The Struggle Continues
The Struggle Continues
MAGA extremists have not quit their attack on the House. So we too cannot quit.
Feathers of Hope is a network of ordinary citizens committed to advocating for the removal and replacement of Kevin McCarthy as Speaker of the House, thereby diminishing the power and influence of MAGA extremists in the chamber.
We have been urging moderate Republicans and Democrats in the House of Representatives to form a temporary bipartisan majority voting bloc for the purpose of passing a motion to “vacate the chair” and elect a new Republican Speaker who owes nothing to the minority MAGA group.
Note: This site can also be accessed by entering FeathersOfHope.net in your browser window.
Scroll to the bottom of this post to find contact information for Republican representatives whom we believe may support a bipartisan coalition and a non-MAGA Speaker.
Call one, several or all of them today. Encourage them to break with MAGA extremism, and join Democrats to find common ground for the people, electing a Speaker with bipartisan support.
Now that Jim Jordan (R-OH) has twice failed to be elected Speaker of the House of Representatives, it’s tempting to believe that his quest has ended.
But at least as of this moment, on the morning of October 19, it appears there will be yet another attempt. Mr. Jordan has been called a “legislative terrorist” for good reason. And so long as he can continue to inflict damage on the essential institution of our self-governing republic, he will do so.
The only way to stop his assault is for a majority of House members to unite in a cross-party alliance, and elect a Republican Speaker who rejects MAGA extremism. This proposal, which we’ve been advocating since January, is now finally being seriously considered by both Democratic leadership and traditional Republicans.
On Wednesday night, Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar (D-CA) was asked whether there are active conversations with Republicans about a bipartisan resolution. He answered categorically:
“I know that there are. This is more than just empty rhetoric or talking points. We have to make sure we avoid a government shutdown, make sure we provide aid to Israel and Ukraine. And by the way, those are things that have 300 + votes in Congress.
Mr. Aguilar’s last point is especially significant: The highest priority actions needed to be taken within the House right now are supported by more than 300 of the 435 members.
All work in the chamber has ground to a halt simply because of obstruction by a minority faction of MAGA extremists. And so, in order to restore normal functioning of the legislative body, the majority must not only replace the Speaker. The power of that MAGA minority needs to be curtailed by implementing a change in House rules.
Legislation that has bipartisan support must be allowed to come to the floor for a vote. Under current rules, that has not been possible. And without a rules change, the problem will not be resolved. Leader Jeffries put it like this:
“Our preference is to re-open the House in a bipartisan way, so we can govern in an elightened way.”
It’s not enough to block Jim Jordan from becoming Speaker. While he is, as Mr. Jeffries described him, the “poster child for MAGA extremism,” there are others whose candidacy for Speaker would be little better. That’s why we need to continue calling these Republican House members, urging them to support a consensus Speaker with no ties to extremists.
Call these Republicans now. Urge them to join the bipartisan coalition to elect a Speaker free from MAGA.
(Note: This list has all the same names as the list posted on Monday, even though some voted for Jim Jordan. Those who did so are marked with an asterisk ( * ). Whatever the reason for their vote, we believe they are still more likely to support a non-MAGA Speaker than most of those not on our original list who voted against Jim Jordan this week.)
