10 Freedom Caucus Members Publicly Reject Paul Ryan, Enough To Doom His Candidacy For Speaker
by Judd Legum
Oct 21, 2015 3:31pm
CREDIT: AP Photo/Evan Vucci
Paul Ryan has a big obstacle standing the way of becoming House Speaker: Math.
As a condition of him accepting the position of House Speaker, Ryan laid out a list of demands. Chief among them is that the Republican caucus gives up their ability to call a “Motion To Vacate The Chair,” which is basically a method of deposing a sitting speaker.
Another key demand from Ryan is that he secure the endorsement of all the major caucuses within the House GOP.
That won’t be an issue for Ryan with one big exception, the Freedom Caucus. The Freedom Caucus is comprised of about 40 hard-line members who want the House Republicans to be much more aggressive. They are the also the group who forced out Speaker John Boehner by threatening a Motion To Vacate The Chair.
According to Freedom Caucus rules, you need the support of four-fifths of the caucus to secure their endorsement. That means anyone who is opposed by more than 8 members will not be able to be endorsed by the group.
Already 10 Freedom Caucus members have publicly expressed their opposition to Ryan or his key demand, which is enough to sink his candidacy.
Ryan could either change his demands or any of these Representatives could change their position. But as it stands now, things are not looking up for Paul Ryan.
1. Rep. Justin Amash
2. Rep. Thomas Massie
3. Rep. Raul Labrador
4. Rep. Walter Jones
5. Rep. Dan Webster
Webster is actually running against Ryan and currently holds the endorsement of the Freedom Caucus.
6. Rep. Tim Huelskamp
7. Rep. Mo Brooks
8. Rep. John Flemming
9. Rep. Mick Mulvaney
10. Rep. Matt Salmon
“It’s like interviewing a maid for a job and she says, ‘I don’t clean windows, I don’t do floors, I don’t do beds, these are the hours I’ll work.’ It’s rubbing a lot of people the wrong way,” Rep. Matt Salmon (R-Ariz.), a co-founder of the Freedom Caucus, told The Hill.[The Hill, 10/21/15]
This post was updated with statements expression opposition to Ryan from Reps. Mulvaney and Salmon.
American Federation of Government Employees Local 704 