The National Review’s Bob Costa reports that Arizona Republican Rep. David Schweikert had a closed-door meeting with the Speaker on Thursday afternoon about why he was purged.
“I don’t think the speaker’s hands are dirty,” Schweikert told Costa. “I simply want to get back to work, stay true to my principles, and keep laboring in the field. This bullying has been unpleasant, but this too shall pass.”
Schweikert said he’s been “inspired” by conservatives who have come out to defend the purged congressmen.
It’s unclear what, if anything, will come of the meeting between Schweikert and Boehner. Boehner spokesman Michael Steel hasn’t immediately responded to an inquiry from Breitbart News about that.
But Schweikert said he’s not going to back down. “Look, this is big-boy politics,” Schweikert said. “My concern is about the future. I don’t want to be punished for voting with my constituency, and I want to contribute to the debate. My message to leadership is, ‘Let me know how I can work with you to do those things.'”
“I have no intention of letting people eat me alive,” Schweikert added. “I’m not going to retreat from the scene because I lost my seat on the committee. I want to be judged on my work product, not on where I stand inside the conference when it comes to leadership.”
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