Rep. Kevin McCarthy was removed as House speaker Tuesday, after fellow Republican lawmakers initiated a vote to remove him in the first such ouster in congressional history.
McCarthy’s removal was sought by hard-right members of his own party but Democrats refused to provide votes that would have been needed to save him.
The move puts the House in uncharted territory as it searches for a leader.
It took the GOP majority 15 votes to elect McCarthy in January, and the California lawmaker said that he wouldn’t run for the job again.