On Tuesday, the U.S. House of Representatives ousted Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., with three of Mississippi’s four members going against the decision.
Republican Congressmen Michael Guest, Trent Kelly, and Mike Ezell all voted for McCarthy to maintain his speakership while Congressman Bennie Thompson joined fellow Democrats in removing him from the leadership role.
“For the first time since the Clinton administration, the House is on track to fund the government through regular, constitutional order. We cannot lose sight of that goal. I voted and will continue to vote to move past these distractions and get back to doing our jobs,” Ezell said.
The vote on a motion to vacate was spurred by Rep. Michael Gaetz (R-Fla.), who promised to get the ball rolling due to “McCarthy’s repeated breach of the agreement that he made in January.”
Gaetz claims McCarthy has refused to adhere to concessions made to hardline members, such as those within the Freedom Caucus, in order to win their votes to elect him as speaker earlier this year.
This is the first time that a speaker has been ousted through the passage of a resolution to remove him. While it is unclear when lawmakers will vote on a new speaker, Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., will step into the role on an interim basis.
