GOP Congressmen Trying to Oust Boehner as House Leader

House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio arrives for a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, July 29, 2015. Ted Cruz’s criticism of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell earlier this week. Boehner’s been sowing seeds of discontent for some time, doling out punishments to Representatives who fail to fall in line on key votes, Meadows among them.

Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) offered a resolution late Tuesday to “vacate the chair”, which, if it gets a vote, would require a vote on keeping Boehner as speaker. It doesn’t specify who would replace him.

However, I was talking with some friends on The Hill who work for members of the Republican leadership and they don’t seem too concerned about this petition.

The House is on track to adjourn Wednesday for the August recess.

But members and staff were already scrambling to figure out what’s next as the move caught the House off guard.

Another liberal “Republican” – U.S. Rep. Devin Nunes of California – accused Meadows of filing the motion as a fundraising gimmick.

“And to suggest we can only have one message when we go back home to talk to the American people would be to imply that our town halls can only have one question”, Meadows said.

Another House Republican, who asked not to be identified discussing private conversations, said many GOP colleagues on the floor became immediately irritated.

The Iran nuclear deal and a promise to eventually lift economic sanctions that now limit that nation’s oil exports has given proponents another argument to push.

It was an error, Franks said, because the tone of Meadows’ resolution was harsh, and because in theory the motion could put Boehner’s leadership up for a vote before the entire House, including the other party. And the objectives of particular person House members representing protected districts – to not point out senators operating for president – can run counter to these of their party leaders. “We just continue to work at it every day”.

Since Boehner took over from Nancy Pelosi as speaker in 2011, he has had to fight with an element in his caucus that really hates voting for anything the leadership wants.

After Meadows emerged, he explained the objective of the resolution was to start “a family discussion” and an effort to force his leadership to listen to members from across the political spectrum. “This is really more about an issue of fairness”, he said.

“He just has the courage to do something about it”, Jones said of Meadows. He’s experienced the carrot and the stick: Meadows had his House Oversight and Government Reform Committee subcommittee chairmanship taken away last month, only to be reinstated.

Meadows is a member of the Freedom Caucus, made up of between 30 and 40 conservative lawmakers.

The resolution also charges Boehner with using the Rules Committee to limit amendments.

But Meadows is not alone-apparently he has received support from Republican presidential contender Texas Sen. His lack of an organized plan already raises doubts about how effective the campaign can be.

“If the administration wants to lift the ban for Iran, certainly the United States should not be the only country left in the world with such a ban in place”, he said. Raúl Labrador (R-Idaho) and Ron DiSantis (R-Fla.) – quickly moved to distance themselves from Meadows’ effort, informing Boehner’s staff during a Wednesday morning meeting they were not involved and did not back the move.