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A pair of House Republicans stripped of their plum committee assignments lashed out Tuesday at the GOP leadership, suggesting they were punished for insisting on fealty to conservative principles.
NBC's Mark Murray reports House Speaker John Boehner has removed four House GOP committee chairmen in what's being described as a 'power move' against members who weren't 'team players.'
Reps. Tim Huelskamp, R-Kan., and Justin Amash, R-Mich., huddled with conservatives after the Republican Steering Committee removed them from their seats on the House Budget Committee.
"It's petty, it's vindictive and if you have any conservative principle, you'll be punished," Huelskamp said at a briefing for conservatives at the Heritage Foundation.
Huelskamp and Amash, along with Reps. David Schweikert, R-Ariz., and Walter Jones, R-N.C., lost their seats on the budget panel and House Financial Services Committee after the GOP conference determined they were "not team players," in the words of one Republican aide.
That action has prompted a minor outcry among conservatives, who fear that lawmakers who cross the GOP leadership will be punished for their transgressions. That fear coincides with mounting concern on the right that Republican leaders will cut a "fiscal cliff" deal with President Barack Obama that results in higher taxes, through either increased rates or eliminated deductions.
Amash and Huelskamp said that they learned of losing their spots on those committees by reading reports in the media; they said that no Republican leaders had notified them of the changes.
"I've received not a single call from anyone in leadership, not a single email," Amash said. "I've been not told about what committees I will be on."
The Michigan congressman, who distinguished himself as one of the more libertarian-minded Republican congressmen during his first term in the House, suggested that his independence on issues (including supporting cuts to defense spending) had led GOP leaders to look to "silence" him.
Huelskamp said the suspected a video he produced last week re-affirming his support for a pledge vowing to never raise taxes contributed to his loss of the committee spot. The Kansas conservative furthermore said he feared Republicans might cave on the issue of taxes.
"I think there's going to be an attempt to pass a tax increase through the U.S. House, in exchange for what?" he asked.
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We are witnessing the fast disintegration of the Republican party. Ouch!
Actually your witnessing the disintegration of my country.
poorschmuk---'your' country; it's OUR country....stay strong, Mr. President!!!!
Did they jump up and down and cry? Too bad..Too, too bad. I think it is time to consider the distinct posibility that the GOP is going away.
Poor little teabaggers.
Well at least there are a few grownups left in the GOP. These right wing nut jobs are being boxed out in anticipation of actually doing something for the country. And its about damn time.
Yea, someone has to pay the tax. YOU might consider going to WORK. Sorry for the 4 letter word (WORK)
poorschmuk Chances are you are a schmuk working for a corporation that deems you expendable.Unless you make more than 250k a year you have nothing to cry, about and if you make more than 250k a year chances you don't work for it and still have nothing to cry about. I never made that much and always paid taxes would I pay a little more to make 250k ? Hell yeah would love to.
2833 clark - why don't you change careers? Get into a field that pays better. Why are you settling for what you've got? Are you doing anything besides complaining about what the other guy's got? Opportunities are out there, so do something other than feeling sorry for yourself.
nmrepublican where did I complain about what some other guy has ? All I said was I would gladly pay more in taxes to make more ,every one else is complaining about paying taxes.I never feel sorry for myself just the misinformed.As you pigeoned holed me you are one of the misinformed so sorry for you.
Funny... Your fearlous leader that wants the rich to pay thier fair share. 10% of the American people already PAY 70% of the income tax that is paid. When the tax cuts end, the revenue that will be realized will be about 40 Billion from upper income (Over $250,000)and about 174 Billion from the middle class (Under $250,000). Before you pat yourself on the back, go to the Whitehouse website and read the executive orders that has been signed in less than 1 term by this dangerous person. Under the guise of national security he has signed an order allowing the US Government to control the communications in this country as well as all transportation, agriculture, weapons, utilities and a host of others. 139 in less than 1 term. Bush had a lot (60 in 2 terms)
Even Clinton had the sense not to screw with what worked. Contrary to what you may think the balanced budget was brought on by Reagans policies not Clintons. But, believe as you will. This ding-dong hasn't even got a Budget passed in 4 years.
G.W. took a lot of heat in his presidency because Bubba was in his office playing with cigars. You don't get a work and/or school visa, learn to fly a 737 and mastermind something like 9/11 in 8 short months. THINKABOUTIT.
C
10% also own 95% of the wealth. Usually, through inheritance or some other way of gaming the system. When 95% of the laws go away so we can have a free market economy than maybe i would agree with you. You name it,and there are hundreds and hundreds of laws around it.
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All i can say is "wow."
This is a low for the republicans. This is more of a blackmail thing going on.
Really, all this does is make republicans demoralized about their own party. These kinds of stupid things shouldn't be done just to punish those who try to compromise. Nice to see some republicans trying to compromise at least. Now we need to see most republicans AND democrats compromising.
