Jason Chaffetz’s challenge to Kevin McCarthy shakes up House speaker race

“But they didn’t send us here to perpetuate the status quo”.

“We have choices to make”, he said during a House Subcommittee on Information Technology hearing on the topic in April. However, Chaffetz did receive a few vindication earlier this week after the Secret Service was forced to apologize to the Republican for leaking personal information about him to the media. “Defunding Planned Parenthood, defunding executive amnesty and immigration, defunding Obamacare – and this Iranian deal is an unmitigated disaster that will lead to a modern day Holocaust”, Hannity said, focusing on the top concerns of conservatives.

“The American people and, more importantly, the Republicans in this country are not going to be happy with just a shifting of seats”, said Rep. James B. Renacci (Ohio), who had called for the delay.

The measure “will allow time for cooler heads to prevail”, said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican. After the damaging government shutdown in 2013, he was remarkably candid, telling Jay Leno: “When I looked up, I saw my colleagues going this way, and you learn that a leader without followers is simply a man taking a walk”.

Conservatives have one problem with Chaffetz.

Sessions is running against Rep. Patrick McHenry of North Carolina, the current chief deputy whip, and Reps.

Rutherford County Democratic Party Chairman Bill Campbell said DesJarlais’ “rejoicing” over the Boehner’s resignation “reveals his concern to represent ideology and special interests, not the everyday person”.

The Utah congressman, who sleeps on a cot in his office while in Washington, at first glance doesn’t seem to stand much of a chance against current Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California.

Though he would be a long-shot, Chaffetz could mount a credible threat to McCarthy, more so than the other declared contender for the speaker’s post, Florida Representative Daniel Webster. Stewart had previously stopped short of saying who he’s backing in Thursday’s secret ballot House GOP conference vote.

McCarthy recently got himself into trouble for suggesting that the Benghazi investigation was politically motivated. Hillary Clinton already uses it as a campaign sound bite.

He jumped into the race after criticizing McCarthy’s flubbed interview on Fox regarding the House Select Committee on Benghazi. What are her numbers today? He says the objective of the committee is to find out the truth and it has nothing to do with politics.

Chaffetz says the reality is McCarthy doesn’t have enough votes to become speaker and Republicans should not automatically promote McCarthy. “He’s not throwing a Hail Mary pass. He likely believes that there is a pathway, either within the (Republican) conference or when it comes to the vote within the entire House of Representatives, and he likely has a block of votes that he can either deliver on his behalf, or if things don’t propel him to victory, that he can deliver on behalf of whomever will be the newly elected speaker”.

But numerous 30 to 50 hardline conservative members who repeatedly fought with the more moderate Boehner are suspicious of McCarthy, who has been part of Boehner’s leadership team since House Republicans got the majority in 2011.