Speaker John Boehner is sending a stern message to his Republican conference: Either you’re on the team or you’re not.
House GOP leaders booted three conservative members off the whip team for voting against a procedural rule last week that structured how a trade package was brought to the floor.
Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) informed Reps. Cynthia Lummis (Wyo.), Steve Pearce (N.M.) and Trent Franks (Ariz.) on Monday that they were no longer a part of the GOP’s vote-counting operation, a source close to the whip team confirmed.
And leadership may not be done with defectors just yet.
Boehner (R-Ohio) and his allies could strip gavels from a handful of subcommittee chairmen who voted against the trade rule as well.
“That is probably the next near-term thing,” said a GOP lawmaker who is close to leadership.
Four of the roughly three-dozen Republicans who voted against the trade rule are subcommittee chairmen on the influential Oversight and Financial Services panels: Reps. Scott Garrett (N.J.), Mark Meadows (N.C.), Jim Jordan (Ohio) and Lummis. Franks is chairman of a Judiciary subcommittee.
Three others, Reps. Louie Gohmert (Texas), John Fleming (La.) and Jim Bridenstine (Okla.), hold subcommittee chairmanships on the Science and Natural Resources committees.
Meadows and Garrett faced potential threats of losing their subcommittee chairmanships after voting against Boehner for Speaker in January. While they escaped punishment, Boehner did exact revenge against two Florida Republicans who voted to deny him a third term as Speaker.
Rep. Dan Webster ran against Boehner for the top leadership job, while Rep. Richard Nugent voted for Webster. Both subsequently lost their seats on the Rules Committee, where loyalty to leadership is expected.
A Boehner spokesman had no comment Tuesday about any future retribution.
On Monday afternoon, Scalise’s chief of staff made calls to top aides for Lummis, Pearce and Franks to tell them they were off the team, sources said. The calls were described as “cordial” and “professional,” almost apologetic, sources said.
The majority whip’s decision was based on longstanding whip team rules that state members must “vote as a team on procedural matters” but are free to vote against leadership on underlying legislation, the whip team source said.
http://thehill.com/homenews/house/245228-payback-boehner-hits-back-at-gop-defectors
House GOP leaders booted three conservative members off the whip team for voting against a procedural rule last week that structured how a trade package was brought to the floor.
Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) informed Reps. Cynthia Lummis (Wyo.), Steve Pearce (N.M.) and Trent Franks (Ariz.) on Monday that they were no longer a part of the GOP’s vote-counting operation, a source close to the whip team confirmed.
And leadership may not be done with defectors just yet.
Boehner (R-Ohio) and his allies could strip gavels from a handful of subcommittee chairmen who voted against the trade rule as well.
“That is probably the next near-term thing,” said a GOP lawmaker who is close to leadership.
Four of the roughly three-dozen Republicans who voted against the trade rule are subcommittee chairmen on the influential Oversight and Financial Services panels: Reps. Scott Garrett (N.J.), Mark Meadows (N.C.), Jim Jordan (Ohio) and Lummis. Franks is chairman of a Judiciary subcommittee.
Three others, Reps. Louie Gohmert (Texas), John Fleming (La.) and Jim Bridenstine (Okla.), hold subcommittee chairmanships on the Science and Natural Resources committees.
Meadows and Garrett faced potential threats of losing their subcommittee chairmanships after voting against Boehner for Speaker in January. While they escaped punishment, Boehner did exact revenge against two Florida Republicans who voted to deny him a third term as Speaker.
Rep. Dan Webster ran against Boehner for the top leadership job, while Rep. Richard Nugent voted for Webster. Both subsequently lost their seats on the Rules Committee, where loyalty to leadership is expected.
A Boehner spokesman had no comment Tuesday about any future retribution.
On Monday afternoon, Scalise’s chief of staff made calls to top aides for Lummis, Pearce and Franks to tell them they were off the team, sources said. The calls were described as “cordial” and “professional,” almost apologetic, sources said.
The majority whip’s decision was based on longstanding whip team rules that state members must “vote as a team on procedural matters” but are free to vote against leadership on underlying legislation, the whip team source said.
http://thehill.com/homenews/house/245228-payback-boehner-hits-back-at-gop-defectors