Key Vote Alert – House – Speaker Vote

The Club for Growth urges all Representatives to vote for a Speaker of the House of Representatives that will provide transformational reforms to the House, build a bold pro-growth legislative agenda, and restore the individual rights and powers of the rank-and-file membership. If a candidate for Speaker refuses to support and adopt the reforms outlined below – Club for Growth urges all Representatives to vote against that candidate for Speaker. The results of one or more votes will be included in the Club for Growth Foundation’s 2023 congressional scorecard.

Leadership races are typically “inside baseball” politics but the American People are desperate for new political leadership in America. The career politicians from both parties that have led the House, Senate, and White House yield a lack of enthusiasm among the American People. That is why there is not an electoral mandate for any specific candidate to be Speaker. The House is not about one person or a Speaker of the House. In fact, the House is not even about 435 people. The House is about representation of over 330 million Americans. What’s more important to the American People than any individual member is the dire necessity to restore the House of Representatives to a legislative body that gives all Members from all communities a voice to speak on behalf of constituents, the ability to amend and impact legislation, and a vote on behalf of the People they were elected to represent.

The next Speaker must also pledge to hold an up-or-down vote on a Constitutional Amendment providing term limits at the length of three terms in the House and two terms in the Senate in order to expose the career politicians that only serve their own interests and to enrich themselves, not public service in the best interests of the American People.

On December 1^st, 2022, David McIntosh, President, Club for Growth issued a statement that said:

“For far too long, the House Leadership from both parties has consolidated power into the select few, rather than embracing the diverse viewpoints of the rank-and-file Membership representing constituents across America. Instead of mimicking Nancy Pelosi’s regime, the new Speaker of the House should adopt the following reforms in order to return democracy to the House of Representatives.”

• Return to the rules of the 114th Congress. It is especially important to have a functioning amendment process for the House to function. This includes allowing “open rules” on all major rule legislation, such as appropriations. It is unacceptable that in the last six years there have been no – zero – amendments on legislation permitted from rank-and-file Members brought to a vote;
• Congressional Leadership Fund should be prohibited from spending money or providing grants to any super PAC to engage in open Republican primaries or against any Republican incumbent. Additionally, the Speaker shall not be permitted to solicit funds or direct any other super PAC to oppose a Republican incumbent;
• Give conservatives a seat at the table. A true conservative Representative must also be included in House Republican Leadership. None of the elected leadership from last month’s (November) leadership elections represents the views of 33% of Republicans who are elected conservatives in order to satisfy this requirement.

The transformational reforms described in this key vote alert are vital to restoring the People’s House and ending business as usual. Club for Growth strongly urges all Representatives to vote for a candidate for Speaker that supports these reforms and to oppose a candidate for Speaker that does not. Otherwise, the People’s House won’t be restored and business as usual will continue in the nation’s capital.

Club for Growth Foundation’s Congressional Scorecard for the 118th Congress provides a comprehensive rating of how well or how poorly each member of Congress supports pro-growth, free-market policies and will be distributed to the public.