There is a historic drama unfolding in the US House of Representatives after Republican congressman Matt Gaetz successfully dethroned his party’s speaker, Kevin McCarthy.

As a result of the Speaker’s efforts to fund government agencies with the help of Democrats, a war of words erupted between the two men.

The motion to dismiss Mr McCarthy was introduced by Mr Gaetz this week after he had long threatened to do so. 216 of the 210 Democrats and eight Republicans voted against McCarthy on Tuesday, ejecting him by 216-210.

A new potentially chaotic process for appointing the next Speaker begins with the vote.

Having near-total control over the chamber’s functions is one of the most powerful roles in Congress.

What you need to know about one of American politics’ most important jobs.

In the US Constitution, the Speaker of the House is responsible for overseeing the lower chamber of Congress. Traditional and historically, the Speaker has been a member of the majority party. However, this is not a constitutional requirement.

Thus, they lead both the majority party and the House of Representatives.

Speakers set the House’s legislative agenda, control committee assignments, set the voting and work calendars, and ensure their party members are united behind major initiatives.