So now the Teabeggers are upset that their voices and votes are being 'suppressed.' What a joke they are America. The Teabeggers may now 'comprehend' what the millions of voters. That their "Party of No tried to 'suppress' during the election. "Bonehead Boehner" is running a Teabegger "House Of Clowns." With Russian Roulette Tables in the basement. What the GOP/Teabeggers do not understand yet. Is that their "Party Of NO" is restrictive, intolerant, treasonous, and ran like a "Stalinist State." In the Teabegger "House Of Hoodlum's." One either obeys or they are stripped of all rights as representatives. So in effect. These Teabegger Representatives are representing no one. Hey! Hey! Ho! Ho! The Party Of No has got to go!! This time America. The whole "Party Of NO has got to go.
Grover Norquist should be hanged for treason!!!
Anyone not willing to work towards the shared goal: to avoid the Fiscal Cliff, should get the hell out of town.
Congress has wasted enough time. Actually, they should donate their last years pay towards reducing the deficit
since they have done nothing to earn those paychecks. Also, let's look at their great retirement package. That would also be a good place to start reducing the deficit
The tent the No Party talks about is really a pup tent......
So, if taxes rise for 2% of the country, what will the other 98% be willing to sacrifice to do their fair share to get our country out of this mess? Maybe they see the increased taxes as leading to more freebies for them. Spend more on me but don't make me pay for it. Pathetic.
The talk about the repubs forming a third party might not be unrealistic. It's becoming quite clear that the two factions (Tea Bagger wingnuts and the faux moderates) are not going to be able to work together.
Eat crow losers. Go have a Tetley tea bag with your chitlings ans collard greens...lmaof
Poor Repukes. Thank God you are dealing with Barack. Hillary would have had you for lunch by now.
Ready....aim....fire.....let the blood bath begin!!!! The clowns exited the GNOP Clown Car.......and formed a CIRCULAR FIRING SQUAD......hopefully Grover will be put in the middle the next time!!!
I,m not exactly sure what Boehner thought he accomplished with this move, but it was a Good Sign that he may finally be starting to strong arm his position in his own party! I'm kinda surprised he let go the more center rt Rep Amash, Because he definitely needs some more moderate views to help his own cause!
He has to. Obama has him by the balls. The middle class is going to get socked . The govenment would paint the moon purple and call it a national cause if they had the funds. I personally think both sides want to go over the cliff so they can spend more.
I'm working hard to raise children that when they become adults, never believe that they are entitled to a standard of living paid for by the hard work of someone other than themselves.
The top 2 percent of this country make 288 times more than the average member of the middle class. Do you really think that asking them to pay a little more in taxes is unfair? The middle class works hard and they pay for their social security and their medicare.
It's more than fairness, it's patriotism. The poor and lower middle class tend to do the fighting and dying in wars for the benefit of all of us, including the rich. Ask the rich to contribute a little more money for the benefit of the country and suddenly your branded a 'liberal" who wants to "live off of other people's money". Tell you what, let's raise the taxes on the poor and middle class and send the rich to fight in wars. That would never happen because these people who send their money offshore, and don't create jobs, don't care about America only lining their pockets.
If the people who own over 90% of the wealth only pay 70% of the taxes, there is an imbalance and it is not because the poor aren't paying enough. What they also don't understand is that the poor pay 100% of their money for survival (food, shelter, clothes, electricity) while the rich are worried about being taxed on that extra couple of million they wanted to squirrel away for themselves. I call BS.
Couple 'o wingnuts if there ever was a pair!
what I don't get with these guys is if they do nothing, taxes rise for everyone so they need to stop their whinning. No body cares what they think because they were out manuevered 12 months ago. They so called conservatives way don't matter. ....They need to cut a deal with the loser and spender in chief.
When will we see the rush of teabagger seniors dumping their medicare and buying private insurance? I'm tired of these two faced turds complaining about guvment spending when the guvment spending goes to seniors and defense...food stamps is mice nuts compared to senior and defense contractor welfare...
BTW teabaggers...BCBS has a +65 insurance poliocy starting at 5000/month per couple....go ahead give up your welfare and go into the real markets like real americans do
Private medicare is not a tea bagger policy. It was a romney and that fake.. ryans idea. Private medicare would drive up costs as medicare is on a fee for service system. Obama as much as I don't like him, is 100% right on that issue. Until fee for service gets striped with capitation or something else...than their is no limit to the expenditures.
These "super" conservatives are funny little people. Why were they elected again?
DiMartino
I believe that the rich republicans in Congress should set in a room with the President of the US until they stop acting like immature babies and tax the rich. Why should the Middle Class pick up the bills. I believe that President George Bush sold this country down the sewer with his two unnecessary Wars. (Eight Years of Sleeping at the Desk.) Nothing was every acccomplished accept Americans killed, disabled and our Country does not support them in anyway when if and when they return home. The foursome are hopeless and theydo not support anything to help this Country; say NO to eveything. I could go on and on but that would not solve anything. I feel that Boehner needs to wake and smell the cofffee
Apparently Boehner is not the only republican in congress who is flabbergasted; these guys are about to bust a gasket!!!
Huelskamp asked what the GOP might get in return for a tax deal. Maybe some relevance after 2014?
These folks need to self-deport themselves from the republican party and form their own party if they don't like how they are treated.