RNC Chairman Priebus: Rules Committee Meeting Shows Our Party ‘Unity’

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus applauded the work of his Rules Committee just moments after the Committee finalized its rule package in Cleveland.

A #NeverTrump plot supported by Ted Cruz’s friend, Utah Sen. Mike Lee, and others including Ken Cuccinelli of Virginia tried to force through a “conscience” voting provision to un-bind Trump’s pledged delegates.

But that measure failed.

“That actually failed 87 to 12,” Trump surrogate Scottie Nell Hughes told Breitbart News shortly after the Committee adjourned. “So people are still going to be bound by their state party laws.”

Priebus did not weigh in specifically on the defeat of the “conscience” exemption, but noted that “unity” is strong in the Republican ranks.

“Our Rules Committee meeting made clear the high level of unity within our Party,” Priebus declared in a statement. “Grassroots voices from every state and territory have crafted a set of rules which will keep our Party strong at the local, state, and national level, and we honored the spirit of democracy by conducting our Rules Committee meeting in a completely open and transparent fashion.”

Rules Committee chairman Enid Mickelsen was also complimentary of the process. Mickelsen stated:

I am proud of all of the work our Rules Committee has accomplished. The final rules package we will submit to the Convention is one every delegate can be proud of. Through productive and civil discussion, our Committee members have shown their commitment to working together to make sure our party is properly organized to win up and down the ballot, and I thank them for their contributions.