Some GOP House Reps. Are Mulling Gingrich Or Santorum As Challengers To Paul Ryan: Report
Geo Beats
2017-09-08
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Some conservative members of House have reportedly discussed the possibility of bringing in an outsider to challenge Speaker Paul Ryan for the lower chamber's top leadership position.
Some conservative members of House have reportedly discussed the possibility of bringing in an outsider to challenge Speaker Paul Ryan for the lower chamber's top leadership position.
Names said to have been mentioned include former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum; neither are currently elected officials but would still be eligible for the job under the Constitution.
According to the Washington Post, these discussions have been led by the more right-wing faction of the Republican party including House Freedom Caucus chair Rep. Mark Meadows and other members of the group as well as former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon.
Meadows has openly expressed displeasure over the GOP’s legislative progress, saying at a recent Bloomberg News event, “If we get to December and we have not repealed and replaced Obamacare...it’s not going to be pretty.”
He also reportedly complained about the short-term debt-limit agreement the president made with Democrats as well as a lack of movement on the border wall with Mexico and tax reform.
Despite the speculation, CNN’s editor-at-large Chris Cillizza has since released a column dismissing the idea that Ryan is at risk for being ousted; he writes, “there is no one in the entire Republican conference in the House who could possibly hope to secure a majority of the GOP vote in a vacuum -- much less when matched against Ryan.”
Cillizza also points out that when Ryan’s predecessor John Boehner stepped down in 2015, the Republicans had a difficult time securing a replacement with enough support until Ryan offered to take on the role.
This isn’t the first time the Wisconsin lawmaker’s future as House speaker has been questioned; last October, Politico suggested Ryan could resign or be pushed out, but the site also concluded that potential “alternatives lack the star power of Ryan and would probably have an even harder time corralling the unruly Republican conference.”
Some conservative members of House have reportedly discussed the possibility of bringing in an outsider to challenge Speaker Paul Ryan for the lower chamber's top leadership position.
Names said to have been mentioned include former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum; neither are currently elected officials but would still be eligible for the job under the Constitution.
According to the Washington Post, these discussions have been led by the more right-wing faction of the Republican party including House Freedom Caucus chair Rep. Mark Meadows and other members of the group as well as former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon.
Meadows has openly expressed displeasure over the GOP’s legislative progress, saying at a recent Bloomberg News event, “If we get to December and we have not repealed and replaced Obamacare...it’s not going to be pretty.”
He also reportedly complained about the short-term debt-limit agreement the president made with Democrats as well as a lack of movement on the border wall with Mexico and tax reform.
Despite the speculation, CNN’s editor-at-large Chris Cillizza has since released a column dismissing the idea that Ryan is at risk for being ousted; he writes, “there is no one in the entire Republican conference in the House who could possibly hope to secure a majority of the GOP vote in a vacuum -- much less when matched against Ryan.”
Cillizza also points out that when Ryan’s predecessor John Boehner stepped down in 2015, the Republicans had a difficult time securing a replacement with enough support until Ryan offered to take on the role.
This isn’t the first time the Wisconsin lawmaker’s future as House speaker has been questioned; last October, Politico suggested Ryan could resign or be pushed out, but the site also concluded that potential “alternatives lack the star power of Ryan and would probably have an even harder time corralling the unruly Republican conference.”
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