More Potential Republican Allies
Adding new names to our list
For new readers, here are links to a few previous posts that will bring you up to date on what the Feathers of Hope network has been doing :
Wait, Exactly How Will We Do This? (January 28)
Replacing McCarthy - A Progress Report (February 16)
Moderate Republicans? Really? (March 2)
The only feasible way to remove and replace Kevin McCarthy as Speaker of the House, and thereby diminish the power and influence of MAGA extremists in the chamber, is for a cross-party alliance of moderate Republicans and Democrats to temporarily join forces and form a majority voting bloc. They can then “move to vacate the chair”, and elect a new Republican Speaker who owes nothing to the minority MAGA group.
Two weeks ago, we posted our first list of moderate Republicans whom our research has identified as possibly being open to the idea of removing and replacing McCarthy. (You can see that post here: Moderate Republicans Found! , where we also explain some of our research methodology. ) One of those Republicans, Don Bacon (R-NE), was cited this week as “the least partisan Member of Congress” in a study of “hyper-partisan“ politics by the advocacy group “Starts With Us”.
The point of the study was to determine how much press coverage the most partisan politicians generate compared to the least partisan. In Congress that ratio for the 2-month study period was 335 for the most partisan, Marjorie Taylor-Greene (R-GA), vs. 34 for the least partisan, Rep. Bacon. This illustrates very nicely why so many progressives think that there’s no such thing as a moderate Republican. They get no press attention. As we pointed out 2 weeks ago:
Being a politician is a difficult balancing act. There are constraints from party leadership, constituents, donors, colleagues, supporters, friends and even family. In addition to those constraints, moderates by nature impose even more on themselves. They're cautious, not inclined to act boldly or independently. They don't seek the spotlight, so quite naturally you've never heard of them. That doesn't mean they don't exist.
As many of you will remember, Don Bacon (R-NE) was also our choice for Speaker last December when we first started advocating for the cross-party alliance idea. Many Representatives got phone calls from our network urging that they vote for Rep. Bacon instead of Kevin McCarthy. His newly recognized standing as “least partisan” Member of Congress confirms his continued suitability to be the new Speaker. So we’ll repeat his listing along with the new names we’re adding today.
Don Bacon 2104 Rayburn House Office Building —Washington, DC 20515. — Phone: (202) 225-4155 — Toll-Free: 888-221-7452
Represents Nebraska’s 2nd District, in Congress since 2017; formerly Brigadier General, United States Air Force; has earned four Master’s degrees, including one from the National War College; after retiring from military was Assistant Professor at University of Bellevue (Nebraska) until elected to House in 2016; represents swing district ( carried by Pres. Biden 52% to 46% ); one of 13 Republicans to vote with Democrats for the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act; voted with Democrats to establish January 6 Commission; opposed efforts to overturn 2020 election. In November 2022, Rep. Bacon said that if Kevin McCarthy did not have enough votes to become Speaker that he’d be willing to “work with like-minded people across the aisle to find someone agreeable for Speaker,” adding “we need to govern. We can't sit neutral; we can't have total gridlock for two years".
Mike Gallagher 1211 Longworth HouseOfficeBuilding — Washington, DC 20515. — Phone: (202) 225-5665
Represents Wisconsin’s 8th District, in Congress since 2017; served 7 years as intelligence officer in U.S. Marine Corps (Iraq), then was a Foreign Policy Advisor to U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee; speaks Arabic; holds 3 Master’s Degrees and a PhD from Georgetown University; criticized Trump for “side shows distracting from real issues” and opposed efforts to overturn 2020 election; has history of working with Democratic House Members on tariffs, jobs, veterans affairs and cybersecurity issues; chairs the new committee on the Chinese Communist Party (created by a 365-65 vote) which has been praised as “bipartisan, serious and productive”; supports military aid for Ukrain; voted for Respect for Marriage Act.
In 2018, Mr. Gallagher wrote an article for Atlantic Monthly titled "How to Salvage Congress" in which he wrote: “The problem is a defective process and a power structure that, whichever party is in charge, funnels all power to leadership and stifles debate and initiative within the ranks.”
Andrew Garbarino 2344 Rayburn House Office Building — Washington, DC 20515 — Phone: (202) 225-7896. Fax: (202) 226-2279
Represents New York’s 2nd District, in Congress since 2021; former tax attorney and State Assembly Member; 3 days after being sworn in on January 6, 2021, stated that Congress has no authority to overturn the election; voted to establish January 6 Commission; was one of 13 Republicans to vote with Democrats for the Infrastructure Act; voted for Respect for Marriage Act; member of Problem Solvers Caucus and Republican Governance Group.
