BY LISA MASCARO AND FARNOUSH AMIRI
WASHINGTON (AP) — Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s grip on the gavel was at serious risk Tuesday after the House voted to move ahead with a historic effort by hard-right critics to oust the embattled Republican leader from the job.
The dramatic showdown forced by McCarthy’s chief rival, Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, brought together more than a handful of conservative Republican critics of the speaker and many Democrats who say he is unworthy of leadership.
Voting was underway in a dramatic roll call. It will take just a simple majority to remove McCarthy from the speaker’s office. While he has support from most Republicans, a handful of conservatives can overpower McCarthy’s slim majority if Democrats don’t step in to help.
It’s a stunning moment for the battle-tested McCarthy and serves as his most severe challenge yet, a potential punishment fueled by growing grievances but sparked by his weekend decision to work with Democrats to keep the federal government open rather than risk a shutdown.
An earlier vote was 218-208 against tabling the motion, with 11 Republicans allowing it to advance.
The House then opened an extraordinary floor debate, unseen in modern times, ahead of the next round of voting on what could be an motion to “vacate the chair” — something that has not happened in Congress in a century.
