The House has removed Kevin McCarthy as speaker of the House, marking the first time in history that a speaker has been removed this way.
Congress has now entered unchartered territory.
The vote has triggered a process where the Clerk of the House will refer to a list of people who can act as speaker pro tempore in the absence of speaker.
That list is kept secret and will only be made public in the event that the speakership is vacant.
The House will then be forced to hold votes on a new speaker, though that could take time. Members will likely need to meet to discuss the path ahead. They are already preparing for a fraught process.
It took 15 rounds to elect McCarthy speaker in January, in part because there was no consensus alternative. There is no clear alternative who could win the votes necessary to fill the job.
Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., has been named speaker pro tempore, or interim speaker, until a new speaker is elected.
The House has entered a recess to meet and discuss a path forward
McCarthy was defiant but resigned to the vote following a lengthy meeting of House Republicans on Tuesday morning.
By Tuesday afternoon, house members were testing that possibility as they prepared for an unprecedented vote on his leadership.
