Rep. Chip Roy is making a bid to lead the House Rules Committee next year, which would give him and the chamber’s right flank an influential perch for shaping legislation.
The Texas Republican, during an interview on Steve Bannon’s “War Room,” said he would “defer” to Speaker Mike Johnson on who ultimately gets the top spot but “obviously I have put my name out there.”
“A number of my colleagues, I’m proud to have their support. … I think I would add some value to that position because of my expertise on the rules and because I think I can figure out how to bring the conference together,” Roy added.
Roy is currently a member of the Rules Committee. Unlike most House panels, Johnson decides who chairs the committee as well as its members. Roy and Reps. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) and Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) were added to the Rules Committee at the start of this Congress as part of a deal with Kevin McCarthy meant to boost conservative representation on what is typically a leadership-aligned committee.
Norman and Roy are members of the House Freedom Caucus, while Massie is not but has served as an occasional gadfly for leadership. Combined, the three of them currently have the ability to block any bill in the Rules Committee, as long as Democrats also oppose it, something that has sparked headaches for McCarthy and Johnson.
Their votes against rules on the floor have also sparked perennial calls from some of their GOP colleagues to strip them of their Rules seats. If Johnson taps Roy to be chair of the committee, it would be a significant boost not only for the Texas Republican but also the Freedom Caucus, which has at times struggled to find its footing.
Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) is also viewed as a contender for the Rules gavel, particularly as Johnson comes under scrutiny for the lack of women atop House committees. Rep. Ann Wagner (R-Mo.) ran for the Foreign Affairs gavel but was defeated by Rep. Brian Mast (R-Fla.) in an upset.
Johnson, asked about the lack of women leading House GOP committees during a press conference this week, told reporters, “We haven’t decided on the committee chairs yet, so we’ll see how this shakes out. … Stay tuned on the final composition of conference chairs.”
