by Charlotte Hazard
A shortlist of potential House Republicans to replace Speaker Kevin McCarthy has emerged on Capitol Hill amid what appears to be a strengthening effort within the chamber’s GOP conference to replace him.
The effort is being led by Florida GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz, considered the biggest McCarthy critic in the conference, who has essentially said if the speaker uses Democrat votes to pass a spending bill he’ll lose his GOP speakership – in what is called a “motion to vacate.”
A report from the news site Axios says the shortlist includes Republican Study Committee Chairman Kevin Hern, of Oklahoma; House Budget Chairman Jodey Arrington, of Texas; and House Financial Services Chairman Patrick McHenry, of North Carolina.
A source told the outlet that Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green, of Tennessee, was asked to replace McCarthy multiple times but has declined.
If Congress doesn’t pass spending legislation by Saturday, the federal government will partially shut down.
The Washington Post is reporting the GOP conference’s most conservative members, with Gaetz among them, will try to push McCarthy out of the speakership next week and that Gaetz could offer the motion to vacate as early as Sunday.
Another named being mentioned is House Majority Whip Tom Emmer. However, the Minnesota lawmaker  says he doesn’t want the job, according to PunchbowlNews.com.
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Charlotte Hazard is a 2022 Liberty University alumni who graduated with a major in journalism and a minor in government.
