Posted on 06/24/2015 9:54:56 AM PDT by upchuck
Conservative lawmakers serving as subcommittee chairmen are finding themselves on the receiving end of retribution from House leadership for defying party leaders.
Last week, 34 Republicans broke from their party in voting against a routine procedural rule that would have advanced Trade Promotion Authority. Since then, GOP leadership has come down hard on those members, removing some from the leadership team and threatening others with losing subcommittee chairmanships.
This show of force from leadership has angered conservative lawmakers and members of the House Freedom Caucus, who are speaking out against the “culture of punishment and fear” that’s emerged during John Boehner’s tenure as speaker.
Conservative lawmakers serving as subcommittee chairmen are finding themselves on the receiving end of retribution from House leadership for defying party leaders.
Last week, 34 Republicans broke from their party in voting against a routine procedural rule that would have advanced Trade Promotion Authority. Since then, GOP leadership has come down hard on those members, removing some from the leadership team and threatening others with losing subcommittee chairmanships.
This show of force from leadership has angered conservative lawmakers and members of the House Freedom Caucus, who are speaking out against the “culture of punishment and fear” that’s emerged during John Boehner’s tenure as speaker.
“Conservatives are frustrated that they are being punished for voting their conscience after countless efforts to work openly with leadership were stonewalled,” a conservative staffer in the House told The Daily Signal.
Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., was removed from his role as chairman of the Government Operations subcommittee. As The Daily Signal previously reported, Rep. Jason Chaffetz, chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, approached Meadows last week and presented him with two options: resign as chairman or be booted from the role.
Meadows, though, isn’t the only subcommittee chairman to be approached by committee heads following their vote against the procedural vote.
A second Republican staffer told The Daily Signal at least one other conservative member has met with the chairman of the member’s full committee, where the topic of the procedural vote came up. The meeting, though, did not result in the loss of the chairmanship.
The staffer said members are concerned with leadership’s process, a sentiment Meadows echoed, and feel they shouldn’t “be forced to vote with leadership and against their constituents.”
A spokesman for Boehner did not return The Daily Signal’s request for comment.
In the wake of the procedural vote on Trade Promotion Authority, Reps. Trent Franks of Arizona, Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming and Steve Pearce of New Mexico were removed from the GOP whip team. The members each defied House Republican leadership in voting against the deal.
Pearce told The Daily Signal he had a “moral problem” with leadership asking him to support moving the trade legislation forward.
Since his ouster, Meadows, a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, has been publicly speaking out against GOP leaders’ tactics.
“There is no honor in bowing to a bully,” he said. “There is only honor in fighting a good fight—win or lose. This is not a fight I will back down from.”
Separately, members of the House Freedom Caucus—a conservative group with between 30 and 40 lawmakers in its ranks—will meet tonight to discuss how to respond to leadership’s retribution. There has been talk among members of blocking legislation backed by the party leaders, which would keep it from advancing through the House.
Over the last few years, 11 Republicans have been punished for bucking party leadership.
During the 113th Congress, Reps. Justin Amash of Michigan, Tim Huelskamp of Kansas, David Schweikert of Arizona and Walter Jones of North Carolina were kicked off their committees after they didn’t vote for Boehner to be speaker.
This year, Reps. Daniel Webster and Richard Nugent, both of Florida, were removed from the powerful Rules Committee after voting for other members during the speaker election in January.
Additionally, Rep. Rod Blum of Iowa, who also didn’t vote for Boehner, was denied a spot on the National Republican Congressional Committee’s fundraising initiative for vulnerable House members. His seat is considered competitive.
Sorry the first part of the article is duplicated. My bad.
The Chamber of Amnesty has spoken.
Backing down on the flag, “purifying” the Party of Conservatives ...
Here we go.
Little deviant Johnny realizes that if he doesn’t deliver the pubbies to his master Barry his History will be revealed and the shame will take away his power. Make him a hero to the dems but strip him naked in pubbie eyes. Deviancy and corruption is all that is left in Washington DC ... the ‘DC’ stands for deviant culture btw..
Um...tell the leadership to eff off?
AND MEAN IT!.
You’ll soon be in the majority.
This Obama trade deal is a trojan horse.It’s disguised as “free trade” What It really allows is for Obama to flood the USA with an unlimited number of 3rd world immigrants ...
http://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/immigration/item/20710-obama-gop-trade-scheme-includes-unrestricted-immigration
This Fast track gives Obama power to make agreements that override U.S. IMMIGRATION laws and any law. It’s the destruction of the republic.It gives obama unlimited dictatorial power to destroy the U.S. Proof here :
http://getliberty.org/oppose-trade-authority-for-obama-on-pacific-trade-deal/
http://www.conservativehq.com/node/20233 .
Obamatrade is about to pass .So those who campaigned here for it's passage are also responsible for the destruction of America. FYI there are 6 billion people in the 3rd world. Obama is about to bring most of them to the USA .They are coming here now so the USA is done.
Backing down on what flag?
Punishment and fear is our business, not theirs. A reminder to those who think otherwise.
Talk about your badge of courage.
Throw Boehner out as a Christmas Gift to the country
This is the reason why we must rid ourselves of all these “PROGRESSIVE” republicans. Whatever they say during election time mustn’t be believed. At every debate they go through, we must continue to ask questions they refuse to answer. We must find more conservative candidates.
I believe that the newly elected “Tea Party Conservative” from Maine, Bruce Poliquin, is hiding under his desk.
All the tea party reps who still have something that leadership can take away need to surrender it asap.
That will remove most of their leverage AND make bad press for Boehner.
Maybe these Conservatives should all become independents, since most states have open primaries now they can still run in the GOP.
Then become I when they win.
You’ll soon be in the majority.
we will be declared illegal with bounties on out heads long before we ever have control of the republican party let alone the country.
Karl Rove will be our prison guard
....so how did Mia Love vote...?
Unless and until we can convince the majority of the Black Americans that the democratic party has become their enemy, there is no chance that a 3rd party will win any election. Let’s face it, 40% of the population will vote “DEMOCRAT”. Out of these 40%, the blacks voting democrat is about 15% of this 40%. A combination of conservatives, about 35%, plus the 15% of the black Americans, yep we can get rid of these “PROGRESSIVES”. But without this combination, a 3rd party will only guarantee a democratic win.
No complaining people. This is simply the lesser evil many asked for.
Yeah....
1,000
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