(RepublicanJournal.org) – Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-NC) got straight to work as House speaker pro tempore after Rep. Kevin McCarthy lost the position in a sudden vote. One of the top items on the North Carolina representative’s agenda was to give former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) the boot from her Capitol hideaway. The new speaker reportedly told Pelosi about the eviction via email.
Pelosi was out of town for the fateful vote ousting McCarthy from his position. She was in San Francisco, California, to attend the arrangements honoring the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), who had been a dear friend to the 83-year-old House representative. Feinstein was laid to rest on October 5, after a day of public and private viewings.
McHenry’s email to Pelosi disregarded her absence, giving the veteran lawmaker a single day to vacate the office space. USA Today explains that hideaways are special rooms senators get assigned based on seniority, many of which are right next to the Senate floor. The unmarked, sometimes obscured spaces serve as secondary offices where members can conduct business beyond the prying eyes of reporters, lobbyists, and aides. McHenry plans to use Pelosi’s hideaway, according to Fox News, “for speaker office use.”
Pelosi issued a statement slamming McHenry for prioritizing her eviction over other important House business, a move that very easily could have been personal. She stated that because of her absence, she wasn’t able to collect her belongings from the space. Staff members for House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) ultimately moved Pelosi’s belongings for her.
McHenry will serve as House speaker pro tempore until Republicans manage to elect McCarthy’s replacement. They have yet to agree on a candidate, although The New York Times reports that Reps. Steve Scalise (LA), Tom Emmer (MN), Patrick McHenry (NC), Elise Stefanik (NY), Jim Jordan (OH), and Tom Cole (OK) are all possible contenders.
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