Nancy Mace 1728 Longworth House Office Building — Washington, DC 20515 — Phone (202) 225-3176
Represents South Carolina’s 1st District, in Congress since 2021; first woman graduate of The Citadel, wrote a book about it; MS degree in journalism; first week in Congress was one of 7 Republicans to sign a letter saying Congress has no authority to influence election results; stated she wants "to be a new voice for the Republican Party," pointing out that she has spoken out "strongly against the president" and "against these Qanon conspiracy theorists that led us in a constitutional crisis”; voted to hold Steve Bannon in contempt for defying subpoena from Jan 6 committee; in Nov. 2021 defended Ilhan Omar against Lauren Boebert’s anti-Muslim comments; worked with Democratic Representative Ro Khana on Cyber-Security Bill (2021); only Republican to sponsor LGBTQ Veterans Act; voted for Respect for Marriage Act; only Republican to sponsor Judiciary Accountability Act (prohibits discrimination for judicial branch employees); Trump endorsed her primary opponent in 2022.
Dan Newhouse 504 Cannon House Office Building — Washington,DC 20515 —Phone: (202) 225-5816 —Fax: (202) 225-3251
Represents Washington’s 4th District, in Congress since 2015; formerly state Agriculture Director; worked with Democratic Representative Zoe Lofgren on immigration issues; member of Republican Governance Group; opposed Trump’s tariff increases; voted to impeach Trump after Jan. 6; voted for Jan. 6 committee; voted for Respect for Marriage Act.
David Valadao 2465 Rayburn House Office Building — Washington, DC 20515 — (202) 225-4695
Represents California’s 21st District, in Congress 2013-2019, 2021-present; former dairy farmer and state Assemblyman; swing district, leans Democratic; worked with Democrats on immigration issues, including protection of DACA program; objected to Trump’s family separation policy; voted to impeach Trump after Jan. 6; voted for Respect for Marriage Act.
Keep in mind that these are all Republicans, and so they believe many things that we do not. For the most part, they are anti-choice, anti-tax, pro-fossil fuels, anti-regulation, and more. But we are not defining “moderate” with respect to issues.
We are seeking Republican allies for one single purpose: to remove and replace Kevin McCarthy as Speaker and thereby diminish the power and influence of the MAGA minority. It is a goal we believe is shared by those mainstream establishment Republicans who care deeply about the integrity of our institutions, and about restoring normal order to the House of Representatives.
All that being said, I must add that it's a mistake to think that all Republicans who voted for McCarthy in January did so to appease "the base". I can assure you that Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) was not worried about gun-toting, election-denying white supremacists in his suburban Philadelphia district -- a district that voted for Biden over Trump by 52% - 46%. Likewise, you can be certain that Victoria Sparks (R-IN), a Ukrainian immigrant who holds a BS and MBA from Kyiv Economic Univ. and another Masters from Indiana Univ., recognizes a neofascist movement when she sees one.
The vote for Speaker on the opening day of a new Congress is not like any other vote, both practically and symbolically. With regard to the likelihood of our success in that endeavor, it's worth asking whether any Democrats would have voted for a Republican if there had been some defectors from McCarthy's camp. How many? Surely the progressive caucus would have balked at supporting a white conservative retired general from Omaha -- especially if it meant not voting for the first Black party leader on his first day.
My point is that these two Republicans and several others are still potential allies, particularly as McCarthy's lack of leadership becomes an ever-greater liability to the country. The release of security camera footage is not only an embarrassment, it's a security threat. The threat of a U.S. debt default is something no one wants (except MAGA). And my guess is that the prospect of extremists trying to block funding for Ukraine will make McCarthy's exit inevitable.
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The House vote on Friday on the so-called 'parental rights' issue is worth some analysis. This bill is a manifestation of the chaos felt nation-wide in disrupted school boards and library boards. In many cases the movement takes the form of an atttack on teachers, administrators, and curricula. It also leads to pressure on individual children, not just gay and 'trans' kids, but also in limiting sex education classes and even discussion of any topic touching race. The bill passed 213 to 208. Five Republicans voted with the Democrats against the bill. Andy Biggs, Ken Buck, Mike Lawler, Matt Rosendale, and Matt Gaetz. I certainly don't suggest Gaetz could ever be seen as candidate for 'middle ground', but one or two others might be worth watching. It also would be interesting to see the reasons each say led them to stray from the GOP majority.
The real irony of the story is that the Dems could have won the vote. Instead, they lost - why? Because five of them did not turn up to vote. Asleep at the wheel? See NYTimes "House Republicans Pass 'Parents Bill of Rights Act" - http://bit.ly/3njei3b