Shawn GriffithsOn Tuesday, U.S. House Speaker
John Boehner (R-Ohio) will face a challenge from a small handful of Republican lawmakers who are dissatisfied with his leadership as speaker, demanding that a more principled conservative lead the GOP in the House. U.S. Representative Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) is one of a few Republican lawmakers who believe they would make a better speaker than Boehner.
Most politicos agree that while approximately 17 Republicans will vote against Boehner, and it is still not entirely certain how many more Republicans will join the "dump Boehner" movement when the roll call vote is taken, any challenge for the top seat in the House will end up falling short of the 29 votes needed to force a second ballot. Some conservatives, including Gohmert, are upset that Boehner did not hold his ground on Obama's executive order on illegal immigration by allowing the cromnibus spending bill to pass -- among other things.
Not all Republicans who plan to vote against Speaker Boehner are doing it because of unalterable ideological reasons, however. U.S. Rep. Justin Amash (R-Mich.) believes it is simply time for new leaders to emerge in the party in order to better represent the American people.
"[I]t’s time for Republicans to change our leadership," Amash said in a Facebook post. "This afternoon, I will vote for a new speaker."
"Our party and our country are different than they were a generation ago. Americans at home have learned from the policy mistakes our Congress has made over the last few decades. It’s not clear that the men and women in congressional leadership have done the same. To appeal to more Americans and better reflect today’s Republicans, we need modern leaders who respect the diversity of ideas within the House of Representatives."
Read the full Facebook post here.
Amash's statement may better reflect the opinion on many Americans who want to see change in the legislative branch. The 113th Congress had the lowest approval rating and was the least productive of any Congress in modern U.S. history. A recent Gallup poll found that the government has edged the economy as the top concern for voters. And If national surveys were not enough to show America's dissatisfaction and disenchantment with the political system, a national turnout of 36 percent in the midterm elections certainly did.
The biggest message voters sent on November 4 was not their approval of the Republican Party, but a disapproval of how both parties have governed. Voters want change and Amash believes that change should begin with who is leading the majority party in the U.S. House.
Photo Source: AP