AUSTIN, Texas — House Speaker Kevin McCarthy was voted out of the job Tuesday after Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida led a successful push to oust him. While most of the GOP voted to keep McCarthy, all Democrats and eight far-right Republicans were enough to push McCarthy out of the job.  McCarthy’s removal as speaker was a first in U.S. history. The House voted 216-210 to oust McCarthy.

Gaetz said that McCarthy failed to follow through with promises to the Republican Party. When McCarthy temporarily passed a spending bill with the help of Democrats Saturday to avert a government shutdown, it angered Republicans. From that point, Gaetz vowed to have McCarthy removed.

Reps. John Carter, R-Round Rock, and Lance Gooden, R-Terrell, were absent Tuesday for the vote. The rest of the Texas Republicans in the House voted to keep McCarthy.

Texas lawmakers commented on the ouster and the state of Congress. Happy to vote McCarthy out, Democrats simultaneously mocked far-right conservatives for sabotaging their own party. While most jumped at the chance to remove McCarthy, there were a few that refused.

On Tuesday, before the vote was in motion, Republican Rep. Chip Roy took to X to say that he’d be voting against vacating Speaker McCarthy.

Republican Sen. John Cornyn said that the ouster was shameful and a “terrorist attack.” He later shared his thoughts on X.

Rep. Greg Casar, D-Austin voted to oust McCarthy as speaker for what he called the advancement of democracy, which he feels McCarthy has threatened. “Kevin McCarthy has dedicated his career to undermining these principles: from supporting Trump’s Big Lie and trying to overturn an election, to purposefully threatening the American economy time after time to score political points.”

Casar said Tuesday’s vote was about establishing a Congress that is in direct service of its constituents. “With democratic unity and progressive advocacy, we can take down the biggest bullies, liars, and fraudsters, and make this government work for working people.”

Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-El Paso, stated she voted out McCarthy because rather than being a help to Americans, his focus has been on culture wars. “In the 10 months Kevin McCarthy has been Speaker, the House has been chaotic, dysfunctional and dangerous. He has empowered and emboldened the extremists in his party, refused to make commonsense compromise with House Democrats even on the eve of numerous Republican catastrophes, and reneged on the bipartisan compromise that averted a disastrous default on our nation’s debt.”

McCarthy doesn’t plan to run for speaker again. Republican Rep. Patrick McHenry is now acting speaker until a successor is decided. The House has been declared in recess until Democrats and Republicans determine the next steps.