Amid House speaker vacancy, many in GOP want to do away with motion to vacate

ByAlexandra Hutzler, Lauren Peller, Rachel Scott, Benjamin Siegel, and John Parkinson
Last Updated: October 4, 2023, 5:12 PM EDT

The race is on to elect a new House speaker showdown following the historic ouster of Kevin McCarthy on Tuesday.

Two Republicans have officially thrown their hats into the ring ahead of the party hoping to choose a new leader next week.

Latest headlines:

Here's how the news has developed. All times Eastern.
Oct 03, 2023, 1:52 PM EDT

McCarthy presides over opening prayer, possibly for last time

McCarthy presided over the House opening prayer -- with his head bowed, eyes closed and hands clasped -- possibly for the final time as his speakership hangs in the balance.

"On this day, may we sacrifice our inclination for contempt and instead initiate kindness," Chaplain Margaret Kibben said as she offered the prayer.

"Loosen our grip on judgment and instead may we grab hold of a generosity of spirit. May we foreswear our grudges and commit instead to exercise forbearance. Hold us accountable that our arguments will hold forth your righteousness and not ring hallow in our rightness."

Oct 03, 2023, 1:26 PM EDT

Democrats don't plan to save McCarthy's speakership

During a more than two-hour caucus meeting, Democrats were strongly encouraged to vote to not support Speaker McCarthy as he fights for his job, sources tell ABC News.

"It is now the responsibility of the GOP members to end the House Republican Civil War," House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said in a statement. "Given their unwillingness to break from MAGA extremism in an authentic and comprehensive manner, House Democratic leadership will vote yes on the pending Republican Motion to Vacate the Chair."

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries speaks to reporters at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., Sept. 30, 2023.
Ken Cedeno/Reuters

Several Democrats said they don't plan to bail McCarthy out.

"We're not voting in any way that would help save speaker McCarthy," Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., said.

Vice Chair of House Democratic caucus Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., said, "the leadership put out the facts and the caucus heard from a lot of members… we need a functioning government and speaker McCarthy has shown he cannot govern."

Oct 03, 2023, 1:24 PM EDT

Has an effort to remove a House speaker ever succeeded?

A motion to vacate has only ever been voted on once, in 1910, in an effort to boot then-Speaker Joseph Cannon. The effort failed.

In 2015, then-Rep. Mark Meadows filed a resolution to force a vote on then-Speaker John Boehner’s leadership. But because Meadows didn’t introduce it on the House floor, it wasn’t taken up for consideration.

While history shows previous such efforts over the years have always failed -- it's possible this one could succeed.

Read more from ABC News' Tal Axelrod here.

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