Ousted House Speaker Kevin McCarthy announced Tuesday night that he does not intend to run for Speaker again, after being ousted from the post by members of his own party, among others.
At a press conference after the impeachment, he said it had been the honor of his life to serve as Speaker of the House and that he had "loved every minute" of his tenure. "I will continue to fight, perhaps in a different way," he added after admitting to associates that he would not run for another term but would let his party elect someone else.
US History: House Speaker McCarthy Ousted by Republican Party Members
"I took a risk for the American people and couldn't look our soldiers in the eye and tell them we couldn't pay them for their work," he said, referring to a compromise between Democrats and Republicans that led to averting a government shutdown over the weekend. McCarthy also mentioned the person who led the move against him, Matt Gates, saying the latter did so for personal reasons.
The House will go into recess until next week when lawmakers will return to their plays. Meanwhile, Patrick McHenry of North Carolina was appointed interim chairman, with limited powers such as presenting candidates for permanent chairman and determining the selection procedures.
According to a report published by CNN, these are some of the candidates expected to run for the Republican office of House speaker. No. 2 in the Republican Party, Majority Speaker Steve Scalise, who has already begun discussing "deals" with party members to get elected. Republican Education Committee Chairman Kevin Hearn, who leads the House conservative group. Majority whip Tom Imar was also considered a frontrunner for the job, but said he stood behind Scalise's candidacy.
"Do it for personal reasons." Impeachment initiator Matt Gates, photo: Reuters
Meanwhile, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre addressed the impeachment proceedings and said in a statement to the media that President Biden hoped a permanent speaker of the House of Representatives would be elected soon in light of the "urgent challenges facing our nation." Jean-Pierre added, "The President looks forward to working with the Speaker-elect and the Senate to address the priorities of the American people."
Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana took to Twitter to address McCarthy's ouster, writing that the latter is "a true friend of the State of Israel, in every position he has served," alongside a photo of the two in Israel. "I'm sure he'll continue on that path. Thank you Kevin," Ohana concluded the tweet.
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