BY: EMMA NIECE / STAFF WRITER
Due to the risk of government shutdown on Oct. 1, Rep. Kevin McCarthy worked with House Democrats to pass a short-term funding bill to keep the government open through Nov. 17. This bill was signed into effect by President Joe Biden just 3 hours before midnight on Sept. 30.
This temporary solution was aimed at providing House Republicans and House Democrats with more time to come to a solution on the government’s budget. This solution “includes natural disaster aid but not additional funding for Ukraine or border security,” according to CNN writer Gregory Clary.
Rep. Matt Gaetz stated prior to the signing of the short-term funding bill that he would call for a motion to vacate the House Speaker chair if McCarthy decided to work with Democrats.
When CNN asked McCarthy how he feels about working with Democrats, he stated, “What is wrong with Americans working together? What is wrong with a Republican and Democrat putting America first? I think that’s important.”
Upon speaking to the press outside the Capitol just days before McCarthy’s removal, Gaetz stated, “We are at this point because Kevin McCarthy made multiple contradictory promises about the budget topline to different groups of people. He made one promise to House conservatives in January to secure the position, he made another promise to President Biden, he made a third promise all together to House appropriators. So, Kevin’s deal was if he made multiple contradictory promises and delayed as long as possible, he could push people up against shutdown politics in order to avoid the programmatic level review that House Conservatives have called for.”
On Oct. 3 less than three days after the signing of the short-term funding bill, Rep. Kevin McCarthy was ousted as Speaker of the House in a charge led by Rep. Matt Gaetz, followed by seven other House Republicans.
Rep. Ken Buck of Colorado’s Fourth District made a public statement on X, formerly known as Twitter, after McCarthy’s removal stating, “We are $33 trillion in debt and on track to hit $50 trillion by 2030. We cannot continue to fund the government by continuing resolutions and omnibus spending bills.”
Similarly, Rep. Matt Rosendale of Montana’s Second District released a statement on Oct. 4, claiming he did “...not take pleasure in what occurred yesterday,” but that McCarthy was “...not moving forward with legislation to cut spending, secure our border, and make us energy dominant again.”
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana along with Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan of Ohio announced almost immediately after McCarthy’s removal that they would be running to fill the position.
Scalise was nominated by House Republicans over Jim Jordan but later announced on Oct. 13 that he would be dropping out of the running after a failed vote.
There are currently 212 sitting Democrats and 221 sitting Republicans in the House. Even with the Republican House majority, this poses an issue because if over 4 Republicans vote against a candidate, no speaker can be elected.
Rep. Mike Garcia of California stated in a press conference “We’re gonna have the same problem with Jordan that we had with Scalise. So, I think it’s a math problem, frankly.”
GOP lawmakers have come out stating that they will place blame on the eight House Republicans who voted to oust McCarthy if a new speaker isn’t in place to prevent a government shutdown, as no legislation can emerge from the capitol without a speaker.
Jordan has already lost the first and second rounds of polling, gaining 200 votes on Oct. 17, and only 199 on Oct. 18. However, Jordan’s office confirmed there will be a third ballot at 10am on Friday Oct. 20.
CBS News congressional correspondent Scott MacFarlane claimed in a news broadcast on Oct. 11 that many House Republicans still support McCarthy. He additionally claimed that a House Republican from California told him that Rep. Kevin McCarthy being re-elected is inevitable.
Although McCarthy has not made any effort to run again, when asked if he would, it didn’t appear like it was off the table. In a Monday morning press conference on Oct. 9 he stated, “I’ll allow the conference to make whatever decision. Whether I’m speaker or not, I’m a member of this body…I can lead in any position it is.”
With the ongoing conflict in the Republican Party, the focus turns to the Democrat’s nominee, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who gained all 212 votes from his party both days of voting.
With a House Speaker still undecided, politicians and citizens everywhere are hoping someone is elected soon to avert the government shutdown, as it could cause drastic financial harm to working Americans.
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