The House Republican Conference is the party caucus for Republicans in the United States House of Representatives. It hosts meetings, and is the primary forum for communicating the party's message to members. The conference produces a daily publication of political analysis under the title Legislative Digest.
House Republican Conference | |
---|---|
Chairperson | Elise Stefanik (NY) |
Part of | United States House of Representatives |
House Speaker | Mike Johnson (LA) |
Floor Leader | Steve Scalise (LA) |
Floor Whip | Tom Emmer (MN) |
Vice Chair | Blake Moore (UT) |
Ideology | Conservatism |
Political position | Center-right to right-wing |
Affiliation | Republican Party |
Colors | Red |
Seats | 220 / 435 |
Website | |
gop | |
When the conference holds the majority of seats, it is usually led by the speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives who is assisted on the floor by the House majority leader and the party's chief whip. When in the minority, it is led by the House minority leader, assisted by the chief whip. The conference has a chair who directs day-to-day operations and who is assisted by an elected vice chair and a secretary.
In the 118th Congress, the conference is led by Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana, assisted by Majority Leader Steve Scalise (also of Louisiana), and Majority Whip Tom Emmer. The current chair is Elise Stefanik of New York, who assumed the position after a vote of the House Republican Conference on May 14, 2021.[1][2] Former chairs include Gerald Ford, John Boehner, Mike Pence, John B. Anderson, Dick Cheney, Jack Kemp, J. C. Watts, Deborah D. Pryce, Adam Putnam, Jeb Hensarling, Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Liz Cheney, and Kevin McCarthy. As a result of the 2022 elections, the party holds a narrow majority in the House of Representatives in the 118th Congress, which was reduced from 222 to 221 after the expulsion of Republican George Santos on December 1, 2023. It was reduced additionally upon the resignation of Kevin McCarthy on December 31, 2023.
Current hierarchy
editAs of November 8, 2023, the conference leadership has been as follows:
- Mike Johnson (LA) as Speaker of the House (Conference leader)
- Steve Scalise (LA) as House majority leader
- Tom Emmer (MN) as House majority whip
- Elise Stefanik (NY) as Chair of the House Republican Conference
- Blake Moore (UT) as Vice Chair of the House Republican Conference
- Lisa McClain (MI) as Secretary of the House Republican Conference
- Gary Palmer (AL) as Chair of the House Republican Policy Committee
- Richard Hudson (NC) as Chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee
- Guy Reschenthaler (PA) as House Republican chief deputy whip
Leaders of the House Republican Conference
editCongress | Leader | District | Took office | Left office | House Speaker | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
36th | William Pennington (1796–1862) |
New Jersey 5 | February 1, 1860 | March 3, 1861 | Himself 1860–1861 | ||
37th | Galusha A. Grow (1823–1907) |
Pennsylvania 14 | July 4, 1861 | March 4, 1863 | Himself 1861–1863 | ||
38th | Schuyler Colfax (1823–1885) |
Indiana 9 | December 7, 1863 | March 3, 1869[a] | Himself 1863–1869 | ||
39th | |||||||
40th | |||||||
40th | Theodore M. Pomeroy (1824–1905) |
New York 24 | March 3, 1869 | March 4, 1869 | Himself 1869 | ||
41st | James G. Blaine (1830–1893) |
Maine 3 | March 4, 1869 | March 4, 1875 | Himself 1869–1875 | ||
42nd | |||||||
43rd | |||||||
44th | George W. McCrary (1835–1890) |
Iowa 1 | March 4, 1875 | March 3, 1877 | Kerr 1875–1876 | ||
Randall 1876–1881 | |||||||
45th | Eugene Hale (1836–1918) |
