Rep. Matt Gaetz vows he’ll move to oust fellow Republican

The House has voted to remove Kevin McCarthy as speaker of the House, marking the first time in history that a speaker has been removed this way.

Congress has now entered unchartered territory. The vote has triggered a process where the Clerk of the House will refer to a list of people who can act as speaker pro tempore in the absence of speaker. That list is kept secret and will only be made public in the event that the speakership is vacant.

The House will then be forced to hold votes on a new speaker, though that could take time. Members will likely need to meet to discuss the path ahead. They are already preparing for a fraught process.

It took 15 rounds to elect McCarthy speaker in January, in part because there was no consensus alternative. ...