On November 19th the House Republicans elected their leaders. John Boehner disappointingly was reelected as Minority Leader, while Eric Cantor was elected as Republican Whip. Mike Pence, a proven conservative who is graded A by the NRA, is a member of the RSC, and opposed the $700 billion bailout is expected to be elected Minority Conference Chair. Having Pence in a strong leadership role will strengthen the party enormously. Cantor is also a member of the RSC and serves on the Ways and Means committee. His presence as Whip gives Republicans no excuses when it comes to spending. Boehner will be given another chance to turn the party around with a stronger, more conservative Republican House leadership by his side.
Going into the recent election, there were 91 Republican Study Committee members. Now there are 85. This core group of committed conservatives will need to guide the party through the dismal results of this election. The House of Representatives is often the stewpot for good ideas in government. Little-known Reps often generate big ideas that become legislation.
New leadership needs to unload itself of the refuse the Bush administration has piled on Republican shoulders. Among the Bush Administration’s policy successes were the tax cuts passed, but many major debacles during the Bush years will haunt Republicans going forward. The war in Iraq is a needless ground war in a country where there is little support unless you buy it (read Sunni Awakening). In Afghanistan, the U.S. is bogged down in a nation-building exercise that the military is not trained for. President Bush’s No Child Left Behind (NCLB) act is a failed mandate, stripping local districts of their ability to create curricula of their school choice. Moreover NCLB funding goals have not been met. The Medicare prescription drug program dumps money into the hands of special interest groups. The conservative approach to Medicare would be to dismantle. Finally, the bailout is a piece of pork on a scale as yet not seen in America. Bailing out banks and perhaps other businesses (auto and insurance industries) is neither the American way nor the conservative way. The Bush administration’s failures, along with Boehner’s failure to stand up to the administration mandate courage and sweeping change.
| A Robert Aderholt (AL-04) | A Jack Kingston (GA-01) | |
| A Todd Akin (MO-02) | A John Kline (MN-02) | |
| A Rodney Alexander (LA-06) | A Doug Lamborn (CO-05) | |
| NR Steve Austria (OH-07) | A Christopher Lee (NY-26) | |
| A- Michele Bachmann (MN-06) | A- John Linder (GA-07) | |
| A- Spencer Bachus (AL-06) | A- Frank Lucas (OK-03) | |
| A J.Gresham Barrett (SC-03) | A Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-09) | |
| A+ Roscoe Bartlett (MD-06) | A- Cynthia Lummis (WY) | |
| A- Joe Barton (TX-06) | B Dan Lungren (CA-03) | |
| A Brian Bilbray (CA-50) | A- Connie Mack (FL-14) | |
| A+ Rob Bishop (UT-01) | A Don Manzullo (IL-16) | |
| A- Marsha Blackburn (TN-07) | A Kenny Marchant (TX-24) | |
| A- Jo Bonner (AL-01) | A- Michael McCaul (TX-10) | |
| A+ John Boozman (AR-03) | A Tom McClintock (CA-04) | |
| A- Kevin Brady (TX-08) | A Thaddeus McCotter (MI-11) | |
| A+ Paul Broun (GA-10) | A Patrick McHenry (NC-10) | |
| A- Henry Brown (SC-01) | A- Buck McKeon (CA-25) | |
| A Vern Buchanan (FL-13) | A- Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05) | |
| A- Michael Burgess (TX-26) | A- Gary Miller (CA-42) | |
| A Dan Burton (IN-05) | A Jeff Miller (FL-01) | |
| A Dave Camp (MI-04) | A- Jerry Moran (KS-01) | |
| A- John Campbell (CA-48) | A Sue Myrick (NC-09) | |
| A- Eric Cantor (VA-07) | A Randy Neugebauer (TX-19) | |
| A John Carter (TX-31) | NR Pete Olson (TX-22) | |
| A Bill Cassidy (LA-06) | A- Mike Pence (IN-06) | |
| A Jason Chaffetz (UT-03) | A- Joe Pitts (PA-16) | |
| B Mike Coffman (CO-06) | A Ted Poe (TX-02) | |
| A- Tom Cole (OK-04) | A Bill Posey (FL-15) | |
| A Michael Conaway (TX-11) | A Tom Price (GA-06) | |
| A- John Culberson (TX-07) | A- George Radanovich (CA-19) | |
| A Geoff Davis (KY-04) | A Denny Rehberg (MT) | |
| A Mary Fallin (OK-05) | A Phil Roe (TN-01) | |
| A- Jeff Flake (AZ-06) | A Tom Rooney (FL-16) | |
| A John Fleming (LA-04) | B Peter Roskam (IL-06) | |
| A- Randy Forbes (VA-04) | A- Ed Royce (CA-40) | |
| A Jeff Fortenberry (NE-01) | A- Paul Ryan (WI-01) | |
| A Virginia Foxx (NC-05) | A+ Steve Scalise (LA-01) | |
| A Trent Franks (AZ-02) | A Aaron Schock (IL-18) | |
| A Scott Garrett (NJ-05) | A Jean Schmidt (OH-02) | |
| A Phil Gingrey (GA-11) | A Pete Sessions (TX-32) | |
| A Louie Gohmert (TX-01) | A- John Shadegg (AZ-03) | |
| A- Bob Goodlatte (VA-06) | A- John Shimkus (IL-19) | |
| A- Sam Graves (MO-06) | A- Lamar Smith (TX-21) | |
| A Brett Guthrie(KY-02) | A Mark Souder (IN-03) | |
| A- Gregg Harper (MS-03) | A- Cliff Stearns (FL-06) | |
| A Jeb Hensarling (TX-05) | A- John Sullivan (OK-01) | |
| A Wally Herger (CA-02) | A Glenn Thompson (PA-05) | |
| B- Pete Hoekstra (MI-02) | B- Mac Thornberry (TX-13) | |
| A Duncan Hunter, Jr. (CA-52) | A- Todd Tiahrt (KS-04) | |
| A- Bob Inglis (SC-04) | B Mike Turner (OH-03) | |
| A- Darrell Issa (CA-49) | B Zach Wamp (TN-03) | |
| A- Sam Johnson (TX-03) | A Lynn Westmoreland (GA-03) | |
| A- Jim Jordan (OH-04) | A Joe Wilson (SC-02) | |
| A Steve King (IA-05) | A Robert Wittman (VA-01) |
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