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== Background == |
== Background == |
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{{Main|118th United States Congress}} |
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{{Further|Removal of Kevin McCarthy as speaker of the House|2024 United States federal budget|}} |
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{{Main article|Removal of Kevin McCarthy as speaker of the House}} |
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Following the [[2022 United States elections|2022 midterm elections]], the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]] won 222 seats in the [[House of Representatives]], while the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] won 213 seats. The [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] won a narrow, 2-seat majority in the Senate. The [[Freedom Caucus]], a far-right<ref>Multiple sources: |
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*{{Cite web |last=Hulse |first=Carl |date=Sept. 23, 2023 |title=The Wrecking-Ball Caucus: How the Far Right Brought Washington to Its Knees |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/23/us/republicans-congress-freedom-caucus.html |access-date=March 25, 2024 |website=New York Times}} |
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*{{Cite web |last=Schaefer |first=Peder |date=March 12, 2024 |title=The Freedom Caucus Has Been Wreaking Havoc On Washington. Now It’s Exporting the Chaos to the States. |url=https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2024/03/12/freedom-caucus-00146569 |access-date=March 25, 2024 |website=Politico}} |
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*{{Cite web |last=Loanes |first=Ellen |date=June 11, 2023 |title=The dysfunction among House Republicans is getting worse |url=https://www.vox.com/politics/23754641/mccarthy-gop-house-freedom-caucus |access-date=March 25, 2024 |website=Vox}} |
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*{{Cite web |date=January 9, 2023 |title=What is the House Freedom Caucus? |url=https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2023/01/09/what-is-the-house-freedom-caucus |access-date=March 25, 2024 |website=The Economist}}</ref> caucus of Republicans, secured roughly 45 seats.{{Efn|The Freedom Caucus does not publish its membership.<ref>{{Cite web |last=DeSilver |first=Drew |title=Freedom Caucus likely to play a bigger role in new GOP-led House. So who are they? |url=https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/01/23/freedom-caucus-likely-to-play-a-bigger-role-in-new-gop-led-house-so-who-are-they/ |access-date=2024-03-25 |website=Pew Research Center |language=en-US}}</ref>}} [[Kevin McCarthy]], the Republican leader during the previous [[117th United States Congress|117th Congress]], was [[January 2023 Speaker of the United States House of Representatives election|elected]] speaker of the House after 15 rounds of voting, but only after giving concessions to his opponents, who were mostly Freedom Caucus members. These concessions included lowering the threshold to file a privileged [[motion to vacate the chair]] to one member.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Edmondson |first=Catie |date=October 2, 2023 |title=Gaetz Moves to Oust McCarthy, Threatening His Grip on the Speakership |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/02/us/politics/mccarthy-gaetz-house-speaker.html |url-access=limited |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231002095249/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/02/us/politics/mccarthy-gaetz-house-speaker.html |archive-date=October 2, 2023 |access-date=October 2, 2023 |work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> The Freedom Caucus persuaded McCarthy to refuse to raise the [[United States debt ceiling|debt ceiling]] and threaten a [[Default (finance)|default]], leading to the [[2023 United States debt-ceiling crisis|2023 United States debt ceiling crisis]]. McCarthy agreed to [[Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023|a deal]] to end the crisis, which set funding levels for the next two fiscal years, but after conservative opposition, McCarthy announced he would put appropriations legislation on the floor with much lower spending levels, as well as many [[Rider (legislation)|riders]] containing conservative priorities. These bills were quickly rejected by the Democratic-led Senate,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Stein |first=Jeff |last2=Sotomayor |first2=Marianna |last3=Balingit |first3=Moriah |date=2023-09-28 |title=Kevin McCarthy embraces stark cuts to safety net to win hard right |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/09/26/mccarthy-conservatives-cut-spending/ |access-date=2024-03-25 |work=Washington Post |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286}}</ref> and Republican disagreements prevented some of them from passing.