Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s decision to drop out of the race for House speaker has left Republicans with an unexpected leadership void, one that was created partly by candidates who worry the job will prevent them from ever seeing their families again, and partly by fears that nobody can succeed in the job anymore given today’s political realities.
“It’s a thankless task,” Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, a 16-term lawmaker who has served under seven House speakers, told the Washington Examiner. “I have spoken to a significant number of potential candidates who will not even consider running because of the strain it would put on their families.”
Once the most coveted position in Congress, the role of speaker is now viewed by many lawmakers as an impossible job, thanks to a deeply divided Republican conference that has become increasingly incompatible since 2010, when dozens of conservative lawmakers backed by the Tea Party were first elected to the House. The GOP’s most conservative faction helped drive out Speaker John Boehner, who has held the gavel since 2010 and announced he plans to leave as soon as a successor is elected.
Boehner’s decision to quit followed years of taunting by conservative groups who hit a nerve with the speaker by criticizing his every move and questioning his conservative credentials. Popular right-leaning radio show hosts regularly called for Boehner’s ouster.
Related Story: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/article/2574118/
“He talks like a liberal!” talk show host Mark Levin shouted in one broadcast, after listening to Boehner complain in a Golf Channel interview about conservative talk radio. “You gutless wonder, why don’t you step down if it’s all too much for you!”
Conservative lawmakers complicated much of Boehner’s tenure. They often flouted the GOP leadership, voting against key legislation they deemed too moderate and forcing Boehner to negotiate with Democrats in order to win enough votes to pass bills despite a hefty majority.
On Sept. 25, Boehner announced he was stepping down to avoid “prolonged leadership turmoil” that was likely to result as he negotiates a major budget deal with Democrats and the White House.
Boehner hoped to retire at the end of October, but he could be forced to remain speaker because the top candidates to succeed him don’t want the job.
Boehner and other top lawmakers are “begging” Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., to run, even though he has repeatedly said he’s not interested, citing his commitment to his family. More recently, though, Ryan is said to be reluctantly considering the job, according to some lawmakers.
The GOP lost its first front-runner when McCarthy dropped out suddenly last week, even though he claimed to be only a couple of dozen votes shy of the 218 votes needed to win the gavel. McCarthy said he didn’t want the speaker’s job unless all 248 Republican lawmakers voted for him, an impossible outcome given the sizable conservative faction.
“I think there is something to be said for us to unite,” McCarthy said after dropping out. “We probably need a fresh face.”
He added “I don’t want to go to the floor and win 220 votes.”
In the next few days, while Congress finishes a week-long recess, lawmakers remain focused on Ryan, the former Republican vice presidential nominee and one of the most respected and trusted members of the GOP. A number of lesser-known Republican lawmakers have said they are interested in running for speaker, but most said they would step aside if Ryan decides to run.
Among them are Republican Study Committee Chairman Bill Flores, R-Texas, House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, and Rep. Daniel Webster, R-Fla.
Other names circulating include Reps. Pete Roskam, R-Ill., Lynn Westmoreland, R-Ga., and Mike Pompeo, R-Kan.
Flores sent a letter to fellow lawmakers on Wednesday saying that “many” lawmakers have asked him get into the race. But he added, “it is important for me to unequivocally state, however, that I will not run for this position should Chairman Ryan elect to run.”
Ryan, meanwhile, has said repeatedly he doesn’t have the appetite for speaker’s post and is happy serving as chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, where he is poised to play a pivotal role in future legislation to reform the tax code or entitlements.
Even as Ryan weighs a run, some conservative opponents are mounting a case against him, pointing to his voting record on key issues, his openness to supporting an immigration reform deal and his 2013 budget accord with Democratic Sen. Patty Murray, of Washington, that lifted federal spending caps for two years.
If conservative opposition doesn’t discourage Ryan from running, the heavy travel schedule may end up killing his interest. In addition to ruling over a discordant Republican conference, the job of speaker includes regular weekend travel to attend fundraisers critical for electing Republican House members and keeping the majority in GOP hands.
Ryan prefers to go home every weekend to his wife and three small children.
“When potential speakers look at it, the job here in Washington is bad enough,” Barton said. “But the extracurricular activity required on the political side just really, really scares off a lot of qualified candidates.”
