As the GOP inches towards officially securing its control of the House of Representatives, lawmakers are preparing for some big changes.
On Wednesday, House Minority Whip Steve Scalise, La., announced his bid to be the next House majority leader in a letter to Republican colleagues.
In his letter, Rep. Scalise pledged to advance the conservative agenda in the House.
“With this bold, conservative agenda in mind, I am asking for your support to be the next House Majority Leader,” Scalise wrote. “The American people deserve a House of Representatives that can move the agenda that was promised to them on the campaign trail. As your Majority Leader, I will work relentlessly to usher our vision through the House and show the country how conservative ideas can solve the problems that families are facing.”
The Louisiana congressman also vowed to hold President Biden accountable for his administration's failures.
“We must be relentless in our oversight of this Administration. From the politicization of the Justice Department to the job crushing regulations coming from every agency, we need to shine a bright light on the actions and policy failures of this administration. I will work with committee chairs to ensure that everybody in the Biden Administration is on notice that we will be holding them accountable for their actions,” Scalise wrote.
While speaking to Fox News, Scalise also made it clear he plans to support current House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy's, Calif., bid to become the next House Speaker.
“We're going to have our elections next week. I'm supporting Kevin McCarthy for speaker, and he'll win that race,” Scalise said. “And ultimately, you've seen us pull together these last few months and focus on the attack against big government socialism. What they've done to our country and our economy is what's united not only Republicans. But again, we've already won in a number of places Republicans haven't won in decades.”
Later, when John Roberts from “America Reports” pressed Scalise about any potential plan to run for House Speaker potentially setting up a clash against Rep. McCarthy the Louisiana congressman once again expressed his confidence in the California Republican.
“I've said it very clearly… and again, I think Kevin's going to win next week, and we're going to be talking about getting to work,” Scalise said. “I know a lot of people like to focus on all of the drama in Washington. We're going to get to work for the hard-working families who gave us this majority.”
However, despite Scalise's overwhelming confidence in McCarthy's pursuit of the Speaker's gavel some Republicans say he's put the cart before the horse.
On Wednesday during an appearance with “The Absolute Truth with Emerald Robinson,” Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., signaled his inclination not to support McCarthy's bid for Speaker.
“I would say maybe not so fast. Maybe we should have a good discussion within the confines of our internal body,” Biggs said. “Look, we were told we were going to have an incredible, incredible wave. And if that would've been the case, any 20, 30, 40-seat margin, anywhere in there you would say, okay, Kevin is the presumptive Republican nominee for speaker.
“But I think we need to have a serious discussion,” Biggs continued. “He's back peddled on things like impeachment and, in some ways, that indicates a willingness to be weakening the oversight authority that we need to have and the leverage points we need to have in order to deal with a Democrat president.”
Scalise's pursuit to become the next House GOP leader leaves his No. 3 position open for the taking. Previously, rumors swirled that House Conference chairwoman Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., would seek the position of GOP whip but ultimately she shot down the idea in September saying she would “run for Conference Chair in the next Congress.” (RELATED: Elise Stefanik Puts House Whip Candidacy Rumors to Rest)
Minnesota Rep. Tom Emmer announced his plans to run for majority whip earlier this fall but other Republicans are likely being considered for the role.
“Chairman Emmer is focused on winning in November. He's asked his colleagues for the opportunity to make an argument for Majority Whip once Republicans retake the House and fire Nancy Pelosi,” NRCC Communications Director Michael McAdams said in a statement at the time.
This story is developing. Stay with American Liberty News for the latest updates.
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YES its needed
You (Republicans) blew it. So, what if you squeak by to secure the House majority. There are enough turncoats and RINOs among you that you won’t pursue intense investigations of democrats because some of you will vote against it. Republicans never hold the line like brutal partisan dems who are kept in line. You have to give credit to Pelosi for that. You don’t have a mandate, will flounder and will be stopped by the Senate and the hapless administration. The electorate is illogical, polling anywhere from 68-75% negative on the country’s direction yet voting to keep nearly the entire current incumbent office holders in office. We’re headed towards recession by restrictions on drilling oil which would decrease oil prices and lower inflation, higher government spending, more regulations and large interest rate increases plus sacrificing treasure on the fraud green agenda. Republicans need winners which we surely don’t have now.
Glad you admit that in the republican party there are those who ran under the R even though they are democrats.Romney, Graham, Collins, Murkowski, to name a few are working with the dems to undermine the country.
Send McCarthy back stage we donot need another RINO
McCarthy and Scalise are both rings, both have no business in the seat of a REPUBLICAN
Scalise is McCarthy’s “yes” boy. McCarthy is Paul Ryan’s yes boy. Our “red wave” in the House was a fiasco, as it has been in the 2018 & 2020 elections. We should be kicking their ***** out of leadership, not promoting them.