Disgruntled House Republican Officially Launches Plot To Overthrow Boehner As Speaker

Republican Congressman Mark Meadows (NC-11) filed a “motion to vacate the chair” on Tuesday night in the U.S. House of Representatives. The motion was filed in an attempt to force the election of a new Speaker of the House. Meadows’ motion was only the second of its kind in U.S. House history, and the first in over a century. A similar effort to oust the House Speaker was attempted 105 years ago, but that effort was ultimately unsuccessful.

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Meadows’ resolution argued that Speaker Boehner ”endeavored to consolidate power and centralize decision-making” and that he used the power of his office “to punish members who vote according to their conscience instead of the will of the Speaker.” While many conservative members of the House have expressed profound dissatisfaction with Boehner’s leadership, Meadows resolution was introduced without any co-sponsors.

Meadows’ may have filed his motion in retaliation for Boehner stripping him of his Chairmanship over the Government Operations Subcommittee, after Meadows had bucked Boehner on a key trade vote. Although Meadows was eventually handed back his gavel, the rift between the two lingered.

Meadows took an apparent dig at Boehner by saying he was trying to start a “family conversation” about the direction of House leadership. The “family conversation” euphemism is a popular phrase used by Boehner to refer to contentious internal party disputes.

While Meadows’ efforts are unlikely to dislodge the current House Speaker, his attempt highlights the continuing animosity that exists between Speaker Boehner and the most conservative members of his caucus.

Boehner’s heavy-handed approach towards GOP members who do not vote the way he wants them too, combined with the uncompromising stance of Tea Party lawmakers on many pieces of legislation, all but guarantees that the conflict between the two factions will continue to simmer. Meadows’ feeble effort to topple the Speaker is likely to fall flat on its face, but it will not be the last attempt by a disenchanted Republican to try to remove Boehner from his leadership position.

Keith Brekhus

Keith Brekhus is a progressive American who currently resides in Red Lodge, Montana. He is co-host for the Liberal Fix radio show. He holds a Master’s Degree in Sociology from the University of Missouri. In 2002, he ran for Congress as a Green Party candidate in the state of Missouri. In 2014, he worked as a field organizer for Democrat Ann Kirkpatrick’s successful re-election bid in Arizona’s 1st Congressional District. He can be followed on Twitter @keithbrekhus or on Facebook.