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Sentiment Grows for January [House Republican] Vote
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| Contributor | ArmyDem |
| Last Edited | ArmyDem Nov 17, 2005 12:37am |
| Category | News |
| News Date | Nov 17, 2005 12:00am |
| Description | By Ben Pershing
Roll Call Staff
November 17, 2005
With the toughest House vote of the year on tap for Friday or Saturday, many GOP lawmakers and aides believe that support is growing within the Republican Conference for a new slate of leadership elections in January.
Though the possibility for elections has existed since Sept. 29, when indicted Rep. Tom DeLay (R-Texas) stepped down from the Majority Leader post and was replaced by Majority Whip Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), the events of recent weeks — particularly on the looming spending reconciliation bill — have convinced an increasing number of Members that a January referendum will occur.
“Momentum is growing for it,” said a GOP leadership aide. “There’s a feeling in the Conference that we’d like to have some sense of permanence.”
New elections are certainly not a foregone conclusion; DeLay retains a broad base of support within the Conference, and he could still escape his legal peril in Texas and return to his old job.
But interviews with several lawmakers and leadership staffers suggested that many Members would still want January elections for a variety of reasons: Some are unhappy with Blunt’s performance, some believe he is doing well and want to give him the Majority Leader post on a permanent basis and some simply want to make a statement that the Conference must move on from the DeLay era.
On Wednesday, Rep. Charles Bass (R-N.H.) said, “We ought to have leadership elections in January,” reiterating comments he first made to the Manchester Union-Leader and the Boston radio station WBUR.
Bass said it was important for the Conference not to have an acting Majority Leader any longer. He added that he believed DeLay should not return to leadership regardless of his legal situation and that the Texan’s problems “should not be the main agenda item” for House Republicans in 2006. |
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