In an interview with NJ Spotlight News, U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-5th) described a difficult time for the House of Representatives in the aftermath of historic vote to oust Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

“It was a rough day yesterday,” Gottheimer said. “I’m confident based on all the discussions today is now what [Democrats] are very focused as a caucus on how we move forward now in terms of focusing on stopping government shutdown and looking at are there things we can change institutionally.

“There’s real issues that we can solve if we work together, but you have to change the approach they’re taking by stop kowtowing to the extremists in their party.”

This marks the first time in U.S. history that the House removed its leader. McCarthy has said he will not run again for speaker, and U.S. Reps. Jim Jordan and Steve Scalise have officially entered the race, with other GOP members in the wings. The House is taking no further votes this week, and Republicans are expected to hold a speaker candidate forum next Tuesday.

Gottheimer said the tension within the GOP is now also being pointed at Democrats in the congressman’s “Problem Solvers Caucus,” a bipartisan group of lawmakers.

“We’ve got 40 days before the government shuts down again,” he said of the next threshold. “The key now is to figure out how we move forward here.”