The Republican National Committee revealed the leadership of its platform committee for this summer’s convention.
The platform committee, renamed the “Committee on Resolutions,” could become the scene of an epic battle between Donald Trump’s supporters and GOP delegates about the principles and future of the Republican Party.
Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso will serve as chairman of the Republican National Convention’s platform committee and Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin and North Carolina Congresswoman Virginia Foxx will serve as co-chairs.
“Sen. Barrasso, Gov. Fallin and Congresswoman Foxx have been dedicated leaders in our party for many years, and I am proud to have them heading up the Platform Committee,” said RNC Chairman Reince Priebus in a statement. “Writing the platform is a critical task, and as we enter one of the most important elections of our lifetime, our party is eager to lead an American resurgence by standing on our commitment to life, individual liberty, a strong national defense, and an economy that works for all Americans.”
The statements of the platform party’s leadership reveal potential fault lines for the committee later this summer.
In statements expressing their honor and privilege to serve on the committee, Barrasso and Fallin noted their intention to “listen” and “honor the will of Republican voters everywhere.”
Foxx’s statement, however, notes that she’s looking forward to “working with all the delegates to write a unifying and substantive platform” and makes no mention of GOP voters.
Barrasso and Fallin have both endorsed Trump, whereas Foxx’s congressional campaign has avoided answering reporters’ questions about Trump and has yet to make any formal endorsement.
While Trump won North Carolina’s GOP primary, Ted Cruz won the Winston-Salem area, which is included in Foxx’s 5th congressional district. Cruz’s delegates are spoiling for a fight over the party’s platform, as the Washington Examiner‘s Al Weaver previously reported.
If Cruz and Trump delegates clash at the Republican convention this summer, the platform committee’s leadership would become crucial in determining the outcome of various disputes.
