What Kentucky's delegation says about the vote to oust House Speaker Kevin McCarthy

Republican U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy was ousted from his leadership position in an unprecedented vote Tuesday, as a small faction of his party pushed through a motion to vacate the seat — though the entire Kentucky GOP delegation stood by the former speaker.

Eight Republicans, led by Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., voted for the motion to vacate, citing frustration with McCarthy for working with Democrats to avert a government shutdown just before the deadline on Saturday. Democrats chose not to come to McCarthy's aid, joining with the GOP faction to remove him by a 216-210 vote — the first time a speaker has been removed by that method in U.S. history.

All five of the GOP members from Kentucky's congressional delegation voted to keep McCarthy in place, with Rep. Thomas Massie — one of the chamber's most hardline conservatives on government spending — defending the speaker with a fiery floor speech before the vote.

Noting that he previously led a motion to vacate against former Speaker John Boehner and voted against former Speaker Paul Ryan, Massie said the Gaetz motion was a "terrible idea" that would lead the institution to failure.

"I can tell you that this chamber has been run better, more conservatively and more transparently under Mr. McCarthy than any other speaker that I have served under," Massie said to the applause of many GOP colleagues.

Also voting against the motion to vacate were Kentucky GOP Reps. Andy Barr, Brett Guthrie, Hal Rogers and James Comer.

Barr went on Fox News shortly after the vote to criticize the eight Republicans who led the ouster of McCarthy, calling it "a sad day for the conservative movement" and "a sad day for the Republican Party."

"Disunity is the enemy of the conservative cause, and today is evidence of the fact that we have now given our majority to (Democratic House Minority leader) Hakeem Jeffries, because we have refused to stay unified," Barr said. "The way to avoid an omnibus, the way to avoid getting jammed, the way to avoid an open border is unity in the party, not eight rogue members joining with Democrats."

Rep. Morgan McGarvey, the only Democratic House member from Kentucky, voted along with the other Democratic members present for the motion. In a statement, McGarvey indicated McCarthy has repeatedly "shown his ambition to be Speaker has completely compromised his ability to govern effectively or with integrity."

"I cannot in good conscience vote to save a Speaker who has not honored his deals, made a mockery of the speaker’s election, brought our country to the brink of a catastrophic debt default and government shutdown, refused to denounce insurrectionists, and cannot be trusted," McGarvey stated.

The Republican leader of the chamber on the other side of the Capitol also weighed in on McCarthy's ouster, as Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky lamented the action.

McConnell, who had praised McCarthy's actions to avert a government shutdown last weekend, thanked him "for his service to our nation in what is often a thankless role."

“The Speaker’s appetite for worthy causes steered a narrow majority to seize historic opportunities for the American people and for conservative principles," McConnell stated. "His willingness to face the biggest challenges head-on helped preserve the full faith and credit of the United States and showed colleagues how to handle every outcome with grace."

Rogers later tweeted that removing McCarthy was "a monumental mistake," praising him for his "immense courage and leadership by negotiating a deal to avoid a government shutdown, even at the risk of losing his gavel."

Comer said Tuesday the vote to remove McCarthy was "very unfortunate" and "more about personality and political grudges than the actual performance," adding that the former speaker "was doing as well as could be expected."

A spokesman for Comer said the chairman of the House Oversight Committee and Biden impeachment inquiry "remains focused on continuing his work to hold President Biden and this administration accountable" and "looks forward to working with the House Republican Conference to select a Speaker.”

A spokesman for Guthrie did not immediately reply to a request for comment on McCarthy's ouster.

McCarthy announced after the vote he would not run again for speaker, with his close ally Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., temporarily leading the House as speaker pro tempore.

More: 'Institution fell today.' McCarthy ousted as speaker by right-wing rebellion: 5 takeaways

Reach reporter Joe Sonka at jsonka@courierjournal.com and follow him on Twitter at @joesonka.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kevin McCarthy ousted: How Kentucky delegation voted on House speaker