WASHINGTON: US President Joe Biden called Wednesday for an end to deep political divisions to stop a repeat of the government shutdown drama that prompted the fall of the speaker of the House of Representatives.
Biden Asks End to ‘Poisonous Environment’ in US Politics
In a statement, President Biden said that they needed to change the poisonous environment in Washington. Joe Biden further said that they have strong disagreements but they needed to stop seeing each other as foes.
The new development comes as the US House voted to oust Kevin McCarthy as a speaker on Tuesday. The result came following a nail-biting, but lengthy, roll call that needed every lawmaker to put their choice on the record, Western media maintained.
Ousted Speaker of the US House of Representatives Kevin McCarthy on Tuesday termed the vote to remove him as personal. McCarthy made the statement during a press conference at the Capitol hours after he was ousted as Speaker. He said that he would not run for Speaker again and reiterated his commitment to US support for Ukraine.
As per media reports some 216 members- including 8 Republicans – voted to remove Kevin McCarthy from the Speaker’s chair. This is a major win for the rebellious faction of hardliner Republicans led by Matt Gaetz.
Read Also: President Biden Tries to Reassure Ukraine Partners as US Chaos Mounts
The extraordinary move laid bare the confused levels of internecine squabbling in Republicans as they prepare for a 2024 presidential polls effort led by former President Donald Trump. The first removal of a speaker in the US House of Representatives 234-year history was backed by several right-wing Republicans.
He had sparked anger among conservatives at the weekend when he approved a bipartisan stopgap funding step backed by the White House to avoid a government shutdown.
Republican lawmakers were warned by leadership regarding plunging the party “into chaos” but Gaetz, who has complained regarding McCarthy’s failing to honor deals made with the far right, responded: “Chaos is McCarthy.”
Following the development, US President Joe Biden asked the US House of Representatives to quickly elect a new speaker following Kevin McCarthy was axed by Republicans, the White House said Tuesday.
In a statement, Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said, “Because the urgent challenges facing our country will not wait, he expresses hope the US House of Representatives will rapidly choose a speaker,”.
