When he finally managed to become Speaker of the House, Kevin McCarthy may have thought the biggest challenge was behind him. But he’s about to find out that his problems have just begun.
Thanks to the concessions he made in order to get the 218 votes he needed in order to be elected as Speaker, McCarthy is on the verge of being challenged by a group of progressive Democrats who are eager to make his job a living hell, according to Politico.
Republicans’ new rules allow just one member, regardless of party, to force a floor vote on deposing the speaker. And liberal Democrats, some of whom are part of the progressive “Squad,” are warning they have no problem with using the move against McCarthy, even if they don’t expect it to succeed.
“Why not? You know, that sounds like a good idea. I mean, you’re still going to need what, 218 for passage, right? But listen, man, he has a very slim majority,” mused Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.). “Whenever we want to cause complete chaos, we’ll do that.”
It’s called a motion to vacate, and while it would probably fail to gain enough votes from Republicans to boot McCarthy from his lofty perch, it could prove to be a major source of irritation for House Republicans and their leader.
The use of the motion to vacate could end up being a test of progressive power in this Congress, as some enter their first term in the House minority. Some liberal Democrats said they viewed it as one of their many options to resist the Republican majority.
“All of these procedural mechanisms here are merely tools, and so it’s about when it’s appropriate to reach for a certain tool,” said Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.). “It’s really a matter of when it may be appropriate.”
Ironically, the very threat of a motion to vacate is reminiscent of tactics used by Republicans in the House “Freedom Caucus,” which was constantly looking for ways to throw a hand grenade into House operations.
For the moment, Democrats are more than willing to let McCarthy try and navigate the fragile coalition he’s created, but they always have the option of demanding his ouster, calling for debate, and demanding a vote, all of which could slow things down as Republicans attempt to pass their extremist agenda.
Stay tuned. This could get interesting.
