House Republicans to Decide Boehner’s Replacement
It’s time for leadership that knows from whence its power came.
Officially, House Republicans will vote on the next speaker of the chamber Thursday, Oct. 8. Unofficially, though, Politico reports outgoing House Speaker John Boehner is considering postponing the election because of “serious unrest in the House Republican Conference.” The conservative movement has always been a coalition with tension, of fiscal conservatives working with defense hawks, of libertarians working with social conservatives, the Tea Party and the establishment. Whoever ascends to pick up the gavel will, in the words of National Journal, “define the direction of the House GOP” as the politician will bring top-down change. Will it be someone like frontrunner House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, who many worry will continue the failed GOP leadership? Rep. Jason Chaffetz said Sunday that he’s seeking the speakership, positioning himself between the right and center factions in the party. But there is also establishment outsider Rep. Daniel Webster, who used to be speaker of the Florida house. The political scaffolding Boehner built led to one of the most ineffective lower chambers in history, an institution that didn’t reflect the values of its constituents. It’s time for leadership that knows from whence its power came.