Republicans majority in the House is incredibly slim. They can’t afford to give up any ground.
But this Republican Congressman just lost his job after this shocking outburst.
After Republicans’ mediocre showing in the 2022 midterms, party leadership was smacked with a rude awakening.
The conservatives within the GOP made it clear that something needs to change, and their target was Kevin McCarthy.
McCarthy has long been leader of the Republicans in the House and was running for the coveted House Speakership, but conservatives held up his election for days and extracted multiple concessions.
But before the end of the fight, tensions were high with RINO Mike Rogers being physically restrained from conservative holdout, Matt Gaetz.
And now Rep. Mike Rogers (R-AL) said on Monday that he plans to step down from the GOP Steering Committee. This comes after Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) stopped him from attacking him during the vote for Speaker of the House last weekend.
Rogers is the representative for Region 6, which includes Alabama and Tennessee, on the steering committee. The Democratic Caucus or the Republican Conference will vote on the assignments made by this body.
But he told Politico that he would leave his seat “on his own” later this week, leaving the people in his region to choose a new representative.
Rogers also told the news organization that he might change his mind.
The lawmaker made the decision a few days after North Carolina Republican Rep. Richard Hudson had to stop Rogers from fighting with Gaetz. Gaetz was one of the last GOP holdouts who stopped Rep. Kevin McCarthy from becoming Speaker of the House at midnight on Saturday.
After McCarthy won the speaker’s gavel, the two have since worked out their differences.
“@RepMattGaetz and I have a long and productive working relationship, that I am sure will continue,” Rogers said in a tweet. “I regret that I briefly lost my temper on the House Floor Friday evening and appreciate Matt’s kind understanding.”
.@RepMattGaetz and I have a long and productive working relationship, that I am sure will continue. I regret that I briefly lost my temper on the House Floor Friday evening and appreciate Matt’s kind understanding. https://t.co/8GmbJHO3cK
— Mike Rogers (@RepMikeRogersAL) January 8, 2023
Gaetz extended his “forgiveness” to Rogers, adding the lawmaker shouldn’t face “any punishment or reprisal just because he had an animated moment.”
Politico said that Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-AL) is interested in the job and that Rep. Diana Harshbarger (R-TN) is working “aggressively” to get support for the regional position if Rogers decides to leave.
Rogers hasn’t said anything else about his choice.
After a week of voting to choose McCarthy, the 118th Congress met again on Monday to move forward on a rules package. McCarthy won after 15 ballots with 216 votes over Rep. Hakeem Jeffries’ (D-NY) 212 votes. This was because six Republican members voted “present,” which made it easier for McCarthy to win.
Stay tuned to the Federalist Wire.
