Since this is the first time that a House speaker has been voted
out, the road map ahead is a bit murky.
Here's what we know so far.
The House is expected to stay out of session for the rest of the week.
Then Republicans are expected to hold a speaker candidate forum in a week.
McCarthy told CNN's Manu Raju that he might endorse a successor.
All right, Let's continue this conversation.
Joining me right now is Congressman Gregory Meeks, a New York Democrat.
Congressman. Great to see you. Okay.
So a whole lot going on still, and particularly today.
Now we are learning that the former House speaker, Nancy Pelosi's office,
she is being evicted from her office on Capitol Hill.
And now Congressman Steny Hoyer, who also has space on
Capitol Hill, is also being booted from his office.
So is this now setting the tone of what it's going to be like
with new speaker leadership?
All of those traditions are now the tradition, such as being able
to maintain office space on Capitol Hill for these former leaders
is now out the window.
What does it say to you?
Well, the first thank you for having me.
It just shows the continued dysfunction of the Republican Party.
It you know, they
are looking to blame someone else for their own civil war.
We didn't cause this civil war that's within their own ranks.
And so now they're lashing out at Leo, and it's their right to do whatever.
You know, if they choose to do that.
But the American people are watching.
I think the American people want someone and want a a party and a Congress
that is secure, that it knows how to function, that is getting things done.
You know, just in 117th Congress, we only had a five vote majority.
Also, we were able to get things done, not partizan bills, but
bipartisan bills also that was being set that was signed by the president.
They were not able to do that.
Every bill that they talked about is an accomplishment.
Yesterday was a maga right wing bill.
The kind of bill like before the the the the agreement on the C.R.
that cut 30% hurting children and families in our military.
And so it is they are civil war
and they are they and they only are the ones that can resolve it.
And how stunned are you
that eight Republicans can up and the leadership like this
96% of Republicans wanted to keep McCarthy
and McCarthy upon his exit is blaming Democrats for this.
Truthfully, it's not just eight.
It's every member of the Republican caucus.
They are the ones that changed the rules and said that one individual
could call the speaker accountable.
There's reasons why previously it was not that way in the rules.
They changed the rules and they voted for it unanimously,
knowing that those MAGA individuals were there.
How do we know that?
Because it took 15 times to vote to elect McCarthy originally.
So it is the Republicans
collectively that put themselves in this position
and they have no one to look at but themselves.
And do you think it will be more of the same,
that similar pattern for the successor, that whoever succeeds
Speaker McCarthy, that they're going to have to agree
to the same conditions in order to hold that seat?
Well, I think that what
should happen is, you know, we've got so-called moderate Republicans.
The fact of the matter is,
there are 18 Republicans in districts that was won by Joe Biden.
I think that the pressure is on them, that they should then vote more like
and negotiate in a manner that will get things done
because it is them that will you know, they have people in their districts
that are asking for a more bipartisan and type of
of of rule in the Washington, DC.
And so I would hope that those individuals would make sure that the deals
that are cut, they will work with us to move America forward.
It shouldn't be where they've passed.
As I said previously, bills that would cut 30% of spending.
It shouldn't be where you see all of these right wing MAGA
ideologies that are passing with their votes.
They are voting for those things.
So I would hope that that changes.
And this is a wake up call for them.
And in back to the whole office eviction because that is just
it's it's really stunning.
And this taking place while Pelosi is in California,
you know, for the funeral and arrangements for her good friend,
Senator the late Senator Feinstein,
I wonder, do you think this was a McCarthy
last move on his way out, you know, to as revenge?
Or do you see this eviction of Steny
Hoyer and Nancy Pelosi's office is more of a reflection
of Representative McHenry, who was kind of the temporary speaker
either way.
So childish, you know, that, you know, the conference is having a tantrum
because of their own internal fights and want to reach out and blame someone else.
I mean, it just seems ridiculous that Kevin McCarthy wants
to blame Nancy Pelosi for his ouster.
Kevin McCarthy can only blame himself.
How can you blame, though?
So this is what they want to do is a retaliation.
Obviously, it's a child display that the American people are looking at
what's taking place.
And this is not the type of leadership and type of government
that that the American people are asking for.
They want serious adults who are focused
on putting people over politics and moving us forward.
And I wonder, quickly, in terms of the business of the American people,
while there will be at least a week before they come up
with some Republicans, come up with some names and vote, etc..
Will Democrats be working on some sort of framework for a spending bill
as November 17 still fast approaches, even with this now one week recess?
Yeah, we're still working.
Remember, even the last time there was only one dysfunctional unit
on Capitol Hill and that was House Republicans.
We worked with Senate Republicans,
Senate Democrats and the White House.
Only one body of Congress was missing,
and that was the MAGA Republican in the House of Representatives.
So we are still working and talking and focused on it.
But that last leg of Congress, the why
the the MAGA Republicans
in the House of Representatives, they are the ones that are the holdup.
They are the ones that we're not negotiating.
Even when we talked about the C.R.
to the last second.
And so I would hope that they come to the negotiating table.
But we are ready, able and willing, working with the other branches
of government, to get a deal done in the next 42 days.
Congressman from New York, Gregory Meeks, good to see you this morning.
Thank you so much.