After three weeks, the US House of Representatives has “the most socially conservative speaker in decades.”

Paul Smith, Executive Director, Citizen Impact

Background: In January, after Republicans gained control of the US House following the midterm elections, it took 15 rounds of voting for Rep. Kevin McCarthy to get elected Speaker of the House. With only a slim majority of Republicans, McCarthy was only able to secure the position by making a series of “extraordinary concessions” to a small group of representatives. One of those concessions was the motion to vacate. This was a long-standing provision in the House rules that allowed any individual member to offer a motion to “vacate the chair,” which would initiate a new election for speaker at any time. In 2018, Speaker Nancy Pelosi changed the rule to limit its use. Media outlets reported in January that allowing only one member to initiate removal of the Speaker, “set the table for another major showdown over the debt ceiling in the months to come. The federal government will soon run up against the limit of $31.4 trillion, and conservatives will demand that the Biden White House make concessions in order to approve raising the limit.” Indeed, it did.

In a move that one person called the ultimate political “dog catches car” (as in, now what do I do?), Rep. Matt Gaetz made the motion to vacate the chair. Eight Republicans* voted with all the Democrats to oust Speaker McCarthy. “Some conservative House Republicans said they had lost confidence in McCarthy after he courted Democrats’ votes over the weekend to pass a measure temporarily funding the government. Gaetz also accused McCarthy of making a deal with the White House to advance legislation funding Ukraine in its war with Russia.” [World Magazine]

On October 25, 2023, Congressman Mike Johnson of Louisiana was elected as the Speaker of the House. I received an email from our good friend, Dr. Carl Herbster (he spoke at the Citizen Impact Pastors & Ministry Leaders’ Day in 2021), who indicated that Rep. Johnson represents the district where Southland Christian Camp is located and where his son, Mike, is Camp Director. Carl said that he and his son “know him well and he knows us well. More importantly, he knows our Lord as his Savior, and therefore he is our brother in Christ.” That is a good testimony from a reliable source.

Remember to pray for Speaker Johnson.

*Here are the House Republicans who voted to oust McCarthy:

• Andy Biggs of Arizona
• Ken Buck of Colorado
• Tim Burchett of Tennessee
• Eli Crane of Arizona
• Matt Gaetz of Florida
• Bob Good of Virginia
• Nancy Mace of South Carolina
• Matt Rosendale of Montana