Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) was instructed by Acting House Speaker Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) to vacate a hideaway office in the Capitol on Wednesday.
Jake Sherman, the founder of Punchbowl News wrote in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, that House Republican leadership had “kicked” Hoyer out of his office. This came hours after the House had voted 216-210 to oust Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) as Speaker of the House. McCarthy later said he would not run again for Speaker of the House.
“Republicans – McCarthy – are taking revenge for Democrats voting with” Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) in order to “boot” McCarthy “from the speakership.”
NEWS — HOUSE REPUBLICAN LEADERSHIP has kicked @RepStenyHoyer out of his Capitol hideaway.
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) October 4, 2023
Republicans — McCarthy — are taking revenge for Democrats voting with @mattgaetz to boot @SpeakerMcCarthy from the speakership.
Expect more of this, GOP sources tell us.
Me and…
“Today is a sad day for the House of Representatives,” Hoyer wrote in a statement of McCarthy’s ousting. “As someone who has always had the utmost concern for preserving the integrity of this institution, I regret the circumstances in which the House found itself today.”
Hoyer added that politicians needed to “find common ground to make the people’s government work,” and praised McCarthy for having done “that to avoid a default on our debt and a shutdown of our government.”
Hideaway offices are unlisted offices within the Capitol, situated near the chambers. Senior Senate members and some members of the House use them, according to Roll Call.
Democratic Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) was also ordered to vacate her hideaway office within the Capitol. Pelosi had previously served as Speaker of the House between 2019-2023 until the Democratic Party lost control of the House of Representatives.
“Please vacate the space tomorrow, the room will be re-keyed,” an email sent to Pelosi’s office said, according to Politico.
Pelosi, who is currently in California to attend the funeral services of Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) wrote that she would be “unable to retrieve” her belongings at this time as she was mourning the loss of Feinstein.
Gaetz introduced legislation on Monday to evict McCarthy from his position as Speaker of the House after the House passed a continuing resolution, narrowly avoiding a government shutdown.