To be ousted as Speaker of the House means to be removed from the position of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, which is the most powerful position in the legislative branch of the US government. The Speaker of the House is elected by the members of the House of Representatives and is responsible for presiding over the House, setting the legislative agenda, and leading the majority party in the House. The process of ousting the Speaker of the House involves a "motion to vacate," which can be initiated by any single member of the House. If the motion is successful, it would be the first time in US history that House lawmakers voted their leader out. The ousted Speaker is replaced by the Speaker pro tempore, who takes over the duties of the Speaker until a new Speaker is elected. The process of electing a new Speaker can be lengthy and difficult.