Rep. Justin Amash (R-Mich.) lashed out against the GOP leadership on Tuesday, saying his removal from a prominent House committee was “a slap in the face” to young people considering joining the Republican Party.
Amash was joined by Rep. Tim Huelskamp (R-Kan.) at a Heritage Foundation Blogger’s Briefing, both expressing their disappointment at being removed from the House budget committee. Huelskamp was also removed from the agriculture committee.
The Michigan Congressman was not even sure whether or not he had been officially taken off of the budget committee, saying he had received “not a single call from anyone in leadership, not a single email” since the apparent budget committee purge. He called it a “ridiculously bad political move.” He suggested that his committee removal might be over military spending.
Huelskamp said his removal from two committees was “not the first time that I’ve been punished for speaking my mind.” But he added that his constituents expect it of him, and he will continue to do it. The Congressman said it was less than a day between the release of a video in which he pledged to make good on his promise not to raise taxes and his removal from the budget committee. Yet he said 237 other Republicans also signed Grover Norquist’s Americans for Tax Reform pledge not to raise taxes.
The Kansas Congressman said he was “troubled” by the state of the Republican party following the committee purges. He noted it is worrisome that Republicans campaigned against raising taxes, but now, a few weeks after the election, they “aren’t saying that anymore.”
Amash noted that he and Huelskamp have received more support on social media than ever before.
