But Allen said a Speaker Ryan would face stiff resistance from his conservative flank.
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Returning to the condition-for-support outlined by Jim Jordan and the House Freedom Caucus, the New York Times pointed out on Saturday that rather than just targeting individual candidates for the Speakership, GOP hardliners are much more interested in weakening the position itself. “I think he will agree to that”, Jordan said.
When House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy announced in a Republican conference meeting Thursday that he was dropping out of the race for speaker, U.S. Rep. John Katko was surprised.
So far, Mr. Webster and Utah Rep. Jason Chaffetz have declared their candidacies for speaker, a race that was thrown into turmoil last week when heir-apparent California Rep. Kevin McCarthy abruptly withdrew his name from consideration.
The Sunday talk shows were abuzz. You need to pass bills that will at least get through the Senate, where you also have a majority, even if they might be vetoed by the president. “If there’s somebody better who can unite us, I’ll support them”. They are the Freedom Caucus – a few of the most conservative members of the House, who largely align with the Tea Party movement. They included a role in selecting committee chairs and more votes on legislative proposals.
“The fact is, he’s a good guy, but whatever he was as a freshman, when he was a fighter on our committee, when he was trying to hold government accountable, he took a break from that”, Issa said.
And it’s a path from which it might be hard for Ryan to deviate to accept the thankless job of House Speaker. Rock bottom at the presidential level for the party came in 1964 when Barry Goldwater won the Republican nomination but proved too conservative for the country as a whole and won only 52 electoral votes against Lyndon Johnson. But we got to get somebody who actually wants to do it and will fight for it and make the most of it. Maybe his approach changes. “We have a gulf and a divide that needs to be bridged”.
Asked if Ryan would have to embrace the Freedom Caucus’s demands for decentralizing power, Jordan said: “I think the next speaker has to be committed to that”.
“I think the speaker works for the conference, the House Republicans”, he said. “It’s dependent on the budget discussion”, he said. “But he’s got to decide”.
Dent, among other representatives, disagree with the tactics of the Freedom Caucus.
“I follow the American people”, Brat stated. “But in any case, (Webster) has laid down the parameters on how to restructure this House”. Other Republicans were willing to compromise on the issue to avoid a government shutdown. She also mentioned Westmoreland and Tom Graves of Ranger as potential speaker candidates who could represent the Peach State – and the county – well.
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“We’re looking for more of a process and principles than we are a person, but Paul certainly has a lot of respect across the Republicans in the House”.
