacate as soon as Sunday and ultimately push out the California Republican by next week. 

The Republicans who are currently being considered to replace McCarthy if he loses his seat include Chairman of the Republican Study Committee Rep. Kevin Hern (R-OK), House Budget Chairman Rep. Jodey Arrington (R-TX), and House Financial Services Chairman Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-NC).

"It'll be a unity speaker, and whoever it is will cut a deal to get Dems and then change House rules to preclude motion to vacate," one member of the Republican caucus told Axios. "But he [McCarthy] may keep dancing his way through the fire."

McCarthy's ouster from the speakership became increasingly likely after 27 members of the Republican caucus signed a letter demanding that McCarthy release a plan to address the spending fight.

After a speakership fight that lasted five days and 15 votes in January, the potential for another speakership fight on the House floor will prove to be an exhausting enterprise. If Gaetz chooses to call for McCarthy's ouster from the speakership, his successor will have a tough fight ahead to ensure that the government is funded while holding together a fractious caucus.

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