Posted on 09/30/2015 6:54:49 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
Speaker John Boehners resignation could kick off a new round of skirmishing between conservatives and moderate Republicans, regardless of what happens in the race to replace him atop the House GOP conference.
The outlines of the fight were apparent immediately after Boehner announced he would step down. Im on the House floor, I go over and talk to a [conservative] Freedom Caucus member and say, what are you thinking? [The member replies,] You know, the core problem with the speaker is that he punished too many people, one House Republican recalls. I walk less than 15 feet, over less than 15 seconds, and go stand with a group of three [moderate] Tuesday Group members and ask the same question. . . . And they said, there wasnt enough punishment.
That intra-conference divide could intensify as the House Freedom Caucus (HFC) that precipitated Boehners exit tries to make the most of the leverage it has in the new round of leadership elections. The insurgent group is working on a list of demands to give Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy in exchange for the final votes he needs to succeed Boehner. The list is in flux, in part because the HFCs members feel the need to achieve something that would satisfy their constituents.
The lawmakers are interested in a rule change that would ban acts of retribution against conservatives who challenge leadership perhaps by preventing the speaker from trying to strip conservatives of their committee posts. But that effort could stall, in part because even some members of HFC understand that leadership needs a means of keeping order. Youve got to maintain some latitude to make it all work, one HFC member concedes.
#share#Another more provocative, if unlikely, option has been floated by multiple lawmakers: asking McCarthy to work to replace current committee chairmen such as Michigan representative Fred Upton, who leads the Energy and Commerce panel, with more conservative lawmakers. Theyre not too crazy about Fred Upton, one Republican representative familiar with the HFCs potential demands says.
HFC lawmakers particularly disliked Uptons handling of the 21st Century Cures Act. The bipartisan legislation passed out of committee unanimously, but Upton lost the support of budget hawks by changing the legislation to rely on mandatory spending in order to obtain more Democratic support. A second HFC member charges that Uptons defense of the change he claimed that the insurgent caucus might have blocked the bill if he hadnt found a way to gain more Democratic votes was flatly untrue. Still, Upton is already term-limited out of his chairmanship, and HFC is very unlikely to get anyone ousted mid-session. I dont think [McCarthy] would jerk someones chairmanship away unless there is cause, fair cause, says the same House Republican who relates the HFCs reputed dislike for Upton.
It might be possible to get broader support for changing the committee chairmen at the beginning of the next Congress, due to the ideology (and ambition) of the junior House Republicans who took office in the 2010 and 2014 midterms. Weve all got to realize that these are all primarily Boehner chairs and thats why its important for us. With a new speaker, this is time for a fresh-faced Republican conference, says a third HFC member. Theres a lot of new members that are looking to move up into subcommittee chairs and eventually chairmanships.
That debate might not ultimately take place in the context of the upcoming speakers election, either because HFC chooses to push for other promises in exchange for supporting McCarthy or puts its weight behind a candidate for majority leader. Its tough to say we took out Boehner and we got a rule change [for backing] McCarthy, the third HFC member says.
And as McCarthy negotiates with HFC, hell have to worry about striking a balance between the moderates and the back-benchers that doesnt foment more discord down the line. As the lawmaker who discussed Boehners retribution tactics with conservatives and moderates on the House floor put it: They could both be right. [Boehner] might have picked the middle.
Joel Gehrke is a political reporter for National Review.
oh there was enough punishment to go around for the American people... more than enough... glad Boehner is gone...
I watched him on Hannity last night. I’m sorry Sean didn’t think to ask McCarthy what he’d do if Boehner announced an agreement to fund the obam through the end of his term. Would he support such an agreement or would he oppose it.
Are the conservatives demanding that he come clean about his adultery? Inquiring minds want to know.
Why do they want concessions FROM him?
I’d GIVE him one concession - a hotdog stand on the Congress’s front stoops.
No man in an adulterous relationship with a congresswoman deserves to be elevated to 2d in line to the US presidency
Blackmail much, people?
If it’s true that McCarthy is having an affair with the woman Rep from NC, that’s plenty of potential blackmail baggage to control him - ala John Roberts.
Hey McCarthy, or is it Boehner lite?
NO confidence in you pal.
Here’s one that works: only punish RINO’s.
If Trey Gowdy’s retiring, what other choice?
Kevin McCarthy should make whatever concessions he thinks will suffice. He need not observe any of them once in position. The very fact of his election would be an indication that it just doesn’t matter. There will not be another “revolt.”
It doesn’t matter.
McCarthy said exactly who he was when he said that he would fight to win.
You don’t win every fight. Some fights you lose, but in losing you show your enemy that you will fight all the time, and in so doing you become a better fighter, and your opponent learns that you are not a pansy.
Kevin McCarthy is a GOP pansy cheese eating surrender monkey.
I don’t want any concessions from him or anything else.
The GOP is utterly disgusting.
Ask about McCarthy destruction of the Ca Gop to save his seat ! Hannity is another uniparty sell out !
Useless Murdock hack Mccarthy is more dangetous and more nasty and crooked ! He will try to ram thru Amnesty and TPP Fast !!
Mccarthy is worse !
Way worse!
This crook is a Zuckberg puppet !
He destroyed the CA GOP .
He will ram thru amnesty and TPP for his owner !
” The insurgent group is working on a list of demands to give Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy “
It sucks already. The next Speaker should want the same things the Freedom Caucus wants, or he shouldn’t be speaker. Making demands of prospective speakers means getting someone not already on our side. If someone has to be coerced or bribed to push for less government, defunding PP, and supporting the military, their heart isn’t in the right place to begin with and they’ll have to be dumped just like Boehner was.
He lies to his wife he will lie to the rest of us.
If they trust Mini-Boehner, they are idiots!
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