Connect with us

Congress

Powerful GOP steering committee comes together

Published

on

House Republicans named the members of their steering committee Wednesday, locking in a new group that holds power to set most committee assignments and committee chairs, significantly influencing how the conference as a whole operates. The 30 person body includes regional representation and members of leadership — whose votes have more weight than other members. But the rank-and-file members are usually allies of leadership, which helps concentrate the power of committee slots to leadership.

Speaker Mike Johnson’s vote counts as four and Majority Leader Steve Scalise’s counts as two, with the rest of leadership and rank and file members weighted equally at one vote. Louisiana, in particular, is going to be a powerful voting bloc for members.

  • Rep. Julia Letlow (R-La.) beat out Rep. French Hill (R-Ark.) for a steering seat. Hill is seeking the Financial Services Committee gavel. 
  • Ways and Means Chair Jason Smith (R-Mo.) clinched the steering seat for his region, despite a challenge from Rep. Diana Harshbarger (R-Tenn.). 
  • Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.) defeated House Armed Services Chair Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) for their regional seat. 

Rep.-elect Brian Jack (R-Ga.) is the freshman class representative to the group, as was determined last week, and Max Miller represents the sophomore class. Rep. Hal Rogers (R-Ky.), the dean of the House, also serves on the steering committee.
Under House rules, several committee chairs are named directly by the speaker, rather than by the steering committee. Johnson will have control of populating Rules, House Administration, Ethics and any select or joint committees, including the House Intelligence Committee.

Leadership: 

Speaker Mike Johnson
Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.)
Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.)
GOP Conference Chair Lisa McClain (R-Mich.)
NRCC Chair Richard Hudson (R-N.C.)
Kevin Hern (R-Okla.)
Blake Moore (R-Utah)
Erin Houchin (R-Ind.)
Guy Reschenthaler (R-Pa.)

Rank and file: 

Andrew Garbarino (R-N.Y.)
Mike Kelly (R-Pa.)
Dave Joyce (R-Ohio)
Rob Wittman (R-Va.)
David Rouzer (R-N.C.)
Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.)
Jason Smith (R-Mo.)
Julia Letlow (R-La.)
Rudy Yakym (R-Ind.)
Jack Bergman (R-Mich.)
Bryan Steil (R-Wis.)
Tom Cole (R-Okla.)
Ryan Zinke (R-Mont.)
Burgess Owens (R-Utah)
Ken Calvert (R-Calif.)
Pat Fallon (R-Texas)
Jodey Arrington (R-Texas)
Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.)
Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.)
Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.)

Tenure-based slots:

Brian Jack (R-Ga.)
Max Miller (R-Ohio)
Hal Rogers (R-Ky.)

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Congress

Massie files to run in 2028 after losing House primary

Published

on

GOP Rep. Thomas Massie filed on Monday to run for his Kentucky House seat in 2028, less than a week after losing a primary fight against a challenger backed by President Donald Trump.

Massie became the latest victim of Trump’s revenge tour last week when former Navy SEAL Ed Gallrein successfully ousted him in a primary that shattered electoral spending records.

Trump repeatedly railed against Massie, who has broken with the president on several high-profile issues in recent months, including the U.S. and Israel’s war against Iran. Massie also helped lead the congressional effort to force Trump to release the federal government’s files on deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Advertising spending in his primary fight — the most expensive on record — surpassed $32 million as pro-Israel interest groups poured millions into the effort to unseat Massie, who has been an outspoken critic of Israel during his time in Congress.

Massie said in a Monday afternoon statement that the move would allow him “to raise funds to continue my political operations supporting my position as a current office holder and as a potential candidate for federal office,” adding that he had not yet decided which office to seek.

Trump also succeeded in pushing out other Republicans who challenged his leadership in Louisiana and Georgia last week, with GOP Sen. Bill Cassidy and Georgia gubernatorial candidate Brad Raffensperger both losing to Trump-endorsed opponents.

The president also forced out several Indiana state lawmakers who opposed his nationwide redistricting efforts earlier this month, once more proving his iron grip on the party.

