Washington – Speaker of the House John Boehner said Friday he was resigning from Congress with his last day coming up on Oct.30th and those who want his spot are starting to line up.
Rep. Dennis Ross (R-Fla.) blasted out an email to lawmakers less than an hour after the Boehner announcement, seeking their support in what’s expected to be a crowded race for majority whip. Eyeing the same position, Rep. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) was calling everyone he knew talking about how he would be a great replacement for the outgoing Speaker of the house.
Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) is the heavy favorite to replace Boehner as Speaker, and has already begun making calls to colleagues. Rep. Jeff Denham, a fellow California Republican, visited McCarthy’s first floor office in the Capitol Friday, telling The Hill he was “working to convince my good friend, Kevin McCarthy, to run.”
But Rep. Daniel Webster (R-Fla.) said Friday evening he will make a run at McCarthy for the top job. And powerful Financial Services Chairman Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas) is “considering” a leadership bid, possibly for Speaker.
If you are looking for a Tea Party candidate for the job the best candidate is Rep. Tom Price (R.-Ga.) who has the credentials to be the Speaker. He is a proud and well respected of the member of the Tea Party Caucus.
Price currently chairs the House Committee on the Budget and sits on the Ways and Means Committee, meaning he has the chops and experience to handle what is certain to be a difficult series of budget negotiations with the White House in the coming weeks. In a Republican Party clearly split between obstructionist Tea Party supporters and establishment politicians who are more likely to negotiate, Price could find support on both sides.
Tea Party Patriots CEO Beth Martin has some advice for the House as it selects its next Speaker.
“What Tea Party Patriots want in the leadership of the GOP – in both chambers of Congress – are men and women who will stand up and fight the Obama Administration’s never-ending efforts to ‘fundamentally transform’ our nation into a country our Founders would not recognize,” Martin said in a statement.
“Individual liberty, constitutionally limited government, and free markets – these are the bedrock values that made our nation the most successful the world has ever seen, and the principles to which we must adhere if we are to ensure that future generations enjoy the freedom and prosperity that was handed to us,” Martin added.
The battle between the mainstream faction and the Tea Party will be a huge factor in how the rest of the 2015-2016 political season plays out and likely will play a role in who replaces Boehner as the Speaker of the House.
