Republican senators are expressing shock and disbelief that conservative allies of former President TrumpDonald TrumpOn The Money — Biden puts oil industry on notice The Memo: Gosar censured, but toxic culture grows Cleveland’s MLB team officially changing name to Guardians on Friday MORE in the House threatened to strip colleagues who voted for the $1 trillion infrastructure bill of their committee assignments.
The incredulous reactions of Republican senators to a motion filed in the House to boot Rep. John KatkoJohn Michael KatkoHouse votes to censure Gosar and boot him from committees Trump gives McConnell insult-filled ultimatum on Biden agenda Only two Republicans expected to back censuring Gosar MORE (N.Y.) from his position as the top-ranking Republican on the House Homeland Security Committee because of his vote for the infrastructure bill reveal the chasm that is opening up between the Senate and House GOP conferences.
While Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnellAddison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellSchumer, McConnell talk on debt ceiling On The Money — Biden puts oil industry on notice Trump gives McConnell insult-filled ultimatum on Biden agenda MORE (R-Ky.) has created something of a bulwark against Trump’s complete takeover of the Republican Party, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthyKevin McCarthyThe Memo: Gosar censured, but toxic culture grows House votes to censure Gosar and boot him from committees Ocasio-Cortez blasts Gosar, McCarthy over anime video showing her murder MORE (R-Calif.) has made public shows of loyalty to the former president and done little to rein in the most rambunctious and provocative pro-Trump conservatives in his conference.
The starkly different attitudes among Senate and House Republicans were laid bare this week when Trump’s allies in the lower chamber made a push to punish the 13 GOP colleagues who voted for infrastructure legislation by threatening their committee assignments.
The calls for retaliation are coming from a small number of conservatives in the House Freedom Caucus and are unlikely to result in lawmakers actually being kicked off committees, but the fact that there’s even a serious discussion of it is causing heartburn.
Senate Republicans warn that taking such a drastic step against fellow Republicans over a good-faith policy disagreement would be foolish and dangerous to the long-term health of the party.
“That’s absolutely nuts,” Sen. Mitt RomneyWillard (Mitt) Mitt RomneyIn dramatic shift, national intelligence director does not rule out ‘extraterrestrial’ origins for UFOs GOP looks to expand state legislature candidate tracking program ahead of midterms National Republicans stunned by Sununu snub MORE (R-Utah) said of talk in the House of stripping Republicans who voted for the infrastructure bill of their committee seats.
“The infrastructure bill was bipartisan. It was voted for by Mitch McConnell,” he said, arguing that it will now be tougher for Democratic leaders to…
Read More: GOP senators appalled by ‘ridiculous’ House infighting