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hulse |first=Carl |author-link=Carl Hulse |date=September 14, 2023 |title=McCarthy Pulls Back Pentagon Spending Bill, Inching Closer to a Shutdown |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/14/us/politics/mccarthy-spending-bill-pentagon.html |access-date=September 27, 2023 |work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Mychael Schnell |first=Aris Folley |date=2023-09-29 |title=Republican moderates stymie McCarthy on agriculture, FDA bill |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4229360-house-gop-fails-to-pass-agriculture-fda-funding-bill/ |access-date=2024-03-25 |website=The Hill |language=en-US}}</ref> By September, the federal government appeared poised to shut down,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hulse |first=Carl |author-link=Carl Hulse |date=September 10, 2023 |title=Congress Embarks on Spending Battle as Shutdown Looms at End of September |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/10/us/politics/congress-spending-battle.html |url-access=limited |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230925201947/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/10/us/politics/congress-spending-battle.html |archive-date=September 25, 2023 |access-date=September 27, 2023 |work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> but at the last minute, McCarthy announced he would put a [[continuing resolution]] on the floor without any spending cuts or riders, as long as it did not include aid to Ukraine.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Kane |first1=Paul |last2=McDaniel |first2=Justine |date=September 29, 2023 |title=McCarthy says he'd support a bill without Ukraine aid or border funds |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/09/29/government-shutdown-updates/#link-NSMGDRYGRBECDKC7JVXC5S2D4I |access-date=September 30, 2023 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref> [[Continuing Appropriations Act, 2024 and Other Extensions Act|The CR]] passed easily despite strong conservative opposition, but Representative [[Matt Gaetz]] filed a motion to vacate, citing McCarthy working with Democrats and breaking the agreement reached in the January speaker vote.<ref name="NYTimesAnnouncement">{{Cite web |last=Demirjian |first=Karoun |author-link=Karoun Demirjian |date=October 1, 2023 |title=Gaetz Says He Will Move to Oust McCarthy for Working With Democrats |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/01/us/politics/mccarthy-speaker-gaetz.html |url-access=limited |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231001133609/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/01/us/politics/mccarthy-speaker-gaetz.html |archive-date=October 1, 2023 |access-date=October 1, 2023 |work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> McCarthy was then [[Removal of Kevin McCarthy as speaker of the House|removed]] by a 216-210 vote, with 8 Republicans and all voting Democrats voting to remove.<ref name="NYTimesResults">{{Cite web |last1=Cook Escobar |first1=Molly |last2=Elliott |first2=Kennedy |last3=Levitt |first3=Zach |last4=Murphy |first4=John-Michael |last5=Parlapiano |first5=Alicia |last6=Reinhard |first6=Scott |last7=Shorey |first7=Rachel |last8=Wu |first8=Ashley |last9=Yourish |first9=Yourish |date=October 3, 2023 |title=Live Vote Count: House Decides Whether to Oust McCarthy as Speaker |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/10/03/us/politics/mccarthy-house-speaker-vote-live.html |url-access=limited |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231003164341/https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/10/03/us/politics/mccarthy-house-speaker-vote-live.html |archive-date=October 3, 2023 |access-date=October 3, 2023 |work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> |
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=== Johnson's speakership === |
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{{Further information|October 2023 speaker of the United States House of Representatives election}} |
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Following McCarthy's removal, the Republican conference voted to nominate Majority Leader [[Steve Scalise]] for speaker, but after facing opposition from both moderates and hardliners, he dropped out.<ref name="dropout">{{cite news |last1=Solender |first1=Andrew |last2=Brufke |first2=Juliegrace |date=October 12, 2023 |title=Steve Scalise drops out of House speaker race |url=https://www.axios.com/2023/10/12/steve-scalise-drops-out-house-speaker?l |access-date=October 12, 2023 |work=[[Axios (website)|Axios]]}}</ref> Following Scalise's dropout, Johnson considered running for speaker, but declined, endorsing [[Jim Jordan]], a co-founder of the Freedom Caucus in 2015.<ref name="NOLA">{{cite news |last1=Ballard |first1=Mark |date=October 13, 2023 |title=Congressman Mike Johnson won't run for Speaker of the House |url=https://www.nola.com/news/politics/congressman-mike-johnson-wont-run-for-speaker-of-the-house/article_7f0c8f7e-69e4-11ee-adce-d37ca5e32bdd.html |access-date=October 15, 2023 |publisher=NOLA.com |agency=NOLA.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=French |first=Lauren |date=January 26, 2015 |title=9 Republicans launch House Freedom Caucus |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2015/01/house-freedom-caucus-conservative-legislation-114593 |access-date=2021-07-08 |website=Politico |language=en}}</ref> Jordan won the conference's nomination, but after losing three straight floor votes, the conference voted to remove him as the nominee.<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=October 20, 2023 |title=GOP Drops Jim Jordan as the House Speaker Circus Drags On |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2023/10/gop-drops-jim-jordan-as-the-house-speaker-circus-drags-on |archive-url=https://archive.today/20231020214852/https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2023/10/gop-drops-jim-jordan-as-the-house-speaker-circus-drags-on |archive-date=October 20, 2023 |access-date=October 20, 2023 |magazine=Vanity Fair |language=en}}</ref> Nine candidates, including Johnson, announced a run for speaker, with Majority Whip [[Tom Emmer]] beating Johnson in the final round to become the conference's nominee, before dropping out four hours later after it was clear he could not get a majority of the whole house on the floor.