In a historic turn of events, United States House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has unwillingly made history as the first person to be ousted from the position in its 113 years of existence. The Republican leader, who has expressed anti-LGBTQ+ views throughout his short-lived reign as House speaker, was voted out in a narrow 216 to 210 vote on Tuesday (3 October).
The move to oust McCarthy was initiated by Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz, a member of his own party and an infamous Trump supporter. Gaetz proposed the vote following last weekend’s tense efforts to avert a total government shutdown.
With just hours to spare, McCarthy managed to push through a stopgap bill and avoid furloughing hundreds of thousands of workers and halting government services, at least for another 45 days. However, he secured the temporary bill’s passage with the help of Democrats, as Gaetz and other far-right figures refused to offer their support.
In the final tally of Tuesday’s vote, 208 Democrats teamed up with eight Republicans to oust McCarthy. Political experts remain uncertain about a clear successor for the role of House Speaker due to infighting within the Republican Party, although McCarthy may challenge the vote and attempt to regain his position.
McCarthy’s Anti-LGBTQ+ History
McCarthy has a long track record of opposing pro-LGBTQ+ measures throughout his political career. He voted against the Respect for Marriage Act in 2022, which repealed provisions defining marriage as between a man and a woman. Similarly, in 2011, he joined other Republicans in pushing for the Defense of Marriage Act, which aimed to block federal recognition of same-sex marriage and spousal benefits for same-sex couples.
In 2019, McCarthy was among the majority of Republicans who voted against the Equality Act, designed to protect people from discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Since becoming House Speaker in January, McCarthy has continued to support LGBTQ+ restrictions. He voted for the “Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act,” which sought to ban transgender student athletes from participating in teams aligned with their gender identity.
Moreover, McCarthy backed the “Parents’ Bill of Rights Act,” requiring schools to notify parents when students requested different names or pronouns and when trans girls used girls’ facilities. During recent discussions to avert a government shutdown, McCarthy attempted to introduce bills targeting transgender individuals, including banning the promotion of “transgenderism,” prohibiting military servicemembers from transitioning, and imposing new restrictions on federal funding for medical care.
Kevin McCarthy has not issued a comment on his historic removal, but the White House has urged House Republicans to quickly elect a new Speaker to address the urgent challenges facing the nation. As House Republicans hold a closed-doors meeting to announce their next speaker, tensions within the GOP are expected to rise.