The House of Representatives ousted Kevin McCarthy as speaker as Democrats lined up with a staunch band of Republican dissidents to oust the Republican leader in a dramatic vote unprecedented in U.S. history on Tuesday.
The California Republican was ousted after a nine-month battle with far-right conservatives in his party, and just days after he spearheaded legislation to avert a government shutdown. The development threw the House of Representatives, where a speaker has never been ousted, into uncertainty, effectively putting the GOP at the mercy of a dozen dissenters.
It remains unclear who the Republicans will nominate to be the next speaker, whether McCarthy or someone else, setting up the possibility of a repeat of the days-long battle that unfolded in January.
McCarthy said at a news conference that he would not run for speaker again and that it would be up to the Republican conference to choose someone else.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Tuesday that President Biden wants the House to elect a new speaker as soon as possible because "the urgent challenges facing our country cannot wait."
In a statement, Carine Jean-Pierre said Biden stands ready to work with both parties in Congress and looks forward to working with the new speaker.