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Mitch McConnell Calls for Rule Change in House After He Claims It's 'Impossible' to Govern

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Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell advised House Republicans to take away the rule that allows one member of Congress to call a vote to remove the speaker of the House.

GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz’s motion to vacate the chair resulted in Kevin McCarthy losing his speakership Tuesday, marking the first time a speaker lost the gavel in this fashion.

Gaetz, along with seven other Republicans, joined all the House Democrats to remove McCarthy. The final vote was 216-210.

“I think [McCarthy] has much to be proud of,” McConnell told reporters Wednesday, a day after the vote. “We avoided a government shutdown. We did the inevitable with regard to the debt ceiling, and I’m one person who’s extremely grateful for his service.”

“I have no advice to give to House Republicans except one, I hope whoever the next speaker is gets rid of the motion to vacate,” the minority leader continued.

“I think it makes the speaker’s job impossible. And the American people expect us to have a functioning government,” McConnell said.

On Tuesday shortly after the vote, McCarthy noted he had the backing of almost the entire Republican Caucus, but a few GOP members were able to join with the Democrats to remove him.

Should the House get rid of the vacate the Speaker rule?

“In today’s world, if you’re sitting in Congress and you took a gamble to make sure government was still open, and eight people can throw you out as speaker — and the Democrats who said they wanted to keep government open — I think you’ve got a real divide,” McCarthy said.

“I think you’ve got a real institutional problem,” he added.

McCarthy recounted that after Republicans took control of the House last fall, Pelosi told him that she’d back him up, so not to worry about the one member can move to vacate the chair rule.

“I had the power to call the rule on her, but I never would,” he noted.

“Just give it to them. I’ll always back you up,” Pelosi said, according to McCarthy. “I made the same offer to [John] Boehner and the same thing to Paul [Ryan] because I believe in the institution,” she added.

Related:
Breaking: Mitch McConnell Injured in Senate Fall, Possibly Bleeding - EMTs on Site

“My fear is the institution fell today, because you can’t do the job if eight people — You have 94 percent or 96 percent of the entire conference — but eight people can partner with the whole other side. How do you govern?” McCarthy asked.

Apparently in response to Democrats backing Gaetz’s motion to vacate the chair, House Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry, McCarthy’s hand-picked successor, directed Pelosi, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer to vacate their private offices in the Capitol by Wednesday.

The members still have their offices in the nearby House Office Buildings.


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Randy DeSoto has written more than 3,000 articles for The Western Journal since he began with the company in 2015. He is a graduate of West Point and Regent University School of Law. He is the author of the book "We Hold These Truths" and screenwriter of the political documentary "I Want Your Money."
Randy DeSoto wrote and was the assistant producer of the documentary film "I Want Your Money" about the perils of Big Government, comparing the presidencies of Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama. Randy is the author of the book "We Hold These Truths," which addresses how leaders have appealed to beliefs found in the Declaration of Independence at defining moments in our nation's history. He has been published in several political sites and newspapers.

Randy graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point with a BS in political science and Regent University School of Law with a juris doctorate.
Birthplace
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Nationality
American
Honors/Awards
Graduated dean's list from West Point
Education
United States Military Academy at West Point, Regent University School of Law
Books Written
We Hold These Truths
Professional Memberships
Virginia and Pennsylvania state bars
Location
Phoenix, Arizona
Languages Spoken
English
Topics of Expertise
Politics, Entertainment, Faith




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