For House GOP, 2015 Is Off With a Thud
Two member resignations, a death and ongoing difficulties governing have made the first three months of 2015 ones that Speaker Boehner likely would rather forget.
Chances are, Republicans in Congress would like to put the first three months of 2015 behind them. A failed fight over the Department of Homeland Security Budget, criticism over hosting a controversial speech by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the scandal-driven resignation of Rep. Michael Grimm of New York have been among the lowlights.
Add to that the February death of Mississippi Congressman Alan Nunnelee and the resignation earlier this week of of Illinois, and you have a first quarter that few will miss.
Outgoing Rep. Aaron Schock, in happier times.
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Without Grimm, Nunnelee and, at the end of this month, Schock, a GOP majority of 59 at the beginning of the term will shrink, at least temporarily, to 56. For Speaker John Boehner, who frequently struggles to muster a Republican majority on hot-button issues to stay in compliance with (which requires that a Republican speaker only bring to the floor issues that have support from a majority of GOP members), the loss of three makes it that much harder to lead.
Those difficulties were on display once again this week , where Boehner may already be having trouble assembling sufficient support for a budget resolution.
Boehner will likely get back two GOP caucus members in May, when Nunnelee and Grimm will be replaced in special elections. Likewise, Schock’s reliably Republican district should fully restore Boehner’s 59-seat majority. But in the meantime, media coverage of the Grimm and Schock replacement races will infinitely repeat key elements of the scandals that brought both down. That’s unlikely to help a congressional approval rate that had been rebounding a bit lately, but that currently .
If all this makes you feel a bit sorry for the House Republicans, don’t. It certainly could be worse – just ask Nancy Pelosi.
