A motion to vacate has only been used twice in the past century against GOP speakers. But in recent years, conservatives have wielded the motion as a weapon against their leaders.
Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz filed a resolution late Monday to oust Kevin McCarthy as speaker, setting up a likely showdown vote in the House in the days ahead.
The far-right Republican from Florida has for months threatened to use a procedural tool — called a motion to vacate — to try to strip McCarthy of his office.