With McCarthy Out as Speaker, GOP Senators Worry 'Chaos' Will Hit Congress

America experienced a historic first yesterday after the House of Representatives voted to oust Congressman Kevin McCarthy as speaker in a 216-210 vote that saw eight Republicans side with all House Democrats in attendance.

The unprecedented nature of this vote puts Congress in uncharted territory during a time in which it must come together to pass bipartisan spending bills to keep the federal government open ahead of a November 17 deadline.

Republican senators could only speculate what the impacts of not having a House-confirmed speaker may be, but they generally concurred that without central leadership the House could slip into turmoil, which could eventually affect the broader functioning of Congress.

"I think it opens the door to chaos," Republican Senator Mitt Romney of Utah told Newsweek. "On the other hand, the Speaker pro tem is a very capable person, we'll see whether the House is able to work or not."

Following McCarthy's ousting, North Carolina Republican Patrick McHenry was chosen to fill the role of Speaker pro tempore. As of now, the House will not reconvene for votes until Tuesday, when the GOP will likely be closer to selecting McCarthy's potential replacement.

"I imagine at some point we'll have a speaker. I don't know if that will change the chairmanships," Republican Senator Marco Rubio of Florida told Newsweek. "It's always better obviously to have the speaker because it gives you a central authority for members to work with. I imagine most of the chairmanships will go unchanged."

At the onset of a new Congress following the election of a speaker, the House GOP Steering Committee, comprised of party leaders including the speaker — who holds outsized influence on the process — recommends who will chair committees. When these powerful positions are contested, the Steering Committee selects who will fill the role, and the speaker plays a key role in such situations.

At the beginning of last Congress, the position of chair of the powerful Ways and Means Committee, the House's chief tax-writing body, was contested between Congressman Vern Buchanan of Florida and Jason Smith of Missouri. Despite Buchanan's seniority, Smith earned the role, with CQ Roll Call reporting that Smith's relationship with McCarthy may have influenced the decision.

The uncertainty over who will chair committees could disrupt the flow of government spending bill work and require senators to form new cross-chamber relationships. It remains to be seen what changes could be instituted by a new speaker. However, history shows that some are likely.

Following the proposed motion to vacate the speakership in 2015 that saw then-Speaker John Boehner resign from the role rather than face a vote to be ousted as McCarthy did, Paul Ryan took the gavel. Under Speaker Ryan, steps were taken to overhaul the Steering Committee and which members were entitled to slots.

When a speaker changes and members must select a new leader, with each candidate bringing different priorities and relationships, the atmosphere can be volatile as members seek to reach consensus, as noted by Republican Senator Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming, who served in the House from 2009 through 2017.

"It was a little chaotic when I was in the House when Speaker Boehner gave up his speakership," Lummis told Newsweek. "Consensus formed around Paul Ryan, and Paul began immediately working with the disparate factions within the Republican Party and put together a governable group. So, I know it can be done even under kind of chaotic circumstances, so my money is on House Republicans getting their act together."

The House Republican Conference has dealt with infighting since it took the majority following the 2022 midterms, with McCarthy undergoing 15 grueling rounds of voting to become speaker.

To secure the position, McCarthy made a series of promises and concessions to hard right conservatives, concessions that included lowering the threshold to launch a "motion to vacate" from a party's majority to one member, ultimately laying the groundwork for his ousting.

Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz of Florida later accused McCarthy of breaking the promises he made to become speaker, and seven other House members seemingly agreed, providing enough votes for his ousting.

Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville Of Alabama told Newsweek that McCarthy was essentially responsible for his own demise.

"He sold his soul to get that speakership, and then he didn't follow up on what he said he was gonna do," he said. "You play politics, you pay the price, and that's what happened."

Correction 10/5/23, 5:02 p.m. ET. An earlier version of this story stated Senator Marco Rubio thought House chairmanships would change. It has been corrected to state he believes most of them will remain unchanged.