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Crane, Biggs among 8 GOP representatives to vote to oust Speaker McCarthy

Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Gilbert, left, and Rep. Eli Crane, R-Oro Valley, are among a handful of Republicans who were able to bring the House to a halt this week with votes said came from anger over the debt-ceiling bill. But analysts question the long-term goals of the group.
Alexis Waiss
/
Cronkite News
Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Gilbert, left, and Rep. Eli Crane, R-Oro Valley, are among a handful of Republicans who were able to bring the House to a halt this week with votes said came from anger over the debt-ceiling bill. But analysts question the long-term goals of the group.

Arizona Representatives Eli Crane and Andy Biggs voted to oust speaker Kevin McCarthy Tuesday.

They were among only eight Republicans in the U.S. House who backed the historic motion from Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz. All Democrats voted in favor of McCarthy's removal.

In a floor speech Tuesday, Biggs attributed his dissatisfaction with McCarthy to the fact that the House failed to negotiate any additional measures to address migrants crossing the border.

Crane, who represents a large portion of northern and eastern Arizona, tweeted that he would vote for a speaker who wants to “change the ineffective and dishonest way this town works.”

Arizona’s other Republican members – Representatives Debbie Lesko, Paul Gosar, David Schweikert and Juan Ciscomani – voted against McCarthy’s removal.

There remains no clear successor.