The speaker is history: Kevin McCarthy’s weakness was his downfall

In January, after 14 failed roll call votes — during each of which he got fewer votes than Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries — Republican Kevin McCarthy came into the office of speaker of the House in an historic fashion, showing his extraordinary weakness among his own conference. Instead of the normal date and time for a speaker to assume the office, Jan. 3 at noon, according to when the Constitution says the term of the Congress begins and ends, McCarthy limped to victory just after midnight on Jan. 7, at 12:37 a.m. As we said, historic.

McCarthy’s early departure was equally in an historic fashion, showing his extraordinary weakness among his own conference. Instead of the normal date and time for a speaker to relinquish the office, Jan. 3 at noon, according to when the Constitution says the term of the Congress begins and ends, McCarthy was thrown out on Oct. 3, at 4:42 p.m. As we said, historic.

The presiding officer, Rep. Steve Womack, announced the vote of 216 (which included eight GOP rebels) to 210 that, “the office of speaker of the House of the United States House of Representatives is hereby declared vacant.” More history.

And under a post-9/11 continuity of government convention, McCarthy ally Patrick McHenry automatically became speaker pro tempore. That’s also historic.

So much history, but the Founding Fathers would not be pleased.

McCarthy, who will not run again for speaker, ends up as the third shortest tenure since we started having speakers in 1789. He lasted just 269 days, a scant 11 days more than the forgotten Michael Kerr of Indiana, who died in office in 1876. McCarthy also died in office, but is still walking around. (The shortest tenure was New Yorker Theodore Pomeroy’s single day in 1869.)

McCarthy gave the seeds to his destruction to bomb thrower Matt Gaetz in exchange for letting McCarthy win in January. Then Gaetz was leader of a band of six who refused to vote for McCarthy for speaker. The bomb given by McCarthy to Gaetz was to allow a single member to make a privileged motion to vacate the chair.

Gaetz was honest that he was going to do it and McCarthy tried to bluff him. The bluff was called and Gaetz’s faction grew to eight. Jeffries and the Democrats were not going to interfere in the Republican civil war and pushed McCarthy out of the seat.

Gaetz’s immediate excuse was that McCarthy, in working to prevent a government shutdown, had violated a rule that members must have 72 hours to read bills before voting. McCarthy also relied on Democratic votes to avoid the shutdown, another no-no. Adding to his list of complaints was that Gaetz insisted on single subject spending bills instead of big omnibus packages and that appropriations of more than $100 million should not be on the suspension agenda that can’t be amended.

One of few members who was absent yesterday and unable to vote was Nancy Pelosi, the former speaker, who masterfully managed a majority the same size as McCarthy’s, but had many victories for her party and now carries the title of speaker emerita. Fellow Californian McCarthy is now also a former speaker, but don’t think that he’s earned the same title.