Rep. Dan Newhouse, a moderate House Republican and congressional leader on ag and immigration policy, said Friday he wants to hear from the speaker candidates how they plan to move a farm bill as well as appropriations and other legislation.
Newhouse, a Washington Republican who chairs the Congressional Western Caucus, a GOP group that puts a heavy focus on agriculture, land use and environmental issues, told Agri-Pulse it's not clear whether House GOP leaders can move a bipartisan farm bill in the current environment.
Newhouse said he wants to know how the candidates will "approach not only the farm bill, but how do we bring together the conference, so that we are able to move forward on appropriation bills, and some of the other things we have to accomplish.”
The leading candidates for speaker, Reps. Jim Jordan of Ohio and Steve Scalise of Louisiana, were scheduled to address Western Caucus members Friday afternoon.
Newhouse said he didn’t think President Donald Trump’s endorsement of Jordan would sway the race one way or the other.
“Constituents are weighing in, certainly. Friends around the country are putting in their two cents. But the bottom line is, I don’t know that [Trump’s endorsement] tips the scale one way or the other in any great way,” said Newhouse, one of only two Republicans who voted to impeach Trump to be re-elected to Congress. Rep. David Valadao, R-Calif., is the other.
Newhouse hasn’t endorsed a candidate for speaker, but he said he’s looking for a commitment to make it harder for the House to remove the winner from office.
Under the current rule, a single member can file a “motion to vacate” the speakership, forcing a vote on removal. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., was ousted when eight Republicans joined Democrats in voting for removal.
“This is important enough that we have to prevent being put in this position again,” Newhouse said. The existing rule gives “an undue amount of power to a few people to oust a sitting speaker,” leaving the GOP “in this chaotic position.”
It’s easy to be “in the know” about what’s happening in Washington, D.C. Sign up for a FREE month of Agri-Pulse news! Simply click here.
Newhouse, who has been a leading advocate in Congress for expanding the H-2A visa program for farm labor, said he also wants the candidates for speaker to talk about their approach to immigration issues.
There is strong support in the GOP conference for border security legislation that would tighten immigration laws.
The GOP conference is scheduled to meet Monday night with the candidates and then again on Tuesday before votes in the full House on the speakership Wednesday.
Both Scalise and Jordan opposed the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, which would have expanded the H-2A program and provided a path to legal status for existing domestic workers. Newhouse was a leading proponent of the legislation.
Asked how confident he is that Republicans can agree on a candidate by Wednesday, Newhouse said, “I'm a farmer. I'm an eternal optimist. We can do it, but it's not going to be easy.”
For more news, go to Agri-Pulse.com.
