Those pushing to strip Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) of the speaker's gavel prevailed over a last-ditch effort to head off Rep. Matt Gaetz's (R-FL) motion to vacate (MTV) the chair on Tuesday afternoon when a motion to table Gaetz's MTV failed 208-218.
Eleven House Republicans joined all House Democrats present in opposition to tabling Gaetz's motion in order to move the motion to vacate the chair forward.
MOTION TO TABLE MTV FAILS, gavel down.
— Olivia Beavers (@Olivia_Beavers) October 3, 2023
218 -- NAY
208 -- YEA
Brought by Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK), the motion to table — if it had been successful — would have ended Gaetz's current crusade against McCarthy.
Walking toward the House Chamber on Tuesday afternoon, Speaker McCarthy said he was confident he'd still have the gavel by the day's end and pointed out that the few Republicans now working with House Democrats to move Gaetz's motion to vacate forward are some of the same ones who opposed his election to speaker in January at the start of the new Congress.
Earlier on Tuesday, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told House Democrats to vote against any hurdles to move swiftly to the vote on the motion to vacate and then use their votes to oust McCarthy from his position as Speaker of the House.
From colleague Kelly Phares. Democrats have officially been told by leadership per their whip notice to vote NO on motion to table and YES on the motion to vacate.
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) October 3, 2023
The process now moves on to the final vote on the motion to vacate the chair when, if the math against McCarthy stays the same as on the motion to table, he will wind up without the gavel.
This is a developing story and may be updated.