Newly minted speaker pro tempore Patrick McHenry (R, N.C.), has ordered Representative Steny Hoyer (D, Md.) to vacate his capitol hideaway, an extra office space afforded to senior members of the House, after taking the same step against former speaker Nancy Pelosi.
The order, which was first reported by Punchbowl’s Jake Sherman and confirmed by National Review, constitutes an act of retaliation against the senior Democrat for backing former speaker Kevin McCarthy’s ouster.
On Tuesday, the entire Democratic caucus joined with a group of eight GOP rebels, led by Representative Matt Gaetz of Florida, to strip McCarthy of his gavel via a motion to vacate, successfully vacating the speaker’s chair for the first time in the history of the House of Representatives.
The Democrats were acting on orders from House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who sent a letter to his caucus hours before the vote informing members that McCarthy had not made the concessions required to secure their support.
As his first act as speaker pro tempore, McHenry sent an email to Pelosi’s office informing the former speaker that she had to vacate her hideaway office immediately.
“Please vacate the space tomorrow, the room will be re-keyed,” an aide on the House Administration Committee emailed Pelosi’s office. The room will be used for “speaker office use,” the email said.
McCarthy had allowed Pelosi to retain the hideaway office because of her status as speaker emerita.
Hoyer served as the House Majority Leader from 2007 to 2011, and again from 2019 to 2023. Senior leaders from both parties are often granted access to hideaway offices in the capitol.
The offices of McHenry and Hoyer did not immediately respond to requests for comment.