5 takeaways on McCarthy’s exit from Congress

Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s (R-Calif.) announcement that he is leaving Congress didn’t come as a shock — but his departure will have ripple effects for the House and the Republican conference.

McCarthy is departing after a 17 year run in the House that took him to the highest levels of congressional power — only to be toppled by a group of Republican rabble rousers, leaving him without a defined place in the GOP conference and at odds with the conservatives who spearheaded his ejection.
Still, his departure marks a significant moment for the House GOP conference — of which McCarthy has been a key figure for years during his rise through the leadership ranks — and spells trouble ahead for the razor-thin GOP majority.

Here are five takeaways on McCarthy’s exit from Congress.