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Neukam |first1=Stephen |last2=McPhearson |first2=Lindsey |last3=Rojas |first3=Warren |date=October 24, 2023 |title=Tom Emmer Flames Out Hours After Winning GOP Speaker Nomination |url=https://themessenger.com/politics/tom-emmer-flames-out-hours-after-winning-gop-speaker-nomination |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231026142750/https://themessenger.com/politics/tom-emmer-flames-out-hours-after-winning-gop-speaker-nomination |archive-date=October 26, 2023 |access-date=October 24, 2023 |website=The Messenger |language=en-US}}</ref> Johnson was then chosen as the fourth nominee. On October 20, he was elected speaker, with all Republicans voting for him.<ref name="cnnoct25">{{Cite web |author1=Mike Hayes |author2=Kaanita Iyer |author3=Elise Hammond |date=October 25, 2023 |title=Rep. Mike Johnson voted new House speaker {{!}} CNN Politics |url=https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/house-speaker-vote-10-25-23/index.html |access-date=October 25, 2023 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref> |
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== Early discussion == |
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Since it had taken over three weeks for House Republicans to elect a speaker, they were unable to pass any appropriations legislation. Johnson announced he would support another continuing resolution to extend funding for some departments until January 19 and others until February 2.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bogage |first=Jacob |date=2023-11-16 |title=Senate passes bill to avert government shutdown, sending it to Biden to sign |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/11/15/senate-vote-avert-government-shutdown/ |access-date=2023-11-16 |work=Washington Post |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286}}</ref> Conservatives opposed the measures, but were not ready to offer a motion to vacate.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ward |first=Ian |date=November 14, 2023 |title=Did Mike Johnson Just Doom Himself to the Same Fate as Kevin McCarthy? |url=https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2023/11/14/matt-glassman-q-a-00127158 |website=Politico}}</ref> After Johnson endorsed the bipartisan [[National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024]] instead of the House Republican's initial offer, which included language cracking down on abortion funding and other riders, Representative [[Chip Roy]] described it as "a strike and a half" against Johnson and left the door open for a future motion to vacate.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-12-11 |title=Seven weeks in, Speaker Johnson faces intensifying GOP pressure |url=https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/seven-weeks-speaker-johnson-faces-intensifying-gop-pressure-rcna129081 |access-date=2024-03-25 |website=MSNBC.com |language=en}}</ref> |
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== Notes == |
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{{Notelist}} |
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== References == |
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<references /> |
Revision as of 18:49, 25 March 2024
Following the removal of Kevin McCarthy and election of Mike Johnson as Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, several members attempted to remove him from his position.
Background
Following the 2022 midterm elections, the Republican Party won 222 seats in the House of Representatives, while the Democratic Party won 213 seats. The Democratic Party won a narrow, 2-seat majority in the Senate. The Freedom Caucus, a far-right[1] caucus of Republicans, secured roughly 45 seats.[a] Kevin McCarthy, the Republican leader during the previous 117th Congress, was elected speaker of the House after 15 rounds of voting, but only after giving concessions to his opponents, who were mostly Freedom Caucus members. These concessions included lowering the threshold to file a privileged motion to vacate the chair to one member.[3] The Freedom Caucus persuaded McCarthy to refuse to raise the debt ceiling and threaten a default, leading to the 2023 United States debt ceiling crisis. McCarthy agreed to a deal to end the crisis, which set funding levels for the next two fiscal years, but after conservative opposition, McCarthy announced he would put appropriations legislation on the floor with much lower spending levels, as well as many riders containing conservative priorities. These bills were quickly rejected by the Democratic-led Senate,[4] and Republican disagreements prevented some of them from passing.[5][6] By September, the federal government appeared poised to shut down,[7] but at the last minute, McCarthy announced he would put a continuing resolution on the floor without any spending cuts or riders, as long as it did not include aid to Ukraine.[8] The CR passed easily despite strong conservative opposition, but Representative Matt Gaetz filed a motion to vacate, citing McCarthy working with Democrats and breaking the agreement reached in the January speaker vote.[9] McCarthy was then removed by a 216-210 vote, with 8 Republicans and all voting Democrats voting to remove.[10]
Johnson's speakership