But Republicans in Congress and GOP operatives are fretting that Trump’s laserlike focus on vengeance could imperil the party’s legislative agenda ahead of this fall’s midterm elections and potentially cost the GOP control of Texas Sen. John Cornyn’s seat. Trump handed down an eleventh-hour endorsement of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton last week, more than two months after promising to weigh in on the ugly primary fight.

Continue Reading

Congress

Khanna expresses disappointment about Massie’s defeat

Published

on

Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) expressed disappointment Sunday morning that Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) lost his primary last week.

Speaking on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Khanna said of his reaction: “Sadness, disappointment. Thomas is a real friend. He’s a good man.”

Khanna and Massie are very much on opposite ends of the classic left-right ideological spectrum, but they came together to introduce the Epstein Files Transparency Act, requiring the release of files in the case of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. They also joined together to attempt, unsuccessfully, to block U.S. involvement in Iran.

Those efforts, as well as other votes, led President Donald Trump to repeatedly denounce Massie and campaign on behalf of Ed Gallrein, Massie’s challenger in their Kentucky congressional district. Gallrein won the primary last week with approximately 55 percent of the vote.

Speaking to host Kristen Welker, Khanna offered his analysis of Massie’s defeat.

“He was taken out for two reasons,” Khanna said. “One: He had the courage to go after some very powerful people in working with me to get the Epstein Transparency Act passed. As you mentioned, that’s historic bipartisan legislation that finally got justice for the survivors. And he had people spend millions of dollars and had the president of the United States after him.

“And second, he worked with me to stop this war in Iran. So for taking on the Epstein class and taking on war, he basically lost his state. And I admire his courage in taking those positions.”

With talk this weekend of a possible deal with Iran, Khanna said it is time for the war to come to an end.

“The answer to your question is yes. I do believe we need a negotiated deal,” he told Welker.

Continue Reading

Congress

Absent congressmember Tom Kean Jr. starts working the phone

Published

on

Rep. Tom Kean Jr., whose two-and-a-half month disappearance has stoked speculation about his health and political future, has begun more actively communicating over the phone.

On Thursday, Kean began calling Republican county chairs in his 7th Congressional District, one of the most competitive in the country in this year’s midterms. The two-term Republican also gave a “lengthy” interview to New Jersey Globe on Thursday afternoon, the first he has granted since he last voted on March 5.

Kean did not respond to a text message from Blue Light News and his voicemail was full Thursday night.

But Kean, 57, gave no details to the Globe on his undisclosed illness, which has kept him out of public view since early March. He said he’s expecting to make a full recovery, that it would not affect his cognitive health, that he plans to run for reelection and that he will publicly discuss his health at an unspecified later date.

“My doctors are confident that I’m on the road to a full recovery,” Kean told New Jersey Globe. “I understand the need for public transparency, and I appreciate the support of my constituents.”

Kean added that he plans to return to voting and campaigning in the next couple weeks. Rep. Richard Hudson (R-N.C.), chair of the House GOP’s campaign arm, told reporters Thursday he spoke to Kean and he will be back voting in June.

Kean’s lengthy absence has drawn national media attention, with reporters staking out his home in the wealthy 7th Congressional District, where he faces an extremely competitive reelection, with four Democrats competing in the June 2 primary to take him on in November. His campaign and office staff had repeatedly said that he expects to make a full recovery and would return to work “soon.”

But few people — even Kean’s two fellow New Jersey House Republicans — had recently reported speaking to him. House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters that he spoke to Kean last month.

Kean called Republican chairs in his district on Thursday.

“He sounded good to me. Sounded just as normal as always,” said Carlos Santos, the Republican chair of Union County, where Kean lives.

Santos said that he did not ask Kean about his ailment, and that Kean did not disclose it. But he said Kean confirmed he’s running for reelection and that he has his support.

Tracy DiFrancesco, the GOP chair of Somerset County, also spoke with Kean.

“It was just a simple conversation. He sounded just like Tom always sounds. He sounded perfectly fine. He’s basically back. Hopefully we’re going to see him very soon,” she said. “I think he’s doing well and we’re excited to get back on his campaign.”

Continue Reading

Trending