GOP leadership took another significant step on Wednesday morning by requesting that Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) vacate his Capitol “hideaway office.” This move comes in the aftermath of an unprecedented vote on Tuesday that resulted in the removal of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.).
According to The Hill, this decision follows a similar directive given to Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) by Speaker Pro Tem Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) to vacate her office. These actions reflect the mounting frustration among GOP leaders towards Democrats who aligned with a small faction of far-right Republicans in the vote to oust McCarthy from his role as House leader.
Notably, a Republican aide from the House Administration Committee, which oversees office allocations, stated that the decision to remove Hoyer was not initiated by the committee, as initially reported by CNN.
Pelosi, who is currently in California preparing for the memorial services of the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), expressed her displeasure at McHenry’s move to evict her. She emphasized the departure from tradition, citing her own history of providing ample office space to former Speaker Hastert during his tenure.
The vote to remove McCarthy witnessed the unusual alliance of eight House Republicans joining every present Democrat, ultimately leading to McCarthy’s announcement that he would not seek re-election as Speaker.
McHenry subsequently announced a recess for the lower chamber, allowing Democrats and Republicans to convene separately to discuss the “path forward.” There is speculation that more office reassignments may be on the horizon, according to GOP sources cited by Punchbowl on Wednesday morning.