U.S. House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, will keep the gavel but his continued efforts to lead the House drew the opposition of 25 Republican congressmen on Tuesday, including five from the Sunshine State.
Florida Republican U.S. Reps. Curt Clawson, Rich Nugent, Bill Posey, Dan Webster and Ted Yoho voted against Boehner on Tuesday. Most of the opposition to Boehner came over fiscal issues and immigration as some of the more libertarian leaning members of the caucus -- such as U.S. Rep. Justin Amash, R-Mich., and U.S. Rep. Walter Jones, R-N.C.-- voted against Boehner.
The Florida delegation proved the core of the Republican opposition to Boehner. The Texas contingent also proved important with three Republicans from the Lone Star State voting against Boehner.
Both Yoho and U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas, took on Boehner who was expected to fend off the challenges. But there was another Republican from Florida who took 12 votes, including his own: Webster, the former speaker of the Florida House.
It appears that I will be nominated for speaker of the House, Webster noted right before the House caucus met on Tuesday afternoon. I am humbled and honored by the confidence many of my colleagues have placed in me.
Nominated by U.S. Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, a sharp critic of Boehner on immigration, Webster became the biggest threat to Boehner, taking in 12 votes, far behind Boehners 216. Gohmert took three votes while Yoho reeled in two votes, tying him with U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio. Six other Republicans -- ranging from U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., to former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell -- all took one vote each. The Democrats mostly stood behind their chief, U.S. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.
Despite Boehners win, conservatives insisted they had growing momentum. Matt Kibbe, the president of Freedom Works, noted how grassroots conservatives stood against Boehner.
I am honored to have stood in solidarity with thousands of grassroots activists nationwide and the 25 members of the House who made the principled vote for new leadership today, rather than the easy vote, Kibbe said. Challenges are a critical reminder to Republicans in Congress that nobody is entitled to their seat, or their leadership position. They have to earn it, or we will be back next year. Activists sent over 20,000 messages and 13,000 phone calls to Congress in the last 72 hours demanding a change in leadership.
We knew going into this fight that it would be a David versus Goliath effort, but each year the tally grows of fiscal conservatives in the House willing to change the status quo, Kibbe added. Renewing the Export-Import Bank used to be automatic, it isnt today. Raising the debt ceiling used to be automatic, it isnt today. Re-electing the speaker of the House used to be automatic, it isnt today. This is the beginning of a paradigm shift in Congress, where inside baseball is now the peoples business. We are going to help grassroots activists, and the brave members of Congress who took a stand today, to continue that fight until the number of pro-liberty votes in Congress reaches critical mass.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or follow him on Twitter: @KevinDerbySSN
