A group of the most conservative House lawmakers said Thursday that Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, is no longer in danger of losing his gavel to GOP opposition thanks to a leadership shake-up that now includes more conservative input.
“I don’t see anybody going forward and mounting a challenge to the speaker,” Rep. Raul Labrador, R-Idaho, a frequent critic of Boehner, said at an event sponsored by the conservative Heritage Foundation.”I expect there won’t be a challenge.”
The House Tea Party faction had long been grumbling about their Republican leadership, complaining that is too moderate and ignores the concerns of the far Right.
In 2012, a group of disgruntled GOP lawmakers plotted to defeat Boehner in the election for House speaker, but they backed down at the last minute.
The failed coup sparked speculation that Boehner may not have enough GOP support to win a third term as speaker in January 2015.
But talk of overthrowing Boehner has all but disappeared since a recent House leadership shake-up that elevated two southern conservatives, Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana and Patrick McHenry of North Carolina, to majority whip and chief deputy whip, respectively. The House also elected a new majority leader, Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California.
Conservatives say the new leadership has since included their input on important legislation, such as recent border security measures and the bill passed this week authorizing President Obama to train and equip Syrian rebels. Both bills include conservative elements, such as checks on President Obama’s executive authority and stronger oversight of the president’s foreign policy.
“In the recent past, not only would that not have happened, but the exact opposite would have happened,” Rep. Mick Mulvaney, R-S.C., said. “I had my say. It wasn’t like they shut me out of the debate and went off and cut a deal with the Democrats. So, you see a change in the working of the leadership since McCarthy became leader and Scalise became the whip.”
Labrador, who ran against McCarthy in the election for majority leader, said Boehner and other leaders learned from GOP lawmakers that they couldn’t ignore the conservatives and expect to remain in power.
“I think the people now leading the conference now understand what a hunger there was for the conference to be listened to more,” Labrador said.
