Moderate House Republicans lashed out Tuesday against the conservative lawmakers who shut down the chamber floor last week, using a closed-door GOP meeting to accuse the rebels — in apparently profane terms — of undermining the party’s agenda.
Reps. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) and Derrick Van Orden (R-Wis.) castigated the hard-liners, according to a number of lawmakers in the room, in an exchange largely focused on the legislation that was blocked as a result of the conservative revolt.
One GOP lawmaker, who spoke anonymously to discuss internal conversations, described the meeting as a “catharsis” and said it included cursing.
“A little spicy in there,” the lawmaker added.
Van Orden “dropped an f-bomb,” which elicited applause from other Republicans in the room, according to another GOP member.
“He was just frustrated about being up here last week and not legislating any bills on the floor,” the first GOP lawmaker said of Van Orden.
Lawler was angry that a regulatory bill he’s championed was held up when the conservatives shut down action on the floor, according to Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.).
“He couldn’t get the bill presented, so he was cussing. And that’s understandable,” Burchett said.
Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), one of the 11 conservative rebels, responded by arguing that all lawmakers have to represent their districts, which vary demographically across the country.
“Chip just said, ‘I represent my constituents, too. My constituents are telling me we don’t need 4 trillion additional dollars in debt,’” Burchett added. He suggested the criticisms from the moderates would only backfire.
“Everybody yelling at that bunch, if anything it just emboldens them,” he said.
Asked for his response to Van Orden after the closed-door huddle, Roy said, “that’s all private meetings.”
Lawler declined to comment specifically about the exchange, but more generally took a shot at the conservatives for defying the wishes of a vast majority of the GOP conference.
“Matt Gaetz, Chip Roy — they’re not in charge. They weren’t elected to lead the conference,” Lawler said after the meeting. “You have a conference of 222 people. And they would all be well-advised to remember that they are one vote. …. The power of the conference resides in the fact that we have a majority. The majority was delivered by people in swing districts.”
The first Republican lawmaker who attended the conference meeting said Lawler “had a good back-and-forth” with conservatives in the room, including Roy, Gaetz — two of the conservatives who revolted against leadership — and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.).
“There was a good dialogue back and forth for a little bit. It seemed like a pingpong,” the lawmaker said, noting that the conversation went on for “a couple minutes.”
“I don’t think it was heated. … There was some languages, but I don’t think it was like — it wasn’t a barnburner. I wouldn’t characterize it that way,” the lawmaker said.
Van Orden’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The impassioned statements from lawmakers came the morning after the members who had held up floor action announced they would allow votes on party-line measures to proceed on the House floor as they negotiate a new “power-sharing agreement” with Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.).
The moderates, however, continue to maintain that no such agreement exists.
“I’m not aware of whatever deal you all think was struck,” Lawler said. “What power-sharing agreement? The Speaker is elected by the conference.”
Throughout the conservative rebellion, McCarthy and other GOP leaders have downplayed the severity of the internal tensions, characterizing the disagreements as an inevitable function of governing with a tiny House majority.
“Of course, there will be days where we fight it out for the best possible outcome,” House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) said in a press conference Tuesday. “But that’s the beauty of having a diverse conference made up of 222 members with different ideas and different perspectives.”
