Laphonza Butler took the oath of office as a U.S. senator, succeeding the late Dianne Feinstein and becoming the first Black and openly LGBTQ woman to serve in the Senate. It is the first time in California history that both U.S. senators are people of color.
Two hours later, Kevin McCarthy lost the speaker’s gavel — the first speaker ever to be ousted by a vote of the House.
Both moments were dramatic, in very different ways.
Butler was escorted into the Senate chamber by Sen. Alex Padilla of California and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York. Vice President Kamala Harris administered the oath while Butler’s wife, Neneki Lee, held the Bible. After she took the oath, Butler was greeted by cheers and applause.
During his floor speech, Schumer called Butler’s appointment to the Senate a “historic moment.”
“I can’t help but think how proud Senator Feinstein would be seeing someone as brilliant, as accomplished, as history making as Laphonza Butler,” he said. “She is going to be one great senator.”
Schumer said he plans to speak at Feinstein’s memorial service in San Francisco on Thursday. Other speakers include San Francisco Mayor London Breed, Harris, U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi and Feinstein’s granddaughter, according to The New York Times.
Butler has not said much about whether she will try to keep her new office in the 2024 election — a decision that could change the dynamics of the Senate race. On Monday, she told the Los Angeles Times that she was surprised to be appointed by Gov. Gavin Newsom and had not considered running for public office before. But she wanted to honor Feinstein’s legacy before deciding on the race, she said.
Butler said much the same thing to the San Francisco Chronicle on Tuesday, and said she plans to focus on abortion rights and gun control while in the Senate.
- Butler, in the Chronicle interview: “It’s day one, and while it has been an incredibly exciting day one, I am just so focused on making sure that I’m able to honor the legacy and life of Sen. Dianne Feinstein.”
At the same time as Butler’s swearing-in, on the other side of the Capitol, the House was debating whether to oust McCarthy. It eventually voted 216-210 to do so (eight Republicans and nearly all Democrats in the majority) — the first time in history a speaker has been removed by a House vote.
The Bakersfield Republican took the speaker’s gavel from another Californian, Democrat Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco, just in January after 15 rounds of voting and after Republicans flipped seats in California, helping the party take control of the House.
While a hard-right Republican faction led by Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida called for McCarthy’s ouster, his GOP defenders criticized the move. “We need to be the no-drama option for America,” said Rep. Mike Garcia of Santa Clarita.
That isn’t happening. There will now be drama until a new speaker is chosen, and beyond.
CalMatters is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics.
