House Republican calls efforts to vacate Speaker’s chair a ‘stupid idea’

Rep. David Joyce (R-Ohio) on Sunday said he supports House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) to be the next Speaker and said calls by far-right Republicans to include a motion to vacate the chair in next Congress’s set of House rules were a “stupid idea.”

Joyce told “This Week” anchor George Stephanopoulos on ABC that McCarthy has “done the hard work that was necessary to bring together the majority.”

“We were given this opportunity to do that, and he deserves the chance to lead us, and he deserves the chance to lead for two years,” Joyce said. “I’m not a fan of a motion to vacate. I think that’s a stupid idea. We were elected for two years.”

McCarthy was nominated last month by a majority of the GOP conference to be the next House Republican leader, but he faces a showdown on Jan. 3 to seize the role after several Republicans said they would vote against him.

Some far-right Republicans in the House Freedom Caucus have also called for a rule that would make it easier for any representative to bring a motion to the floor that could force a Speaker to vacate the chair and be removed from the post.

Joyce on Sunday said such a rule wouldn’t make sense because if “constituents don’t like what we’re doing, then they can vote us out.”

“Certainly, we should give the Speaker the opportunity,” the GOP congressman said. “And at the end of two years, then vote him out.”