Rep. August Pfluger (R-Texas) was elected on Friday to chair the Republican Examine Committee (RSC), the biggest conservative caucus within the Home, for the 119th Congress.
Pfluger, who had led the caucus’s energy-focused activity drive, ran for the position in opposition to Rep. Ben Cline (R-Va.), who headed its finances activity drive.
The vote was 80-57, two sources informed The Hill.
“[The Republican Study Committee] is going to play a really key role in all the things that are happening with the agenda that President Trump and our country basically mandated of our party,” Pfluger informed The Hill.
“Honored to be able to lead it,” Pfluger mentioned. “There’s a lot of work in front of us. But I think that what this organization has stood for for over 50 years is to be the conservative conscience of the Republican conference.”
The 51-year-old caucus has traditionally served to push GOP management in a conservative route on coverage. However in an indication that the group is maybe extra aligned with management than ever, the entire Home GOP management — Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), Home Majority Chief Steve Scalise (R-La.), and Home Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) — have been current and voting within the election, in line with the group’s outgoing chair Rep. Kevin Hern (R-Okla.).
Pfluger mentioned that he hopes the caucus would be the “time-keeper” for pushing conservative insurance policies by means of Congress because the GOP prepares to take whole management of presidency below President-elect Trump.
“We know what President Trump is trying to accomplish. We know what we were elected to do,” Pfluger mentioned. “I think it’s keeping us on time, keeping us on track, making sure that we follow through.”
Pfluger additionally mentioned he expects most of the members of Trump’s Cupboard to return communicate to the group, and “would love to have President Trump come speak to us.”
The Republican Examine Committee chairmanship has traditionally been a launching pad for GOP leaders.j
Previous RSC chairs embody former Vice President Mike Pence (R-Ind.), Johnson, Scalise, Home Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and Sen.-elect Jim Banks (R-Ind.).
Hern was elected this week to the same position, chair of the Republican Coverage Committee, which is the No. 6 place within the Home GOP management.
Hern mentioned that each Pfluger and Cline have been “top-tier” candidates for the position.
Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) gave the nominating speech for Pfluger on Friday, whereas Rep. Rob Wittman (R-Va.) did so for Cline, a supply mentioned.
A big a part of Pfluger’s imaginative and prescient for the caucus that he pitched to its members was to develop its electoral actions, “reimagining” the concentrate on the Home Conservatives Fund – the political motion committee (PAC) that’s affiliated with the RSC. A handout from Pfluger requires taking fundraising for the group “to new heights,” hiring a full-time political director for the PAC, and offering monetary help to weak incumbents.
He additionally steered making a speedy response activity drive to react to information of the day.
