The fallout from the ouster of former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) continues as the seismic rupture between factions of the Republican Party continues to deepen. Over 40 House Republicans penned a letter to their colleagues explaining that they were “ashamed and embarrassed” by the fiasco, which took place earlier this week, and condemned the eight GOP lawmakers who voted in favor of stripping McCarthy of his position as speaker.

The Washington Examiner, in an exclusive report, unveiled the contents of the letter.

A group of more than 40 concerned House Republicans penned a letter to their colleagues condemning the eight Republicans who joined Democrats to oust former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) on Tuesday and calling for “fundamental changes” to the conference structure.

The 45 members who signed the letter, which was obtained by the Washington Examiner, said they are “ashamed and embarrassed” by what happened to the motion to vacate being used and that they “refuse” to allow those eight members who “abandoned and undermined” the Republican Conference to “dictate” the selection of the next speaker or policy outcomes.

The letter is signed by House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (R-MO) and House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX). It is also signed by McCarthy allies such as Reps. Garret Graves (R-LA), Kelly Armstrong (R-ND), Stephanie Bice (R-OK), Dusty Johnson (R-SD), and Erin Houchin (R-IN).

In the letter, the 45 members rebuked the “less than 4 percent of our Republican Conference” who joined “with all Democrats to override the will of the remaining 96 percent of House Republicans on one of the most consequential votes the House has taken in over a century.”

The letter echoed the deep-seated sentiments of the lawmakers and highlighted the deepening chasm that ensued after McCarthy’s departure. "We cannot allow our majority to be dictated to by the alliance between the chaos caucus and the minority party that will do nothing more than guarantee the failure of our next Speaker,” the lawmakers wrote.

This latest development further illuminates the ongoing power struggle between the conservative and moderate factions of the party. Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC), who was one of the eight representatives who voted in favor of McCarthy’s ouster, has come under fire from her colleagues and her funding has even been threatened by members of the GOP.

Several GOP members of Congress have reportedly lashed out at Mace for siding with Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), who led the effort to remove McCarthy as speaker.

Seven of the eight Republicans who voted to sink Kevin McCarthy’s speakership were longtime conservative critics. There was one unexpected rebel who McCarthy’s allies say committed the worst betrayal of all.

Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) triggered audible gasps on the House floor when she joined seven hardliners in torpedoing McCarthy during Tuesday’s historic ouster vote. That decision is now clouding her future in the GOP, not to mention imperiling the status of her relatively competitive seat next year, as scores of angry Republicans mull possible retribution.

McCarthy and Mace didn’t always see eye to eye, but the California Republican had helped Mace secure her seat in Congress by pumping millions of dollars into her once-struggling campaign. Mace’s move to aggressively fundraise off her vote to bounce McCarthy is only intensifying her colleagues’ anger toward her.

In the letter, the lawmakers insisted that the “injustice” of McCarthy’s downfall “cannot go unaddressed” and that their conference “must address fundamental changes to the structure of our majority to ensure success for the American people.”

Speaking of the American people, opinions on McCarthy’s fate are mixed according to a poll released just after the confrontation went down.

The poll showed that about 46 percent of Americans approved of removing McCarthy as speaker, while 28 percent disapproved. Among Republicans, the margin narrowed a bit, with 44 percent supporting the move and 34 percent opposing it. This further illustrates the current divide in the GOP in terms of philosophy and strategy.

…

Also noteworthy is the poll’s finding that 47 percent of Americans believed McCarthy’s ouster was a power grab. This included 41 percent of Republicans. This seems to indicate that the effort to get rid of the former speaker was not motivated by principles but by a desire for more power.

The conflict over McCarthy and the future of the GOP is expected to intensify as House Republicans work toward electing a new speaker next week.