NC’s Patrick McHenry will apparently preside over the House till a new leader is elected

 Patrick McHenry of North Carolina will reportedly command the House until a new leader is elected.

AP — RALEIGH, N.C. One of Kevin McCarthy's top lieutenants took over as speaker of the House when McCarthy was being forced out of his position, at least temporarily, by colleagues who helped put him on the dais in the first place.

After the House's historic first vote to remove McCarthy as speaker on Tuesday, North Carolina GOP Rep. Patrick McHenry assumed the gavel. In accordance with House rules, McCarthy had to choose someone from a list, and McHenry was chosen from that list. He will operate as speaker pro tempore until the chamber elects a new speaker.

The temporary position is McHenry's most visible position thus far in his ten terms in the House; he stands out for his distinctive bow ties.

But he had already become more respected and well-known within the House. McCarthy's closest ally, McHenry, assisted him in both negotiating the debt ceiling agreement with President Joe Biden earlier this year and helping him win the speaker's race in January.

He assisted McCarthy in maintaining his precarious majority until the choice to cooperate with Democrats in order to avoid a government shutdown caused it to disintegrate. He spoke in favor of McCarthy on Tuesday.