Hard-line conservatives have started a “coup movement” to oust Speaker of The House Paul Ryan during his re-election to the leadership post in January, The Huffington Post reported on Tuesday.
The move could potentially turn into a showdown between establishment Republicans and hard-line conservatives looking to weaken the speaker and win changes to House rules.
While conservatives don’t have enough votes to oust Ryan (R-Wis.), they want to send a message that “Ryan’s hold on the speakership is far more tenuous than he realizes.” The goal is to deny Ryan’s re-election on the first ballot in an effort to “undermine his political future and cast him as a conservative pariah,” they told reporters.
Imgur
“If he loses the speaker election, he’s not going to be president,” one member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus told the Post.
Conservatives believe the move will give them leverage to enact rules changes that would help them push their agenda for years.
Of course, a lot could change before January. Ryan’s re-election as speaker could be greatly complicated if Republicans lose more than a dozen seats on Nov. 8. Recent polls indicate that Republicans, who currently hold 247 seats in the House, will lose several seats.
H/T: Huffington Post.