Don Bacon (R-NE-02): (202) 225-4155 D.C. or (402) 938-0300 District
* Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-01): (202) 225-4276 D.C. or (215) 579-8102 District
* Mike Gallagher (R-WI-08): (202) 225-5665 D.C. or (920) 301-4500 District
* David Joyce (R- OH-14): (202) 225-5731 D.C. or (440) 352-3939 District
* John Curtis (R-UT-03): (202) 225-7751 D.C. or (801) 922-5400 District
* Ashley Hinson (R-IA-02): (202) 225-2911 D.C. or (319) 364-2288 District
Andrew Garbarino (R-NY-02) : (202) 225-7896 D.C. or (631) 541-4225 District
* Dan Newhouse (R-WA-04): (202) 225-5816 D.C. or (509) 452-3243 District
(The following members represent districts carried by President Biden in 2020)
* David Schweikert (R-AZ-01): (202) 225-2190 D.C. or (480) 946-2411 District
* Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ-06): (202) 225-2542 D.C. or (520) 459-3115 District
* John Duarte (R-CA-13): (202) 225-1947 D.C. or (209)-226-6880 District
* David Valadao (R-CA-22): (202) 225-4695 D.C. or (661) 864-7736 District
* Mike Garcia (R-CA-27): (202) 225-1956 D.C. or (661) 839-0532 District
* Young Kim (R-CA-40): (202) 225-4111 D.C. or (714) 984-2440 District
* Michelle Steel (R-CA-45): (202) 225-2415 D.C. or (714) 960-6483 District
* Tom Kean (R-NJ-07): (202) 225-5361 D.C. or (908) 547-3307 District
Nick LaLota (R-NY-01): (202) 225-3826 D.C. or (631) 289-1097 District
Anhony D’Esposito (R-NY-04): (202) 225-5516 D.C. or (516) 739-3008 District
Mike Lawler (R-NY-17): (202) 225-6506 D.C. or 845 743-7130 District
* Marc Molinaro (R-NY-19): (202) 225-5441 D.C. or (607) 242-0200 District
* Brandon Williams (R-NY-22): (202) 225-3701 D.C. or (315) 233-4333 District
Lori Chavezz-DeRemer (R-OR-05): (202) 225-5711 D.C. or (541) 604-3141 District
Jen Kiggans (R-VA-02): (202) 225-4215 D.C. or (757) 364-7650 District
(The following members who were not on our list Monday, nevertheless voted for someone other than Jim Jordan. Their reasons vary, but none have endorsed a bipartisan coalition, nor have they rejected MAGA extremism.)
Van Buchannan (R-FL): (202) 225-5015 or (813) 657-1013
Ken Buck (R-CO): (202) 225-4676 or (720) 639-9165
Mario Diaz Balart (R-FL): (202) 225-4211 or (305) 470-8555
Jake Ellzey (R-TX): (202) 225-2002 or (469) 550-7150
Drew Ferguson (R-GA): (202) 225-5901 or (770) 683-2033
Carlos Gimenez (R-FL): (202) 225-27778 or (305) 222-0160
Tony Gonzalez (R-TX): (202) 225-4511 or (210) 806-9920
Kay Granger (R-TX): (202) 225-5071 or (817) 336-0909
Mike Kelly (R-PA): (202) 225-5406 or (724) 342-7170
John James (R-MI): (202) 225-4961 or (586) 498-7122
Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA): (202) 225-6576 or (317) 848-0201
John Rutherford (R-FL): (202) 225-2501 or (904) 831-5205
Mike Simpson (R-ID): (202) 225-334-1953 or (208) 523-6701
Pete Stauber (R-MN): (202) 225-6211 or (218) 481-6396
Steve Womack (R-AR): (202) 225-4301 or (479) 464-0446
“The House Republicans need to end the GOP Civil War, now. House Democrats have continued to make clear that we are ready, willing and able to find a bipartisan path forward. But we need traditional Republicans to break from the extremists and partner with us.” —Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY)
This is a network of ordinary citizens. In a democracy, we exercise our power by raising our voices. To be silent is to be powerless.
The Struggle Continues
Is there really no mechanism in the existing House rules whereby a majority of the members can call the House into session to enact business? Almost every organization I've ever heard of has such, mostly for use in extraordinary situations that leave the chair open.
This morning a member of our network asked if I could provide a script to use when making calls to House members. It's a very goos idea, so I'm posting my answer here as well:
At this point, everyone already knows about the issue and the possible solutions. So you can keep it simple, very little explanation is necessary. My experience has been that the aide you'll be talking to is quite good at making you feel comfortable. They tend to be friendly and conversational. Keep in mind, it's just another ordinary citizen on the other end of the line. And since we're only calling Republicans, that makes it even easier.
"I'm calling to ask that Mr./Ms. xxxx reach across the aisle and work with Democrats to form a bipartisan coalition, and elect a moderate Republican Speaker of the House."
Personally, I like to suggest someone specific, so usually add "...someone like Don Bacon of Nebraska who has the skill and experience to do the job." But that's not really necessary.
Or, if you'd like to stay more general, you might say something like, "Our leaders should be working together to solve problems, not just fighting with each other." or "I'm afraid MAGA extremists are destroying the Republican Party."
But as I say, just one simple sentence gets the message across. And by being courteous, we nourish an atmosphere of cooperation, countering the deluge of toxic anger being directed at House members by Jordan supporters.
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