Kevin McCarthy was behind interim Speaker Patrick McHenry’s move to kick former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and former Majority Leader Steny Hoyer out of their office spaces, two Republican sources told CNN.
GOP Rep. Garret Graves told reporters on Wednesday that McCarthy is getting the office that McHenry has ordered her to vacate.
“Look the deal is that the office that Pelosi is in right now is the office of the preceding speaker. Speaker Pelosi and other Democrats determined that they wanted a new … speaker, and it’s Kevin McCarthy. So, he’s getting the office,” he said.
Sources close to Pelosi and Hoyer say it was retaliation for Democrats siding against McCarthy in voting to vacate the speaker’s chair Tuesday. The unofficial offices are located near the House floor.
McCarthy and McHenry’s did not respond to requests for comment.
If you want to be extremely generous, you could say this is the point. Pelosi is no longer the preceding Speaker, and so if this office is traditionally used by the most recent former Speaker, it’d make sense that she’d have to give it up sooner or later.
However, this
as well as moving Hoyer, is how you know it’s purely performative whining. The Democrats didn’t introduce the resolution to remove McCarthy and they didn’t give speeches as to why he should be removed, Republicans did. McCarthy chose to break his deal with the Dems from May and chose to forego any bipartisan help against Gaetz’ resolution. This is just the GOP lashing out at the Dems because the 11th commandment forbids them from punishing the members of their own ranks who are truly responsible.