HECHO Statement on Speaker Vacancy in the House of Representatives

Washington, DC – Yesterday, October 3rd, former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, was ousted as Speaker of the House in a 216 to 210 vote. This is the first time in U.S. history that a speaker of the House has been voted out of office. With no clear timeframe guidelines on the election of a new Speaker and the interim speaker, GOP Rep. Patrick McHenry holding limited and unclear authority, the work of the House to conduct necessary business to advance our conservation priorities forward and prevent a government shutdown come November 17th hangs in the balance.  

HECHO stands firm in its message to the House of Representatives, ‘Elect a Speaker, bring the Congress back to its regular business, and work to deliver conservation wins on necessary legislation like the 2023 Farm Bill before our country faces another government shutdown which would disproportionately impact Black and Brown communities.