On Capitol Hill, GOP fighting itself, instead of Democrats

Juicy headlines about Rep. Mark Meadows’s introduction of a resolution to “vacate the chair” – meaning oust Boehner – are all over television and the internet.

Speaker of the House John Boehner has brushed off a unique motion calling for his removal, calling it “no big deal” when asked about it by reporters. Last week, Senator Ted Cruz, who is running for president, accused McConnell of lying to him and other Republicans about the leader’s plans for holding a vote on the reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank.

Meadows was first elected to the House in 2012, winning an open seat created by the redistricting-prompted retirement of Rep. Heath Shuler, D-N.C. Before becoming a lawmaker, Meadows opened a sandwich shop in Highlands, N.C. He and his wife, Debbie, moved to the North Carolina mountains after he graduated from the University of South Florida in 1981.

At his regular press briefing Wednesday, Boehner stayed on message: “Let me start by saying that I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished in Congress so far this year”. It doesn’t specify who would replace him.

Members were stunned when they arrived for the final vote series of the day and news spread on the House floor.

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

“It was more just a general feeling that the direction we’re going right now is not what the American people would want”, he said. “The answer is yes – that’s the speaker’s prerogative”, he said. However, his leadership has come into question for some Republicans in recent weeks – amid issues like same sex marriage, the Affordable Care Act and fiscal management.

One GOP presidential candidate, however, took Meadows to task for launching an issue that distracts the party from winning the White House.

Meadows faced his own blowback on Wednesday.

Meadows temporarily lost his post atop a House Oversight and Government Reform subcommittee, but he was later restored to the position after his fellow committee members rallied behind him. That move was viewed as public retribution for Meadow’s vote against re-electing Boehner in January and blowback erupted from conservative quarters of the GOP conference.

It’s unclear how much support Meadows has to force a leadership shakeup. “Mark and I will have a conversation”.

“The Speaker’s leadership up to this point has not warranted this action by Mr. Meadows”, Walberg said in an interview.

But Boehner said such insurrections were to be expected.

“We’re not here to be puppets of the Speaker of the House, we’re here to represent the people of our districts”, Jones said.

On the other hand, Meadows’ charge that Boehner is “bypassing the majority of the 435 Members of Congress and the people they represent” is absolutely true.

A bill introduced by Representative Joe Barton, a Texas Republican, has attracted 110 co-sponsors, including more than a dozen Democrats. Republicans back home are pretty clear. More important, a significant group sympathizes with Boehner privately but is absolutely petrified that having his back when things get tough will conjure a challenge inside the party by conservative ultras whose supporters dominate its primary electorate in so many places.

“I don’t like being in the limelight”, he said.

Speaking of Mark Meadows, Congressman Jones says “He just has the courage to do something about it”.