Kevin McCarthy ousted by US House Republicans in historic vote

U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) walks to the House of Representatives chamber for the start of a series of votes potentially challenging his continued leadership as Speaker of the House, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S. October 3, 2023. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -A handful of Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday ousted Republican Speaker Kevin McCarthy, as party infighting plunged Congress into further chaos just days after it narrowly averted a government shutdown.

The 216-to-210 vote marked the first time in history that the House removed its leader, with eight Republicans voting with 208 Democrats to remove McCarthy. McCarthy told reporters he would not make another run for speaker.