To understand who has the real power in the House Republican Conference, you need to pay close attention to the GOP’s Steering Committee.
Steering sets committee assignments and recommends committee chairs, effectively charting the course for how the Republican Conference operates. It’s the most important power base among House Republicans and the least understood.
Something fascinating is happening inside the tightly controlled panel: Several of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s top lieutenants are getting challenges from allies of House Majority Leader Steve Scalise.
– Ways and Means Chair Jason Smith (R-Mo.) is in a race against Rep. Diana Harshbarger (R-Tenn.) for the Tennessee/Missouri seat. Smith is expected to win. And here’s some interesting drama: Reps. David Kustoff (R-Tenn.) and John Rose (R-Tenn.) are expected to support Smith over their fellow Tennessee Republican.
– House Armed Services Committee Chair Mike Rogers (R-Ala.), who famously almost got into a fight with former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) while defending McCarthy, was lumped into a steering seat with Georgia. Rogers is facing Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.). Loudermilk has a slight edge, according to sources tracking the race.
– Rep. French Hill (R-Ark.), one of McCarthy’s strongest allies, is facing Rep. Julia Letlow, a Louisiana Republican close to Scalise. Hill is seeking the gavel at the Financial Services Committee.
All of these moves, which are playing out across the conference in private conversations, serve to consolidate Scalise’s power over the Steering Committee. Scalise has two votes on the panel himself, second only to Speaker Mike Johnson’s four votes.
But should they win, Scalise’s allies will now be sprinkled throughout Steering, potentially giving him outsized influence over the members who actually do most of the work inside the House Republican Conference.
One veteran GOP lawmaker described it as a proxy battle between Scalise and “the ghost of Kevin McCarthy.” The two were long-time rivals in leadership.
The McCarthy-versus-the-world fight is not only playing out on Steering. It’s also playing a big role in the race for the chairmanship of the House Financial Services Committee. Hill is still getting criticized for voting “present” on Johnson’s nomination to be speaker after McCarthy had no chance of re-claiming the gavel.
Let’s run down the other Steering contests and who else will have power in the next two years:
– New York: Rep. Andrew Garbarino.
– Pennsylvania/Maryland: Rep. Mike Kelly (Pa.).
– Ohio/West Virginia: Rep. David Joyce (Ohio).
– North Carolina/Guam: Rep. David Rouzer (N.C.).
– Indiana/Kentucky: Rep. Rudy Yakym (R-Ind.). Indiana Reps. James Baird and Victoria Spartz were also showing interest, but Yakym is the clear frontrunner.
– Michigan/Illinois/Iowa: Iowa Rep. Randy Feenstra and Michigan Rep. Jack Bergman.
– Wisconsin/Minnesota/North Dakota/South Dakota: Wisconsin Rep. Bryan Steil and Minnesota Rep. Pete Stauber.
– Oklahoma/Kansas/Nebraska: House Appropriations Committee Chair Tom Cole (Okla.).
– Washington State/Idaho/Montana/Wyoming/Colorado/Alaska: Montana Rep. Ryan Zinke and Washington State Rep. Dan Newhouse. Zinke is expected to win.
– Arizona/Utah/Nevada/Oregon: Utah Rep. Burgess Owens.
– California: Rep. Ken Calvert.
– Texas’ two seats: Rep. Jodey Arrington. Rep. Pat Fallon will now ascend without a challenge after Rep. August Pfluger dropped his bid to unify the delegation, a spokesperson said.
– Florida 1: Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart.
– Florida 2/Northern Mariana Islands: Rep. Vern Buchanan (Fla.).
– Small states: Rep. Dusty Johnson (S.D.).
– Sophomore class: Ohio Rep. Max Miller.
This will all be decided by secret ballot in HC-5 in the Capitol today. Only the members from the designated region get to decide who their steering representative is.