Maine 5 | March 4, 1877 | March 4, 1879 | |||
46th | William P. Frye (1830–1911) |
Maine 2 | March 4, 1879 | March 3, 1881 | |||
47th | J. Warren Keifer (1836–1932) |
Ohio 8 | December 5, 1881 | March 4, 1883 | Himself 1881–1883 | ||
48th | Joseph Gurney Cannon (1836–1926) |
Illinois 15 | March 4, 1883 | March 3, 1889 | Carlisle 1883–1889 | ||
49th | |||||||
50th | |||||||
51st | Thomas Brackett Reed (1839–1902) |
Maine 1 | December 4, 1889 | March 3, 1891 | Himself 1889–1891 | ||
52nd | Thomas J. Henderson (1824–1911) |
Illinois 7 | March 4, 1891 | March 3, 1895 | Crisp 1891–1895 | ||
53rd | |||||||
54th | Thomas Brackett Reed (1839–1902) |
Maine 1 | December 2, 1895 | March 4, 1899 | Himself 1895–1899 | ||
55th | |||||||
56th | David B. Henderson (1840–1906) |
Iowa 3 | December 4, 1899 | March 4, 1903 | Himself 1899–1903 | ||
57th | |||||||
58th | Joseph Gurney Cannon (1836–1926) |
Illinois 18 | November 9, 1903 | March 4, 1911 | Himself 1903–1911 | ||
59th | |||||||
60th | |||||||
61st | |||||||
62nd | James Robert Mann (1856–1922) |
Illinois 2 | March 4, 1911 | March 3, 1919 | Clark 1911–1919 | ||
63rd | |||||||
64th | |||||||
65th | |||||||
66th | Frederick H. Gillett (1851–1935) |
Massachusetts 2 | May 19, 1919 | March 3, 1925 | Himself 1919–1925 | ||
67th | |||||||
68th | |||||||
69th | Nicholas Longworth (1869–1931) |
Ohio 1 | December 7, 1925 | March 4, 1931 | Himself 1925–1931 | ||
70th | |||||||
71st | |||||||
72nd | Bertrand Snell (1870–1958) |
New York 31 | March 4, 1931 | January 3, 1939 | Garner 1931–1933 | ||
73rd | Rainey 1933–1934 | ||||||
74th | Byrns 1935–1936 | ||||||
Bankhead 1936–1940 | |||||||
75th | |||||||
76th | Joseph W. Martin Jr. (1884–1968) |
Massachusetts 14 | January 3, 1939 | January 3, 1959 | |||
Rayburn 1940–1947 | |||||||
77th | |||||||
78th | |||||||
79th | |||||||
80th | Himself 1947–1949 | ||||||
81st | Rayburn 1949–1953 | ||||||
82nd | |||||||
83rd | Himself 1953–1955 | ||||||
84th | Rayburn 1955–1961 | ||||||
85th | |||||||
86th | Charles A. Halleck (1900–1986) |
Indiana 2 | January 3, 1959 | January 3, 1965 | |||
87th | |||||||
McCormack 1962–1971 | |||||||
88th | |||||||
89th | Gerald Ford (1913–2006) |
Michigan 5 | January 3, 1965 | December 6, 1973[a] | |||
90th | |||||||
91st | |||||||
92nd | Albert 1971–1977 | ||||||
93rd | |||||||
93rd | John Jacob Rhodes (1916–2003) |
Arizona 1 | December 7, 1973 | January 3, 1981 | |||
94th | |||||||
95th | O'Neill 1977–1987 | ||||||
96th | |||||||
97th | Robert H. Michel (1923–2017) |
Illinois 18 | January 3, 1981 | January 3, 1995 | |||
98th | |||||||
99th | |||||||
100th | Wright 1987–1989 | ||||||
101st | |||||||
101st | Foley 1989–1995 | ||||||
102nd | |||||||
103rd | |||||||
104th | Newt Gingrich (born 1943) |
Georgia 6 | January 3, 1995 | January 3, 1999[b] | Himself 1995–1999 | ||
105th | |||||||
106th | Dennis Hastert (born 1942) |
Illinois 14 | January 6, 1999 | January 3, 2007 | Himself 1999–2007 | ||
107th | |||||||
108th | |||||||
109th | |||||||
110th | John Boehner (born 1949) |
Ohio 8 | January 3, 2007 | October 29, 2015[b] | Pelosi 2007–2011 | ||
111th | |||||||
112th | Himself 2011–2015 | ||||||
113th | |||||||
114th | |||||||
114th | Paul Ryan (born 1970) |
Wisconsin 1 | October 29, 2015 | January 3, 2019 | Himself 2015–2019 | ||
115th | |||||||
116th | Kevin McCarthy (born 1965) |
California 23 | January 3, 2019 | October 3, 2023[c] | Pelosi 2019–2023 | ||
117th | |||||||
118th | California 20 | Himself 2023 | |||||
October 3, 2023 | October 25, 2023 | McHenry[d] 2023 | |||||
Mike Johnson (born 1972) |
Louisiana 4 | October 25, 2023 | Incumbent | Himself 2023–present |
Notes
edit- ^ a b Resigned to become Vice President of the United States.
