Republicans in the House of Representatives are planning to change the rules, making it harder to remove the Speaker. This comes after former Rep. Kevin McCarthy was ousted in 2023, a first in history. The proposed changes would require eight co-sponsors for a motion to vacate the speakership, limiting the power of individual lawmakers to initiate such a vote.
Republicans are expected to change House rules and make it more difficult to oust a speaker of the House, just one year after a single GOP lawmaker initiated the first-ever removal of a member from the position. Former Rep. Kevin McCarthy was elected speaker of the House in January 2023 but was not elected on the first ballot. It took lawmakers four days and 15 votes to finally find consensus and back McCarthy for the position, but the infighting did not stop there.
McCarthy's ousting led to the chamber being without an official speaker for two months in 2023, raising the question whether one lawmaker alone should be given the ability to introduce such a motion. Under the new proposed House rules package released on Wednesday, Republicans are seeking to alter the rules to require that a lawmaker obtain eight co-sponsors in order to introduce a motion to vacate the speakership.
According to the rule, a member and their co-sponsors must be in the 'majority party,' meaning that only Republicans, who currently have the majority, hold the power to introduce a vacate motion for the next two years. The rule was blasted by Democratic Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., who said that the proposed changes would 'shield the Speaker from accountability to the entire chamber.
Current House Speaker Mike Johnson is seeking re-election for the position. There is currently one GOP member, Rep. Thomas Massie, who said that he would not vote for Johnson. However, the speaker recently received a roaring endorsement from President-elect Donald Trump.
House Of Representatives Speaker Republicans Rules Change Accountability
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