Official announcement from the U.S. House of Representatives

House GOP Raises Threshold to Nine Members for Speaker Ouster

Jan 1, 2025, 10:00 PM

House Republicans have unveiled a new rules package for the 119th Congress, which includes a significant change to the motion to vacate procedure. The threshold to initiate a no-confidence vote to oust the Speaker has been raised from one member to nine members of the majority party. This change, negotiated between the House Freedom Caucus and the Main Street Caucus in November, aims to address internal party divisions and stabilize leadership. Released on Wednesday, the rules package also includes other notable provisions, such as renaming the Oversight and Accountability Committee back to its former title, the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, and eliminating the Diversity and Inclusion Office. The House is expected to vote on the rules package on Friday, following the election of a Speaker. Speaker Mike Johnson, who has faced criticism from some conservatives, is seeking reelection but faces challenges due to the GOP's narrow majority. The changes come after former Speaker Kevin McCarthy was ousted in 2023 under the previous rules that allowed a single member to trigger a no-confidence vote.