GOP House Members Brace for Fractious Party Dynamics

Hardline Republicans could have more power in a closely divided chamber.

By and
45

Good morning. Congress is well into the depths of August recess—we hope you’re enjoying a few relatively quiet weeks before the shenanigans start up again. My colleagues at The Sweep and The Morning Dispatch already have all things campaign season covered, so be sure to watch those newsletters. One programming note: We don’t plan to publish Uphill on Friday, September 2.

Republicans Consider Conference Dynamics Ahead of Midterms

We’ve written to you several times over the past year and a half about House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy’s lax approach to the far-right faction of his conference. That hasn’t changed. But it is increasingly alarming to some rank-and-file lawmakers who find themselves at odds with the most brash and conspiracy theory-friendly Republicans.

As the November midterm elections draw closer—and after a Democrat won a tight special election in New York last week—some members say they are worried about how the conference will function if the GOP wins only a slim majority in the House.

One House GOP lawmaker who spoke on the condition of anonymity said they are “very concerned about the influence of certain members over the party and its leadership and the direction of our conference after November.”

Keep reading with a free account
Create a free Dispatch account to keep reading Get Started ALREADY HAVE AN ACCOUNT? SIGN IN
45
By and
Comments (45)
Join The Dispatch to participate in the comments.
 
  1. Avatar photo
    Philbnichols

    Yeah, my problem with the R party, and why I pulled out last year, is not Trump but his followers. They are Rush Limbaugh acolytes who are nationalistic and not adherents of democratic liberalism. And if they achieve power and change some laws & regulations, they will find those nationalistic laws/regs used against them when Democrats are in charge. Many of the new nationalists are my Christian brothers and sisters and will find much less freedom to practice their religion w/o the construct of democratic liberalism granting civic freedoms.

    Collapse
  2. Avatar photo
    Greg Williams

    Good analysis, as usual for this column. I have a question: With all of the predictions about the GOP's turn in control (more subpoenas, more investigations, more extreme party politics and less serious governance) what is there on the horizon to motivate typical middle ground voters? Are the mid terms shaping up to be decided by the hyper partisans because the big middle stays home out of frustration?

    Minor quibble: If a govt officials is unwilling to attach their name to their comments should they be authoritatively quoted verbatim? I think that gives too much credibility to a source that isn't willing to go on the record. Maybe summarizing their views might be more appropriate.

    Collapse
  3. Avatar photo
    Earl King

    It’s the Freedom Caucus all over again. They will frustrate leadership and debt ceilings and budgets will be problems.

    Collapse
  4. Avatar photo
    Alec

    TFG will be the de facto speaker if R’s win the now predicted very slight majority. McCarthy will need the crazy caucus’ votes for speaker, and the price will be endless investigations into those TFG harbors grievances toward. Expect McCarthy to support mythical article(s) of impeachment against POTUS. Meanwhile, the country can anticipate omnibus spending bills, reauthorizations without changes in spending, and generally governing with the least amount of effort to maintain a status quo.

    Collapse
    1. Gerald Cuesta

      Trump will be the defacto speaker and continue his quest to tear the country apart and form his own little empire of dirt with its own flag and dear leader songs.

      Collapse
  5. Jim S

    So apparently the only policy prescription for the new GOP majority is investigating the Biden White House?

    I guess that is what passes for governing these days. Will be enlightening to see if the GOP can perform even the most rudimentary governance without help from Pelosi. My money says nope.

    Collapse
  6. Avatar photo
    Charles Rankin

    I think we all know what would happen if the far-right gains control over the chamber.
    'BREAKING NEWS: House passes resolution condemning the existence of Jews.'
    And that's how the Democrats become the sole party in the country.

    Collapse
  7. Avatar photo
    Ms. SSM

    Other then funding the government I hardly think it matters. Nothing a Rep house passes while Biden is president will really matter. Legislation that’s not critical will grind to a halt like normal. The actions of a Rep led House will be performative not substantive. That’s true even if they take the Senate.

    Collapse
  8. Avatar photo
    Pat Riot

    Per their stated intentions, the #1 priority for the GOP House majority will be to elect Donald Trump as president. Republicans have absolutely no policy agenda otherwise, not that they could do very much by just having control of the House in any case.

    My prediction is *seven* revenge-impeachments of Biden, but I've seen the case made for more than that.

    Other than that the House will do everything they can to attack the 1/6 investigators and prosecutors.

    Under a GOP House, congressional subpoenas will become a joke, as they will simply demand virtually every elected Democrat to come before congress and tell them everything they know about Hunter Biden.

    The point of this will not be to garner information (obviously), but it's even more nuanced than that: the whole point of the exercise will be to force officials to ignore their ridiculous subpoenas lest the entire US government come to a halt. That way they can get NR etc. to say, "Democrats do it too" and complain that Steven Bannon is a political prisoner, thus politically exonerating all of those whom obstructed the 1/6 investigation.

    Collapse
    1. Avatar photo
      Stephanie

      I don't see any downside to any Democrat lawmakers ignoring subpoenas; the precedent is now well-established.

      Of course the Republicans will howl, but that's their usual. They howl so much that you end up ignoring it all--like the boy who cried wolf.

      Collapse
      1. Avatar photo
        Pat Riot

        The downside will be that Republicans will successfully equalize what Trump and his cronies did. Like I said, that will be the whole point.

        Collapse
  9. Avatar photo
    JohnM.

    Sadly, my 'representative' Lauren Boebert will be front and center in this upcoming circus.
    Thanks for the write-up, folks.

    Collapse
    1. Avatar photo
      Dave K

      Do you think she wins her district? I was hoping there were more sane people who wouldn't vote for her in the wider election.

      Collapse
      1. Avatar photo
        JohnM.

        Yeah, she'll win it in a landslide against her Dem. opponent. Just like she did in the primary against her moderate GOP opponent. Western Colorado is MAGA Country.

        Collapse
        1. Avatar photo
          Dave K

          That is scary.

          Collapse
  10. Dogperson

    I agree with Grumpy. The GOP, to which I've belonged since Goldwater ran in 1964, has abandoned any trace of conservative principles. Not the entire party, to be sure, but its dominant message (whatever that is) has become obscured by the rantings of conspiracy theorists and wackos.

    Some of the conspiracies may be true, but a real principle--a philosophy--has to be articulated if the Republican party is ever to govern again. And Kevin McCarthy isn't the man to guide the party in that direction.

    Oh woe.

    Collapse
Load More