Thread: Cantor to step down as House majority leader at end of July

Cantor to step down as House majority leader at end of July, after primary loss

Published June 11, 2014 FoxNews.com

Eric Cantor plans to step down as House majority leader at the end of July after suffering a shocking primary defeat to a Tea Party-backed challenger, Fox News has learned.

Cantor, following his loss to primary rival Dave Brat, plans to tell colleagues about his plans at a House Republican Conference meeting set for 4 p.m. ET.
Several House members already are jockeying for position, making phone calls and lining up for a potential leadership race.

"Members are freaking out right now," one senior House GOP source told Fox News, noting that nothing "rattles" lawmakers more than phone calls about who might support whom.

House GOP leaders huddled in the leadership suite on Wednesday morning.
One Republican aide told Fox News that House Republican Conference Chairwoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., is weighing the idea of running for whip or Cantor's job.

Another aide said House Republican Conference Vice Chairwoman, Lynn Jenkins, R-Kan., a three-term lawmaker, would like to move up the leadership ladder "if an opportunity presents itself."

GOP sources also said Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., head of the conservative Republican Study Committee, is interested in the position of Republican whip, a post currently held by Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif.

Everything, though, is predicated on what House Speaker John Boehner wants to do and whether he feels pressure to leave.

"Boehner's not going anywhere," a senior House Republican source who asked not to be identified told Fox News.

Still, there is a cadre of conservative Republicans who are assessing their chances to see if they have enough votes to pressure Boehner.

The implications of Cantor's loss remain unclear. The primary loss for a sitting majority leader is unprecedented.

One senior aide to Boehner said they were "absolutely stunned."

The aide added: "The last thing we need is a leadership scramble up here as we head into the midterms."

As for what the loss means for Boehner, some believe it only makes him stronger because there's no one to challenge him -- as Cantor was believed to be the heir apparent.

"We need Boehner now more than ever," said one former House Republican said. "Can Boehner step up?"

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014...mble-underway/

While my Congressman is vying for Speaker position, I'm e-mailing him to tell him I support Steve King for either Speaker or Majority Leader! Then I will e-mail Steve King to tell hem what I've told Hensarling. Maybe cause a conversation?

California's Kevin McCarthy a virtual lock for House majority leader

Los Angeles Times 14 minutes ago

Written by Lisa Mascaro

1. Kevin McCarthy
   United States Representative
   
   
2. Kevin Owen McCarthy is the majority whip of the United States House of Representatives, since 2011. A member of the Republican Party, he is the U.S. representative for California's 23rd congressional district. Wikipedia
   
   
3. Born: January 26, 1965 (age 49), Bakersfield, CA
   
   
4. Nationality: American
   
   
5. Office: Representative (R-CA 23rd District) since 2013
   
   
6. Previous office: Representative (CA 22nd District) 2007–2013
   
   
7. Spouse: Judy McCarthy
   
   
8. Education: California State University, Bakersfield
   

1:47 PM 06/12/2014
Alex Pappas
The Daily Caller



WASHINGTON — Some conservative lawmakers are fuming that the short-time frame between Majority Leader Eric Cantor’s announced resignation yesterday and the election of his successor next week is unfairly “stacking the deck” for the two establishment Republicans vying to replace him.

“At a time when Republicans in Congress are fighting the Obama Administration to oppose snap elections for unions on American employers, Republican Leadership is trying to do the same in the United States House of Representatives,” Iowa Rep. Steve King said Thursday.

“This snap election has the effect of stacking the deck,” he said.

After his surprising lost in his Republican primary on Tuesday night, Virginia Rep. Eric Cantor announced on Wednesday afternoon that he plans to step down as majority leader next month though will serve out the rest of his congressional term.

The GOP leadership has scheduled the elections for next Thursday.

The short turn around, King argues, gives an unfair advantage to California Rep. Kevin McCarthy and Texas Rep. Pete Sessions, who are both already in the GOP leadership and can quickly consolidate support. King says the quick timeframe makes it too difficult for a conservative alternative to whip up support.

This is believed to have played a role in Texas Rep. Jeb Hensarling — someone conservatives were hoping would run — to announce Thursday that he will not enter the race.

With Hensarling not running, conservatives do not have an alternative to run in the election yet. Several other names have been floated, including Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan, the former chairman of the Republican Study Committee.

“Let’s take more time to get our heads clear and elect a staunch conservative, anti-amnesty candidate to step up and lead the majority,” King said.

http://dailycaller.com/2014/06/12/re...establishment/

1:57 PM 06/12/2014
Alex Pappas
The Daily Caller



WASHINGTON — Fellow conservative lawmakers are now turning up the heat on Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan, the former chairman of the Republican Study Committee, to throw his hat into the ring for House majority leader.

The move comes as two current members of the GOP leadership — California Rep. Kevin McCarthy and Texas Rep. Pete Sessions — are already whipping support for themselves.

“I am hopeful that Jim Jordan will reconsider and understand, as I believe, he is called by history to stand up to this,” Iowa Rep. Steve King told The Daily Caller in an interview on Thursday.

Conservatives have been pushing Jordan to enter the race over the last few days, according to sources, but he has been reluctant to pull a trigger on a run.

“I don’t know that there is a better available candidate than Jim Jordan,” King said. “He is a full spectrum, constitutional conservative, fiscal and social.”

Laying out the pro-Jordan argument, King said: “He commands the respect of the whole conference; he’d be an ideal candidate for majority leader; he’s never advocated for amnesty.”

The Daily Caller has requested an interview with Jordan.

Conservatives are scrambling to find someone to run after Texas Rep. Jeb Hensarling announced Thursday that he will not enter the contest.

“We were hopeful that Jeb would enter into the race,” King acknowledged in the interview. “I think he would’ve had the full support of the conservatives in the conference. Most of them, if not all the conservatives, in the conference. And we regret that he decided not to enter that race.”

After his surprising lost in his Republican primary on Tuesday night, Virginia Rep. Eric Cantor announced on Wednesday afternoon that he plans to step down as majority leader next month though will serve out the rest of his congressional term.

Speaker of the House John Boehner said the elections to replace Cantor will take place next Thursday — something conservatives like King are arguing is an unfair advantage to McCarthy and Sessions.

http://dailycaller.com/2014/06/12/co...jority-leader/