As Congress returns this week from its August recess, the House of Representatives will have a lot of things on their plate. Among the issues at the top of the list: avoiding a government shutdown on September 30, and a possible vote on opening an impeachment inquiry against President Joe Biden over his alleged involvement in his son Hunter's overseas business dealings. But there may be one other big thing that gets put on the table, and that's a possible call for a floor vote on House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's leadership.

What's Kevin McCarthy's actual goal as Speaker of the House?

— Tim Young (@TimRunsHisMouth) September 7, 2023

With mounting evidence showing that Joe Biden was involved in Hunter Biden's business dealings, GOP natives are getting restless for some type of action, namely voting on an impeachment inquiry. But with the government shutdown deadline looming, McCarthy is trying to get Republicans on the same page to pass a continuing resolution. So far, several members are on board with a continuing resolution, with the condition that there is funding for border security. House Republican members passed HR2, which addresses border security earlier this year. 

But now there are rumblings that a motion to vacate may be in the works for McCarthy. Only one member of Congress is needed to call a motion to vacate, and it would only take a handful of Republicans to vote with Democrats to make that happen. Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) supported McCarthy in his bid for the Speakership but said what many members may be thinking. "I think it's [motion to vacate] in the back of everybody's mind … If somebody brings that it wouldn't take much. You know, it just takes a couple of votes."

Many members whose votes McCarthy had to win over to become Speaker are eager to begin an impeachment inquiry and see McCarthy as being reluctant to do so. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) was one of those members. During a recent appearance on The Todd Starnes Show, Gaetz seemed to say that if McCarthy was an obstacle to any impeachment inquiry vote, his job may be in jeopardy.

"When we get back to Washington in the coming weeks, we have got to seize the initiative. That means forcing votes on impeachment. And if Kevin McCarthy stands in our way, you may not have the job long."

GAETZ UPS PRESSURE FOR IMPEACHMENT VOTE: Florida Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz predicted forthcoming efforts to compel House votes on impeachment, while delivering a warning to Speaker Kevin McCarthy. MORE: https://t.co/PaKOvCyBWv pic.twitter.com/DTdwAPTJ5e

— NEWSMAX (@NEWSMAX) September 6, 2023

Others are playing hardball as well. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) is basing any "yes" vote on a continuing resolution on an impeachment inquiry being opened. Moderate Republicans like Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE) say they have not seen enough "concrete evidence" for an impeachment inquiry. While the pressure is on McCarthy, and the ultimate decision to go ahead with an impeachment inquiry is up to him, as my colleague Nick Arama reported today, House Oversight Committee Chair Rep. James Comer (R-KY) told Newsmax: “I do believe that we have the votes for an impeachment inquiry." 

While McCarthy's top-of-mind thought may be securing his job, he has a precarious game of dominos going on in the House. Getting Republicans on board with avoiding a government shutdown would affect the start of any impeachment inquiry. He recently told Fox News Channel's Maria Bartiromo on Sunday Morning Futures, that, “If we shut down, all the government shuts it down, investigation and everything else." As if all this weren't enough, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) stated that new spending cuts passed by the House faced an uphill battle in the Senate. He added,

"The Speaker and the president reached an agreement which I supported in connection with raising the debt ceiling to set spending levels for next year. The House then turned around and passed spending levels that were below that level. Without stating an opinion about that, that's not going to be replicated in the Senate."

But all of this may be a moot point if GOP House members decide they want McCarthy out, and someone more eager to pull the impeachment inquiry trigger in. The same people Kevin McCarthy had to be nice to to become Speaker may be the same ones who vote him out of a job.

🚨BREAKING: Speaker Kevin McCarthy has confirmed that an impeachment inquiry of Joe Biden would happen through a formal vote on the House floor requiring 218 yes votes to initiate the process. @RepMTG confirmed on my show today that she believes House GOP now has the votes.

If…

— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) September 1, 2023