WASHINGTON _ Whatever bipartisan support Democrats had for probing the circumstances that led Speaker Paul D. Ryan to call for the House chaplain's resignation appears to be gone now that Patrick J. Conroy has been reinstated to his post.
The House on Tuesday approved a motion to table a privileged resolution offered by Democratic Caucus Chairman Joe Crowley of New York to form a select committee to look into the chaplain controversy. The motion was adopted 223-182.
The House had previously rejected a similar resolution offered by Crowley on April 27 before Conroy had requested to rescind his resignation and Ryan accepted. Earlier in the day, Conroy was sworn in to his position at the beginning of the day's session.
Two Republicans, Reps. Tom Reed of New York and Patrick Meehan of Pennsylvania, joined Democrats on the initial vote in April. Reed voted with Republicans Tuesday. Meehan is no longer a member of Congress; the April 27 chaplain vote was his last before he resigned later that day.
Rep. Justin Amash, R-Mich., did vote on Tuesday with the Democrats against the motion to kill Crowley's resolution.
The only Republican who might have also supported Crowley's resolution, Rep. Walter B. Jones of North Carolina, was not present for Tuesday's vote or the one in April.
Jones said in an interview Friday that he would've backed Crowley's initial resolution and suggested he might still support a select committee. Tuesday is primary day in North Carolina.
Republican frustration over Ryan's decision to fire Conroy was real.
Some Republicans were talking with Democrats like Rep. Gerald E. Connolly about legislation to reinstate Conroy before he made his own move to rescind his resignation. With the chaplain now reinstated, there's no need to further push the issue, one of those Republicans said, noting any attempt to do so would appear to be politically motivated.
During Tuesday's vote, New Jersey Republican Rep. Tom MacArthur approached Crowley and said something that riled the New York Democrat up.
"Please move aside, sir," Crowley shouted at MacArthur after a brief, heated argument that was mostly inaudible from the House press gallery.
According to a Crowley aide, MacArthur said he was offended that Democrats are politicizing this and Crowley responded that he was offended the speaker made this decision in the first place.
