WASHINGTON: US President Joe Biden has 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,”.
Earlier, the US House of Representatives voted to oust Kevin McCarthy as speaker, BBC reported 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.
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.
McCarthy Ousted as US House Speaker
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.
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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.”
