Ryan, now chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, has so far declined to accept invitations, even from Boehner, R-Ohio, and 2012 presidential nominee Mitt Romney.
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“I think Paul should be very cautious”. The caucus had also posed a challenge to outgoing Speaker John Boehner, who often differed with more conservative members on the House’s priorities.
The Sunday talk shows were abuzz.
In a statement, South Dakota representative Kristi Noem says she’s looking for someone who can, “Move forward a smart, conservative agenda”. The problem with this is that Ryan has said repeatedly he doesn’t want the job. He’ll have to make that decision. 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. Republican Reps. Jason Chaffetz of Utah and Daniel Webster of Florida are competing for the post. “If we are going to be strong, we’ve got to be 100 percent united”. But they also have more ideological aims, such as impeaching IRS Commissioner John Koskinen and changing entitlements. Beyond that, the GOP has large, right-wing groups like the Tea Party and the Freedom Caucus that are unwilling to accept any compromise.
Freedom Caucus members insist that their goal is not to get a speaker who is necessarily as conservative as they are.
One thing about the House speaker race is clear. It will be ugly for a while, but this is probably a net plus for the Republican Party.
Chaffetz is relatively new to government, however, and ABC’s Martha Raddatz asked the congressman if he would be able to unify the divided party. “We have a gulf and a divide that needs to be bridged”.
“It’s more about the principle than the person”, Mulvaney said, “but I think Paul would be a good speaker”. “It’s dependent on the budget discussion”, he said. “If you take [presidential contenders] Trump, Carson, Fiorina and Cruz… those four [outsiders] are 60 percent of the current Republican primary” votes. She said he was willing to work with Democrats and likes his proposal to give more power to members if it includes both parties.
On defunding Planned Parenthood, House Freedom Caucus members oppose any spending bill that would provide funds for the nation’s leading abortion provider.
And there is another layer of uncertainty when it comes to Republican leadership in the House.
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“Our disagreements tend to be tactical, not theological”, said Oklahoma Rep. Tom Cole on “State of the Union”. “Because you think I would do the job great, and not because I’ve made a few promise”. On Thursday, the same day of McCarthy’s announcement, Katko held his seventh hearing as chairman of the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Transportation Security.
