Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s departure comes two months after he became the first-ever speaker to be stripped of the gavel.
Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) will leave Congress in a matter of weeks at the end of this year, the California Republican announced.
Mr. McCarthy made the announcement in an op-ed for The Wall Street Journal, in which he said he was “leaving the House but not the fight.”
The former speaker applauded his conference’s actions during his 269-day speakership, cut short after he was ousted by rebels from within his party in October becoming the first speaker to ever be stripped of the gavel.
Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) will leave Congress in a matter of weeks at the end of this year, the California Republican announced.
Mr. McCarthy made the announcement in an op-ed for The Wall Street Journal, in which he said he was “leaving the House but not the fight.”
The former speaker applauded his conference’s actions during his 269-day speakership, cut short after he was ousted by rebels from within his party in October becoming the first speaker to ever be stripped of the gavel.
“The Republican Party is expanding every day, and I am committed to lending my experience to support the next generation of leaders,” Mr. McCarthy said.
The Bakersfield, California Republican’s departure follows in the footsteps of past Republican speakers like Reps. John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), who each left Congress after stepping down from the speakership.
After trying to win the office since 2015, Mr. McCarthy finally achieved his longtime goal of becoming speaker in January after a historic 15 rounds of balloting.
Mr. McCarthy faced opposition within his own caucus from the very beginning of the 118th Congress, with conservative lawmakers like Reps. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), Matt Rosendale (R-Mont.), Eli Crane (R-Ariz.), Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), and others voting against his taking the office.
He finally won the speaker’s gavel on the 15th round of voting after the six holdouts to his candidacy voted “present,” lowering the total threshold needed to become speaker just enough for Mr. McCarthy to win
By Joseph Lord
