House Republicans have reached an agreement to amend the motion to vacate rule, raising the threshold required to invoke a no-confidence vote against the speaker. The current rule allows a single member of Congress to call for such a vote, but the new agreement increases the threshold to nine members.
The discussions involved the conservative House Freedom Caucus, the GOP Main Street Caucus, and Speaker Mike Johnson. The aim of the agreement is to defuse the procedural weapon that was previously used to remove Johnson's predecessor, Kevin McCarthy, from power. In exchange for amending the motion to vacate rule, GOP lawmakers will not push for changes that penalize members for voting against party rules.
If the GOP conference approves the deal, it would address a key concern for Johnson as he prepares to lead the House in the next Congress, where Republicans will hold the majority. Maryland Rep. Andy Harris highlighted that the agreement aims to eliminate controversial issues and focus on delivering on President-elect Donald Trump's agenda.
South Dakota Rep. Dusty Johnson emphasized that the agreement will remove divisive amendments and set the threshold for the motion to vacate at nine members. The motion to vacate is a rarely used tool, with McCarthy being the only speaker to have been ousted through a resolution. However, the threat of its use can exert significant pressure on a speaker.
Last year, McCarthy and his allies made concessions to conservatives to secure the speaker's gavel, including restoring the ability for any member to offer a motion to vacate. McCarthy was removed as speaker in October 2023, leading to Johnson's election after a period of internal party conflict.
