Steve King still pushing Daniel Webster for House speaker, not sold on Paul Ryan

Representative Steve King (IA-04) is still urging fellow Republicans to elect Representative Daniel Webster of Florida as speaker, even as House Ways & Means Committee Chair Paul Ryan of Wisconsin has gained momentum as a consensus choice to lead the chamber. King voted for Webster in the January election for House speaker and affirmed that he favored Webster when House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy was favored to replace outgoing Speaker John Boehner.

After repeatedly saying he was not interested in the job, Ryan announced on Tuesday he would run for speaker if certain conditions were met. King advocated for Webster in a guest piece in yesterday’s Conservative Review. I’ve posted excerpts after the jump. Although King didn’t mention Ryan by name, he alluded to him when asserting, “We cannot have a reluctant Speaker. Webster is confident and sees the Speaker’s job as an opportunity to serve with purpose and principle.”

Appearing on MSNBC’s “Hardball” program yesterday, King suggested it would be a “bridge too far” to change House rules so members could not pass a motion to remove the chair, as Ryan has demanded. He predicted that condition would be a big problem for many Democrats as well as for some Republicans. King also noted that while Ryan had promised not to bring any major immigration reform bill to the House floor while President Barack Obama is still in office, he is still concerned that a bill including a path to citizenship for some undocumented immigrants could come up in the next Congress. King and his allies successfully pressured Boehner not to bring the Senate’s 2013 bipartisan immigration reform up for a vote in 2013 or 2014.

King leads the House Republican group called the Conservative Opportunity Society. Another right-wing faction called the House Freedom Caucus includes first-term Republican Rod Blum (IA-01). I haven’t seen any recent public comment from Blum on his preference for speaker. Like King, he voted for Webster rather than for Boehner in January. The majority of House Freedom Caucus members voted last night to support Paul Ryan for speaker. According to Drew Desilver’s close look at the House Freedom Caucus for the Pew Research Center’s “Fact Tank,” its members are more conservative and have less seniority than the average House Republican.

Any relevant comments are welcome in this thread.


From a guest column by Representative Steve King for the Conservative Review on October 21, “Why Webster is right for speaker.”

The House will choose a new Speaker from a Conference divided by years of power and abuse of power plays by leadership. The schism created by leadership’s persistent and relentless punishment of principled Members who vote their conscience has brought the House to the tipping point. The election of a new Speaker of the House is the historically rare opportunity to correct the error of our ways by electing a Speaker who will faithfully place principle over power while respecting the rights of every Member. Rep. Daniel Webster (R-FL) is that person. […]

We now hear others who aspire to be the next Speaker making commitments to principle over top down power but they first have to understand and second, believe. Dan may be the only Member of Congress who both understands and believes. His record in Florida and in Congress proves his character and his dedication to principle.

Daniel Webster as Speaker of the House will usher in a new era of principled leadership that gives voice to “We the People” through their elected representatives. Greater transparency, prioritizing important legislation, and giving committees a greater role, characterizes Webster’s Speaker record. So far, there have been no reasons publicly voiced to oppose Dan which also sets him apart.

The last characteristic one does not want to see in a leader is reluctance. We cannot have a reluctant Speaker. Webster is confident and sees the Speaker’s job as an opportunity to serve with purpose and principle. Our Conference and the American people deserve a leader eager to face the challenges ahead instead of seeing the job as a burden.

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