Kevin McCarthy Vote Live Updates: House Speaker Faces Ouster

The scene in the House chamber ahead of potentially the first-ever successful vote to oust a House speaker: routine but not really.

A handful of lawmakers and staffers — around 20 — are on the House floor for the debate on whether to allow two funding bills to be considered today. (Democrats oppose this happening, while Republicans favor, as they mostly wrote the bills.)

But Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), the GOP firebrand at the center of today’s vote on whether to retain Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) as speaker, has been in and out of the chamber, sitting alone near the center aisle of the chamber. That’s the one where lawmakers stake out seats to be able to shake hands with the president on State of the Union speech days.

The other man at the center of today’s drama, McCarthy, was in the chamber briefly as well, to oversee the ceremonial trappings that accompany each day’s opening — the daily prayer and the pledge of allegiance. McCarthy has shown himself to enjoy these small, fun perks of being speaker more than many of his predecessors.

But the biggest difference is in the House press gallery, located above the speaker’s rostrum. About 40 or so reporters have claimed seats to be able to watch the floor directly, most sitting with laptops.

Because most votes on the House floor are predetermined (the majority party wins with Harlem Globetrotters vs. Washington Generals-level consistency) and the debate is rote talking points that have been heard so often before, reporters hardly ever watch the floor from the gallery. But with the votes regarding the ouster resolution still likely an hour out, no one wants to be left without a seat in case history is made.