Meadows’ move, which infuriated House party leaders, is highly unlikely to oust Boehner.
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Most observers believe the motion filed by Cong.
A self-professed former “fat nerd” who was born in France and raised in Florida, Meadows has become a hero to his party’s hard right wing.
Just hours before Meadows introduced his so-called motion to vacate the speakership Tuesday, leading members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus held an emergency meeting and pleaded with him to reconsider.
Fed up with constant compromising in the conservative agenda, a North Carolina Republican is officially trying to kick House Speaker John Boehner out of power.
“He’s a man of integrity and honor”, Jones said of Meadows.
Facing reporters Tuesday night, Meadows denied that he fundraised off the gavel fight or that his Boehner resolution is a publicity stunt.
“Listen, this is one member, all right?”
For now, Meadows’ spokeswoman said he is collecting signatures from fellow Republicans to force a vote on his resolution. He got some pushback for it, but Loudermilk maintained again today that “I didn’t have a choice” in the January vote, with no viable opponent for Boehner.
In a press conference Wednesday, Boehner was dismissive of Meadows’ chances of success, and even some of Meadows’ ideological allies in the House expressed skepticism.
Meadows, meanwhile, is waiting for the next shoe – or axe – to drop for challenging the most powerful figure in the House in such a public way. And there will be consequences to pay. “I’m sure this is going to be a topic”.
Universal: That political responsibility may be lived at all levels as a high form of charity. But the second-term congressman has seemed to rule that out. More important, a significant group sympathizes with Boehner privately but is absolutely petrified that having his back when things get tough will conjure a challenge inside the party by conservative ultras whose supporters dominate its primary electorate in so many places.
But Monday marks the first time that Speaker Boehner has weighed in, signaling momentum for the issue in the lower chamber.
These are times the top congressional Republican leaders – John Boehner in the House and Mitch McConnell in the Senate – can relate to the pounding President Barack Obama takes from GOP lawmakers.
In June, GOP leaders fired Meadows from his subcommittee chairmanship, but outcry from conservatives caused them to restore it.
Meadows, speaking to a clutch of reporters off the House floor Tuesday evening, insisted he had no beef personally with Boehner or his policies, saying his move was “procedural-driven”. His “declaration of war” will now see if anyone will back him up. “People at home want us to take a new direction”. And I say they – he’s not doing anything but alienating some of the people he associates with.
Rep. Robert Pittenger, R-N.C., called the motion a personal matter between Meadows and Boehner.
“It’s not issue driven as much as it is process driven”, Meadows said.
They had their town-hall talking points ready to attack the Obama administration’s nuclear deal with Iran and play up efforts to defund Planned Parenthood. “This is just a distraction”.
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“I would say to the gentleman of North Carolina, the biggest beneficiary of your actions has been Hillary Clinton and the Ayatollah”.
