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North Carolina GOP Rep. Patrick McHenry has taken the seat as the leader of the house, at least for now, after Tuesday’s vote to oust Kevin McCarthy – a historic first for a House speaker.

<div><div><div><p><strong>RALEIGH, N.C. (NEWSnet/AP) —</strong> North Carolina GOP Rep. Patrick McHenry has taken the seat as the leader of the house, at least for now, after Tuesday’s vote to oust Kevin McCarthy – a historic first for a House speaker. </p></div></div>
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<div><div><p>McHenry was one of McCarthy’s closest allies, and helped him win the speaker’s contest in January and negotiate the debt limit deal that McCarthy made with President Joe Biden earlier this year.</p></div></div>
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<div><div><p>He helped McCarthy keep his fragile majority together until it came apart following the decision to work with Democrats to keep the federal government open rather than risk a shutdown. He gave a floor speech Tuesday supporting McCarthy.</p></div></div>

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<div><div><p>According to House rules, McHenry was picked from a list McCarthy was required to keep and will serve essentially as the acting speaker — known as speaker pro tempore — until the chamber figures out who will be the next leader.</p></div></div>
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<div><div><p>The move comes as the country faces another government shutdown in mid-November if Congress does not act to pass a new budget plan.</p></div></div>
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