by Rep. Andy Biggs
It is time. It is time for new leadership of the U.S. House of Representatives.
People are thrilled that Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s reign of Leftist extremism is ending. The question is whether we will be treated to the status quo that will move us along the same path, though perhaps more slowly.
Will we elect an establishment Republican as the speaker — think Paul Ryan, or in this case, Ryan’s right-hand man, Kevin McCarthy.
The Left wants to see a McCarthy Speakership, as outgoing Majority Whip Clyburn said. Establishment Republicans want to see a continuation of the Swamp, as Paul Ryan has endorsed McCarthy for speaker. And, even phony conservative types, claim that McCarthy is the only guy for them (see radio talker Mark Levin for example, who after blasting McCarthy for years has decided that he is perfect for the job).
And people wonder why the establishment is the establishment.
The purpose of the establishment is not to better the lives of Americans, the purpose is to gain and keep power. If anyone besides the establishment class experiences positive effects from the rule of the establishment, it is merely serendipitous.
On the other hand, the establishment is rather indifferent to the consequences of the Swamp’s policies on Americans, just so long as the Establishment, the uniparty remains in power.
One of my favorite conservative commentators recently wrote that the establishment had better do better for the American people this time or else. Or else what? And, when has the conservative movement, or for that matter, when has the Republican base had a better time to actually change the direction of the nation than then the pending election for House speaker?
We actually have the opportunity to dislodge the establishment and reinvigorate the America First movement that was founded by former President Donald Trump. Yes, that Donald Trump.
The lack of leadership by the Republican nominee for Speaker is evident in multiple ways. One is unfolding as I write this.
A spending package is being considered that will bloat our national debt and extend until next October. The biggest leverage the Republicans will have with President Joe Biden in the White House will be the budget. But McCarthy is about to give that away.
And, oddly because Congress grinds to a halt in the last year of a presidential cycle, by giving away our strongest leverage tool of the budget, either through an omnibus spending bill or a yearlong stopgap spender (Continuing Resolution), Leader McCarthy is about to eviscerate our leverage for the balance of the Biden presidency.
And here we have an establishment candidate for speaker of the House who circulated a censure resolution of Trump and protected Liz Cheney when the majority of the Republicans wanted to remove her as their leader. It wasn’t until she personally embarrassed him that McCarthy supported her dismissal.
And, while the Biden Regime has ripped apart the policies that were so successful in economic growth, border security and prestige around the world, the Republican leader has indolently allowed Pelosi and her minions to dismantle those policies.
When people like me instituted a plan to challenge the Democrats using every procedural tool we had, our leader castigated us. I was told that it is inconvenient to require votes on every bill.
Yet it was the Democrat floor leader, Steny Hoyer, who negotiated with conservatives who were fighting with the Democrats on the floor of the House. We were within inches of slowing the Democrat program down when Democrats started consolidating legislation for quicker passage.
As I told our leader, if we had banded together and defeated the first efforts of consolidation — as we had the votes to do — the Democrats would have come back to us to negotiate for better terms. We could have controlled much of the action on the floor of the U.S. House. I and my team were rebuffed. The result: the Democrats were able to dismantle America with virtually little resistance.
When the military spending bill came forward, containing implementation of the Green New deal in the military, implementation of radical woke programs like Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and implementation of a marijuana banking provision, we urged the leader to leverage that bill to get legislation that strengthens the military without further social experimentation on our men and women.
We had leverage because 30-40 Democrats dislike the military so much that they won’t ever support a military funding bill. Pelosi needed our votes to pass the bill out of the House. Again, our leader meekly requested Republicans vote no instead of whipping our team to get a clean bill.
Recently the Republicans huddled to consider rules by which we will govern ourselves in the upcoming session of Congress. Our leader, whose “Commitment to America” promised that Republicans would restore fiscal sanity to the wild spending ways of Congress, allowed the perpetuation of spending earmarks.
Earmarks are considered the sine qua non of runaway spending.
These are just a few of the reasons America needs new leadership in Congress. We do not get an opportunity for such revolutionary change often.
The Left has patiently and unrelentingly taken control of our institutions. Leadership of both parties have either wittingly or carelessly facilitated the takeover of our institutions.
And now, when pro-freedom, America First Republicans have a chance to effectuate change, even our own are fighting that. And you wonder why the establishment stays in power.
Do you think that we as Americans are facing an existential crisis? Do you believe that things will change if we have leadership that includes McCarthy, who has been at or near the apex of the Republican conference in Congress for more than six years?
Or, do you want Republicans to use all available tools to slow the Democrats’ race to Marxism?
It is inadequate to plead, beg, cajole, warn, or work with the establishment.
We cannot let this all too rare opportunity to effectuate structural change pass us by because it is uncomfortable to challenge the Republican candidate who is a creature of the establishment status quo, or because the challenge is accompanied by some minimal risk.
Exiting the current suboptimal path will certainly incur a short-term cost but will have enormous long-term benefits.
We will never defeat or change the status quo, which is taking us to the Leftist’s vision of America, by selecting a status quo candidate as the third most powerful person in the government. The Republican candidate was created by, elevated by and maintained by the establishment.
Is this not the pivotal point of our generation? What will two more years under the Biden Regime look like if we do not have a leader who will stand up to its objectives? Or, If Republicans don’t use every available tool to preserve our rights and defeat the assault by Biden?
Those who support such a change ought to join in our campaign by letting their elected representatives in Congress know that it’s time for a renewed America, not a time for protecting of the status quo.
– – –
Congressman Biggs represents Arizona’s Fifth Congressional District and serves on the House Judiciary Committee and the Oversight and Reform Committee.
The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Photo “Kevin McCarthy” by Kevin McCarthy. Background Photo “U.S. House Chamber” by United States House of Representatives.
Now is not the time for this challenge. The Republicans simply don’t have the power .. yet.