Sign up for The Brief, The Texas Tribune’s daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news.
Following Kevin McCarthy’s sudden removal as U.S. House speaker, a lineup of potential candidates approached the influential Texas Republican delegation seeking their endorsement within 24 hours.
On Wednesday, the Texas Republicans organized their weekly lunch and welcomed three distinguished members: Majority Leader Steve Scalise from Louisiana, House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan from Ohio, and Republican Study Committee Chair Kevin Hern from Oklahoma. Additionally, Majority Whip Tom Emmer from Minnesota attended the lunch as he aspires to become the Majority Leader. Another notable attendee was Rep. Guy Reschenthaler from Pennsylvania, who made his case to become the majority whip.
Texas boasts the most substantial Republican delegation in the House with 25 members, making their endorsement highly influential for any candidate vying for leadership. As the conference convenes next week to select its new leadership, securing the support of Texas representatives would be a significant advantage. The Republican conference intends to nominate a speaker candidate next week, setting the stage for a House-wide election on Wednesday.
“Texas is a large voting bloc here. We are a state that’s leading the nation on conservative principles,” said U.S. Rep. Michael Cloud, R-Victoria, as he exited the lunch.
Before lunch, only a small number of members had publicly made a decision, and as they left, they refrained from disclosing their preferences to reporters. Numerous members remarked that the candidates presented extremely similar arguments, and any of them would be capable of serving as a competent speaker, provided they can bring together the divided Republican conference.
“Policy wise, there’s maybe one millimeter of difference between them,” U.S. Rep. August Pfluger, R-San Angelo, said as he left the meeting. “We want to know who can unite, and there’s really good pitches. So we’re gonna keep listening.”
A couple of members, however, needed no convincing. U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-San Antonio, jumped behind Scalise almost immediately after McCarthy was ousted Tuesday night. Gonzales, who represents more of the border than any other Texan, said he felt Scalise “knows the border inside and out” and that the Louisianian was “exactly the man we need to keep this conference together.”
After being questioned about whether Gonzales had attended the lunch to advocate for Scalise, he cleverly responded by saying, “I’m just here for lunch!” Shortly after the meeting commenced, Gonzales made his exit.
U.S. Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Richmond, said Tuesday night on social media that he would nominate former President Donald Trump at the party meeting next week. Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene also floated the former president, who is running for reelection next year.
While it is not a legal requirement for a speaker to be a member of Congress, the chances of a Trump speaker bid are extremely low. Trump was nominated in January, which resulted in ridicule during the House floor session. However, Nehls supported McCarthy instead of Trump at that time. As Nehls had a prior commitment in his district, he did not attend the lunch on Wednesday.
Next week’s voting outcome for the Texans cannot be assured, as members remained reluctant on Wednesday to disclose their voting intentions. The Republicans in the delegation remained cohesive in their opposition to McCarthy’s proposal, but throughout this year, they have experienced significant divisions on various matters such as border policy and aid for Ukraine.
Three Texans — Chip Roy of Austin, Keith Self of McKinney and Cloud — were among the far-right members opposing McCarthy’s speakership bid back in January, though they eventually backed him after striking a deal with McCarthy’s allies. Self, who previously supported Jordan in the January speaker race, said before Wednesday’s meeting that he still admires the Ohioan but was keeping his mind open.
But Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Austin, a McCarthy ally who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said he hoped the delegation would come together as a team. McCaul said the Texas members are going to “huddle up” and make a decision on who they’re supporting. Multiple other members also expressed optimism that the party will be united behind a single candidate after the conference meeting next week.
McCaul expressed, “Our preference is to remain united. We currently have three highly qualified candidates for the role of speaker, and it is crucial that we expedite this process as we are presently squandering valuable time on the floor.”
The candidates placed significant emphasis on border security, which was a key concern for Texans. Texas members played a major role in developing a comprehensive border hardening package, which House Republicans successfully passed this year. However, due to the Democratic-controlled Senate and President Joe Biden’s stance, the package is unlikely to gain traction. Nevertheless, the members remain steadfast in their efforts to advocate for a more secure border.
“I don’t think anybody can doubt the priority that we have to have at our border,” U.S. Rep. Beth Van Duyne, R-Irving, said. “All of the candidates today were very clear that that’s where their attention is.”
Concerns among members also included the reduction of federal spending and the enactment of laws to ensure continued government funding. Congress must act before mid-November, either by passing legislation to fund the remaining fiscal year or implementing another temporary measure to prevent a shutdown. However, House Republicans have been engaged in a deadlock with their Senate counterparts and Democrats regarding the allocation of this spending.
According to U.S. Rep. Jake Ellzey, R-Waxahachie, the ongoing speaker race in the House, which has halted all other proceedings, is poorly timed considering Congress’ urgent need to pass the appropriations legislation.
Ellzey emphasized that time is limited, therefore, there is no room for guiding or assisting others in initiating this process. He acknowledged that the situation is not perfect, but the focus should be on moving ahead rather than dwelling on the past. Ultimately, there is no alternative but to forge ahead.
The introduction of a new speaker may bring about changes to the House rules, which was the main issue during McCarthy’s previous run in January. At that time, far-right members insisted on having more influence from their faction in Republican decision-making. This included modifying the rule that enabled a single member to initiate a vote to remove the speaker, which ultimately resulted in McCarthy’s defeat.
On Wednesday, Cloud expressed his hope that any future speaker would refrain from modifying the rules package that he and fellow far-right members had negotiated. He emphasized their intention for the changes to have a lasting impact, aiming to reshape the way Congress operates well into the future.
But Rep. Dan Crenshaw, a Houston Republican who long expressed discomfort with some of the rules changes for being too free-welding, said he did not support the rule allowing a single member to launch a speaker’s removal. McCarthy said Tuesday that his ouster was driven by personal animus from Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Florida, who filed the motion to fire the speaker.
After lunch, Hern defended the rule, emphasizing that it had been the House’s customary practice until former Democratic Speaker Nancy Pelosi modified it in order to raise the threshold.
Crenshaw conveyed his hopeful anticipation for a swift selection of the next speaker, highlighting that none of the candidates currently under consideration possess the personal conflicts seen between Gaetz and McCarthy.
Crenshaw commented, “That’s a promising beginning.”
The lunch is a weekly tradition among the delegation’s Republicans, where staffers and reporters are strictly prohibited. The state’s senators also often go. Sen. John Cornyn, who decried McCarthy’s ouster as rambunctious members who “just want to blow up the institution and themselves in the process,” attended Wednesday, but Sen. Ted Cruz did not. The members met over plates of Hill Country Barbecue, a Texas-themed restaurant in Washington.
Originally, the House had planned to be in recess this week. Following McCarthy’s loss of the speakership on Tuesday, many members, except for the delegation, returned to their respective home districts. After Wednesday’s lunch, members gradually left to catch flights back to Texas.
Crenshaw playfully remarked to the swarm of reporters gathered for the meeting, “It’s amusing to see you all so clustered together. Just so you know, this is just a typical Texan lunch.”
