Club for Growth spokesman Barney Keller told Breitbart News that he thinks the House GOP leadership’s purge of conservatives from powerful House committees could backfire on Speaker John Boehner, Majority Leader Eric Cantor and Whip Kevin McCarthy.
That’s because Keller thinks the members – Kansas Republican Rep. Tim Huelskamp, Arizona Republican Rep. David Schweikert and Michigan Republican Rep. Justin Amash – are now freer than ever to pursue true fiscal conservatism.
“It is patently clear that whatever criteria was used was specifically designed to punish vocal fiscal conservatives for their advocacy of pro-growth policy, and that the silver lining to this unfortunate decision is that the GOP leadership has nothing to hold over these members anymore, which will just cause them to be even more vocal on the need to limit government and pass pro-growth policy,” Keller said in an email.
Breitbart News first reported on Tuesday evening that the leadership team used a secret document containing some kind of criteria from which they decided which conservatives they’d cut from powerful committees. It’s also likely – as an anonymous GOP leadership aide suggested to Roll Call – that the respective committee chairmen were involved too.
Spokespeople for House Budget Committee chairman Rep. Paul Ryan and incoming House Financial Services Committee chairman Rep. Jeb Hensarling haven’t responded to requests for comment from Breitbart News about whether they were involved and whether they agreed with the moves.
It’s unclear exactly what criteria are on that secret document because leadership officials refuse to release it and won’t discuss its contents on the record. It’s also unclear which leadership official sparked this to happen in the first place and what role each of the others involved played.