Following McCarthy's removal, the Republican conference voted to nominate Majority Leader Steve Scalise for speaker, but after facing opposition from both moderates and hardliners, he dropped out.[11] Following Scalise's dropout, Johnson considered running for speaker, but declined, endorsing Jim Jordan, a co-founder of the Freedom Caucus in 2015.[12][13] Jordan won the conference's nomination, but after losing three straight floor votes, the conference voted to remove him as the nominee.[14] Nine candidates, including Johnson, announced a run for speaker, with Majority Whip Tom Emmer beating Johnson in the final round to become the conference's nominee, before dropping out four hours later after it was clear he could not get a majority of the whole house on the floor.[15] Johnson was then chosen as the fourth nominee. On October 20, he was elected speaker, with all Republicans voting for him.[16]
Early discussion
Since it had taken over three weeks for House Republicans to elect a speaker, they were unable to pass any appropriations legislation. Johnson announced he would support another continuing resolution to extend funding for some departments until January 19 and others until February 2.[17] Conservatives opposed the measures, but were not ready to offer a motion to vacate.[18] After Johnson endorsed the bipartisan National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 instead of the House Republican's initial offer, which included language cracking down on abortion funding and other riders, Representative Chip Roy described it as "a strike and a half" against Johnson and left the door open for a future motion to vacate.[19]
Notes
References
- ^ Multiple sources:
- Hulse, Carl (Sept. 23, 2023). "The Wrecking-Ball Caucus: How the Far Right Brought Washington to Its Knees". New York Times. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
{{cite web}}
: Check date values in:|date=
(help)
- Schaefer, Peder (March 12, 2024). "The Freedom Caucus Has Been Wreaking Havoc On Washington. Now It's Exporting the Chaos to the States". Politico. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
- Loanes, Ellen (June 11, 2023). "The dysfunction among House Republicans is getting worse". Vox. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
- "What is the House Freedom Caucus?". The Economist. January 9, 2023. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
- Hulse, Carl (Sept. 23, 2023). "The Wrecking-Ball Caucus: How the Far Right Brought Washington to Its Knees". New York Times. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
- ^ DeSilver, Drew. "Freedom Caucus likely to play a bigger role in new GOP-led House. So who are they?". Pew Research Center. Retrieved 2024-03-25.
- ^ Edmondson, Catie (October 2, 2023). "Gaetz Moves to Oust McCarthy, Threatening His Grip on the Speakership". The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 2, 2023. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
- ^ Stein, Jeff; Sotomayor, Marianna; Balingit, Moriah (2023-09-28). "Kevin McCarthy embraces stark cuts to safety net to win hard right". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2024-03-25.
- ^ Hulse, Carl (September 14, 2023). "McCarthy Pulls Back Pentagon Spending Bill, Inching Closer to a Shutdown". The New York Times. Retrieved September 27, 2023.
- ^ Mychael Schnell, Aris Folley (2023-09-29). "Republican moderates stymie McCarthy on agriculture, FDA bill". The Hill. Retrieved 2024-03-25.
- ^ Hulse, Carl (September 10, 2023). "Congress Embarks on Spending Battle as Shutdown Looms at End of September". The New York Times. Archived from the original on September 25, 2023. Retrieved September 27, 2023.
- ^ Kane, Paul; McDaniel, Justine (September 29, 2023). "McCarthy says he'd support a bill without Ukraine aid or border funds". The Washington Post. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
- ^ Demirjian, Karoun (October 1, 2023). "Gaetz Says He Will Move to Oust McCarthy for Working With Democrats". The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 1, 2023. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
- ^ Cook Escobar, Molly; Elliott, Kennedy; Levitt, Zach; Murphy, John-Michael; Parlapiano, Alicia; Reinhard, Scott; Shorey, Rachel; Wu, Ashley; Yourish, Yourish (October 3, 2023). "Live Vote Count: House Decides Whether to Oust McCarthy as Speaker". The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 3, 2023. Retrieved October 3, 2023.
- ^ Solender, Andrew; Brufke, Juliegrace (October 12, 2023). "Steve Scalise drops out of House speaker race". Axios. Retrieved October 12, 2023.
- ^ Ballard, Mark (October 13, 2023). "Congressman Mike Johnson won't run for Speaker of the House". NOLA.com. NOLA.com. Retrieved October 15, 2023.
- ^ French, Lauren (January 26, 2015). "9 Republicans launch House Freedom Caucus". Politico. Retrieved 2021-07-08.
- ^ "GOP Drops Jim Jordan as the House Speaker Circus Drags On". Vanity Fair. October 20, 2023. Archived from the original on October 20, 2023. Retrieved October 20, 2023.
- ^ Neukam, Stephen; McPhearson, Lindsey; Rojas, Warren (October 24, 2023). "Tom Emmer Flames Out Hours After Winning GOP Speaker Nomination". The Messenger. Archived from the original on October 26, 2023. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
- ^ Mike Hayes; Kaanita Iyer; Elise Hammond (October 25, 2023). "Rep. Mike Johnson voted new House speaker | CNN Politics". CNN. Retrieved October 25, 2023.
- ^ Bogage, Jacob (2023-11-16). "Senate passes bill to avert government shutdown, sending it to Biden to sign". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2023-11-16.
- ^ Ward, Ian (November 14, 2023). "Did Mike Johnson Just Doom Himself to the Same Fate as Kevin McCarthy?". Politico.
- ^ "Seven weeks in, Speaker Johnson faces intensifying GOP pressure". MSNBC.com. 2023-12-11. Retrieved 2024-03-25.