When 2024 arrived, former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-California) was gone from the U.S. House of Representatives. McCarthy was sworn into Congress in January 2007, but after being ousted as speaker in early October 2023, he was clearly fed up. And McCarthy resigned from Congress without serving out the remainder of his term. Far-right Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Florida), more than anyone, was responsible for McCarthy’s departure: It was Gaetz’s “motion to vacate” that led to the conservative California Republican being removed as speaker. Gaetz has publicly maintained that his push to oust McCarthy was…