Meng Issues Statement On Vote To Oust House Speaker Kevin McCarthy

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-NY) issued the following statement on the vote to remove Kevin McCarthy as Speaker of the House of Representatives.

“Since the earliest days of the 118th Congress, we have seen dysfunction, chaos, and disarray from House Republicans’ attempt to govern The People’s House. From taking four days and 15 ballots to elect a Speaker, to nearly shutting the government down with only hours to spare, this institution has become paralyzed due to demands from the far-right.

As a member of the House Appropriations committee, I have watched bipartisan agreements be made to keep the government functioning and protected, and then watch as Speaker McCarthy walked away from these agreements at the last minute request of the extreme members.

In his short tenure, Speaker McCarthy has shown an inability to govern with integrity. This has resulted in a long list of broken promises. He went back on the bipartisan spending deal he negotiated with President Biden and the Senate to appease the far-right members of his party. He reneged on his promise to hold a floor vote before starting an impeachment inquiry, spending valuable time and resources on impeachment hearings without evidence.

And instead of passing legislation to improve the lives of the American public, Speaker McCarthy has focused his energy on limiting diversity, women’s reproductive rights, and attacking the LGBTQI+ community.  

Furthermore, I have been dismayed to see that he continues to stoke anti-Asian sentiment. During the height of anti-Asian hate and the COVID-19 pandemic, I approached McCarthy to talk about the challenges facing Asian Americans. He brushed me off and literally walked away from me, and later saying these were not issues that Americans talk about at the kitchen table.

These are just some of the reasons why I made the sad decision to vote yes on the Republican Motion to Vacate the Chair.

Last Congress, a unified Democratic majority delivered some of the most historic investments our country has ever seen - investing in our infrastructure, delivering on job creation, protecting our climate, providing life-changing benefits for veterans, and lowering the cost of prescription drugs.

The next Speaker should be chosen by the majority of the House. The candidate with the second highest number of votes behind McCarthy was Hakeem Jeffries. Only a few more votes are needed to elect Jeffries as Speaker in order to keep the House functioning for the American people."