In the wake of House Majority Leader Eric Cantor’s stunning defeat, the leadership team in the Republican-controlled U.S. House went through a shakeup. Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Cal.) rose from Majority Whip — the third-ranking member of the House — to become Majority Leader, which is second in command behind Speaker of the House John Boehner. Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.) succeeded McCarthy as Majority Whip. Scalise’s election to the number three spot gave southerners a real voice at the leadership table for the first time since Barack Obama became president in 2008. That was important because many southern Republicans had grown frustrated with southern-state congressmen being overlooked for leadership roles, in spite of the South being the GOP’s largest base of support on the national level. Rep. Mike Rogers (R-AL03) was instrumental in propelling Scalise into House leadership. He organized numerous dinners with southern members in the months leading up to the House leadership elections to get them all on the same page. The week after Cantor’s defeat, Rogers organized meetings between leadership candidates and southern members of the House, helping the region flex its muscle. It paid off. yellowhammernews/nationalpolitics/alabama-congressman-declared-driving-force-behind-rise-southern-republicans-congress/
Posted on: Mon, 21 Jul 2014 19:54:08 +0000
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