- ^ a b Resigned from office and from Congress.
- ^ Kevin McCarthy was vacated as speaker on October 3, 2023, though McCarthy remained as House Republican Leader until the election of Mike Johnson on October 25.
- ^ This person served as speaker pro tempore.
Conference chairs
editThe conference chair is elected each Congress.[3]
Vice chairs
editThe vice chair is next in rank after the House Republican Conference Chair. Like the chair, the vice chair is elected by a vote of all Republican House members before each Congress. Among other duties, the vice chair has a seat on both the Steering and Policy Committees.[4]
- Robert Stafford of Vermont (1971)
- Samuel L. Devine of Ohio (1971–1979)
- Jack Edwards of Alabama (1979–1985)
- Lynn Morley Martin of Illinois (1985–1989)
- Bill McCollum of Florida (1989–1995)
- Susan Molinari of New York (1995–1997)
- Jennifer Dunn of Washington (1997–1999)
- Tillie Fowler of Florida (1999–2001)
- Deborah Pryce of Ohio (2001–2003)
- Jack Kingston of Georgia (2003–2007)
- Kay Granger of Texas (2007–2009)
- Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington (2009–2013)
- Lynn Jenkins of Kansas (2013–2017)
- Doug Collins of Georgia (2017–2019)
- Mark Walker of North Carolina (2019–2021)
- Mike Johnson of Louisiana (2021–2023)
- Blake Moore of Utah (2023-present)
Secretaries
editCongress | Name | State | Term start | Term end |
---|---|---|---|---|
Position established | ||||
90th | Dick Poff | Virginia | January 3, 1967 | August 29, 1972 |
91st | ||||
92nd | ||||
Jack Edwards[5][6] | Alabama | August 29, 1972 | January 3, 1979 | |
93rd | ||||
94th | ||||
95th | ||||
96th | Clair Burgener | California | January 3, 1979 | January 3, 1985 |
97th | ||||
98th | ||||
99th | Robert J. Lagomarsino | January 3, 1985 | January 3, 1989 | |
100th | ||||
101st | Vin Weber | Minnesota | January 3, 1989 | January 3, 1993 |
102nd | ||||
103rd | Tom DeLay | Texas | January 3, 1993 | January 3, 1995 |
104th | Barbara Vucanovich | Nevada | January 3, 1995 | January 3, 1997 |
105th | Jennifer Dunn | Washington | January 3, 1997 | July 17, 1997 |
Tillie Fowler | Florida | July 17, 1997 | January 3, 1999 | |
106th | Deborah Pryce | Ohio | January 3, 1999 | January 3, 2001 |
107th | Barbara Cubin | Wyoming | January 3, 2001 | January 3, 2003 |
108th | John Doolittle | California | January 3, 2003 | January 3, 2007 |
109th | ||||
110th | John Carter | Texas | January 3, 2007 | January 3, 2013 |
111th | ||||
112th | ||||
113th | Virginia Foxx | North Carolina | January 3, 2013 | January 3, 2017 |
114th | ||||
115th | Jason Smith | Missouri | January 3, 2017 | January 3, 2021 |
116th | ||||
117th | Richard Hudson | North Carolina | January 3, 2021 | January 3, 2023 |
118th | Lisa McClain | Michigan | January 3, 2023 | present |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Milman, Oliver (2021-05-14). "Trump loyalist Elise Stefanik wins Republican vote to replace Liz Cheney". The Guardian.
- ^ "Republican Conference Chairmen". US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives. Retrieved 7 January 2019.
- ^ "Republican Conference Chairmen | US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives". history.house.gov. Retrieved 2021-02-04.
- ^ "House Leadership Structure: Overview of Party Organization" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on November 29, 2006.
- ^ "Anniston Star, Sep 12, 1972, p. 10 | NewspaperArchive®". newspaperarchive.comn. 1972-09-12. Retrieved 2021-02-04.
- ^ "Ford Press Releases, September - December 1972" (PDF). fordlibrarymuseum.gov. Retrieved 29 June 2023.