The 'bitter pill' Mr. McCarthy left for his successor

McCarthy lost his position as Speaker of the US House of Representatives after 9 months, leaving a "bitter pill" for his successor to deal with internal turmoil within the Republican Party.

To be elected Speaker of the House during tense negotiations in January, Congressman Kevin McCarthy decided to break many traditional rules, giving the far-right wing of the Republican Party unprecedented compromises.

Under previous House rules, any proposal to remove the Speaker had to be voted on within the party. Only if it was supported by a majority of MPs from that party could it be put to a vote in a plenary session of the House.

But to appease the rebellious faction in the Republican Party, McCarthy relaxed this rule to the point that any congressman, whether Republican or Democrat, could file a motion to remove the Speaker of Congress without further support from anyone else.

This is exactly what Matt Gaetz, a far-right Republican congressman, did on October 3. Despite not receiving support from the Republican Party, Gaetz, along with seven "rebel" members of the party as well as all Democratic congressmen, successfully ousted McCarthy from the House leadership seat.

Mr. Kevin McCarthy in the US House of Representatives in Washington in December 2022. Photo: Reuters — Mr. Kevin McCarthy in the US House of Representatives in Washington in December 2022. Photo: *Reuters*

McCarthy was ousted after less than nine months in office, but his short tenure left a major headache for House Republicans, who wonder what the future holds for the party given the current turmoil in internal rivalries.

While Democrats have shown unity in the House of Representatives over the past nine months, Republicans have fallen into chaos and are almost out of control. With McCarthy's legacy, it now takes just a few rebels to bring the House of Representatives to near paralysis. According to experts, this is the biggest challenge for McCarthy's successor.

"The next House Speaker will face a series of obstacles, starting with divisions within the Republican Party itself," commented CBS News analyst Melissa Quinn.

The race to succeed him has begun less than 24 hours after the Speakership was vacated, according to CSM Monitor . But the far-right group that ousted McCarthy, hard-line Republicans who favor confrontation over compromise, will undoubtedly be hounding his replacement. Which raises the question: What does it take to have a successful House leader?

There is no guarantee that a new Speaker will be chosen soon, as McCarthy has shown he has had to overcome numerous obstacles to reach the top job. His successor may face similar pressures.

McCarthy has spent months trying to hold onto his base and meet some of the far-right's demands. He agreed to open an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden, backed out of a spending deal with Democrats earlier this year to raise the debt ceiling, and allowed conservatives to include tough budget-cutting provisions in spending bills and other legislation.

But all his efforts were in vain. Last weekend, when he had to rely on Democratic support to pass a spending bill to avoid a government shutdown, the end was already in sight.

After the impeachment vote, McCarthy looked relieved as Republicans came to shake his hand and hug him. The "bitter pill" was now left for later.

Regardless of who replaces him, the divisions within the Republican Party will not disappear. The challenges to running the House effectively will not change, observers say.

The moment McCarthy was ousted was the “explosion point” of the long-simmering discord between factions within the Republican Party, said Anthony Zurcher, a veteran commentator from the BBC . It was a struggle between progressives and conservatives, between changing the system or trying to adapt to it.

That contradiction was clearly shown in the debate before the impeachment vote against McCarthy. When the motion was submitted by Gaetz, many Republican congressmen took turns speaking, presenting their opinions to defend McCarthy during the hour of debate.

Gaetz also spent much of his time arguing against McCarthy, saying the process of approving the temporary budget package initiated by McCarthy was the source of the anger.

He criticized McCarthy for giving in to Democrats, who control the Senate and the White House, in budget and debt ceiling negotiations, saying that if Republicans don't take a tougher line, nothing will change in Washington.

McCarthy's allies argue that compromise is part of the process and that he has successfully pushed his conservative agenda through the House.

Republican Congressman Kelly Armstrong has taken a direct shot at politicians like Gaetz, whom he accuses of putting personal interests above efforts to govern the country.

“The incentive structure is broken,” he said. “We have descended into a place where clicks, TV views, and the most trivial desire for fame drive decisions and encourage behavior that is nothing more than childish,” he said.

But their efforts were unsuccessful. Seven far-right Republican lawmakers endorsed Gaetz, and that was enough to oust the Speaker of the House.

The US House of Representatives is now in chaos, without leadership and a clear path forward. With a deafening bang of the gavel, the impeachment process has come to a close. Republicans have retreated to their chambers to figure out what to do next. Democrats are exhilarated, believing the chaos will benefit them.

"But the Republican turmoil threatens the normal operation of the House of Representatives, one of the most important bodies in the country. As the clock ticks down to the moment when the government once again faces the risk of shutdown in mid-November, everything will become extremely risky," commentator Zurcher emphasized.

Vu Hoang (According to BBC, CBS News, CMS Monitor )

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