Fox News anchor and nationally syndicated radio host Sean Hannity is not backing down from his call for a fresh Republican leader to take over as Speaker of the House on Tuesday.
“The House of Representatives is the people’s house and 60 percent of Republicans want a new Speaker,” Hannity said in an email to Breitbart News. “Therein lies the dilemma for every House Republican. What is more important to them; committee assignments? Office locations? Or the will of the people who put them in power? If the Republican Party wants to stay in power, they need a bold inspiring solutions based agenda that will be articulated and fought for every single day for the next two years.”
Hannity said Boehner does not fit the definition of a leader.
“I do not see John Boehner as that leader,” Hannity said. “He has too often been timid and weak, scared to death he will get blamed for a government shut down. Unwilling to use his constitutional power of the purse in battling Obama’s radical agenda. Republicans need somebody to inspire both tea party conservatives and moderate Republicans. An agenda that would help Americans in poverty, on welfare or those unemployed.”
Hannity said that the replacement for Boehner should balance the budget, replace Obamacare, secure the border, and support American energy independence—all while pushing real education reforms like school choice.
“I want a conservative leader who will do the following: Stop robbing future generations and balance the budget, replace obamacare which Boehner just funded again for a year, secure the borders now, make America energy independent which creates jobs and dramatically helps national security, offer school choice and get kids out of failing schools.”
“Republicans all love to quote former President Reagan,” Hannity said, using all caps for emphasis on the last couple sentences. “Well this is THEIR TIME FOR CHOOSING. Will they vote for a pale pastel DC insider (Boehner) or a new bold colored dynamic articulate leader and a new revitalized Republican Party …… THE TIME FOR A NEW SPEAKER IS NOW.”
Heading into a several-hours long GOP conference meeting Monday night, Boehner’s future was in jeopardy. Nine Republicans—Reps. Jim Bridenstine (R-OK), Walter Jones (R-NC), Dave Brat (R-VA), Steve King (R-IA), Louie Gohmert (R-TX), Ted Yoho (R-FL), Marlin Stutzman (R-IN), Paul Gosar (R-AZ), and Thomas Massie (R-TX)—had issued public statements expressing their plans to vote for a Republican alternative to Boehner on Tuesday.
Many more were planning on doing so, and some still plan on it, though the momentum against Boehner inside the Congress—despite the overwhelming opposition to Boehner being reelected from Republican voters around the country, as evidenced by the capitol switchboard getting lit up on Monday with phone calls—seemed to slow as Boehner himself began making phone calls to lobby members personally.
But, after conference, Rep. Curt Clawson (R-FL) issued a statement saying he is against Boehner too.
“After caucusing with my colleagues tonight, I will be voting for a change in House Leadership tomorrow,” Clawson tweeted. “Now is a good time for change.”
They need a minimum of 29 members to make it happen. But Republicans in Congress can take down Boehner if they want to. If they don’t, they’ll likely need to answer why they voted for him in the upcoming Republican primaries in 2016—especially if candidates emerge, as many nationwide expect them to, because of this vote, the cromnibus vote, and other things Boehner is expected to begin doing in the new Congress should he be reelected.
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