WASHINGTON — After gaining significant ground and flipping several Democratic seats in the 2020 elections, House Republicans have chosen to reward their top three leaders each with another two-year term at the helm of the conference.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, House Minority Whip Steve Scalise and Republican Conference Chairwoman Liz Cheney will all keep their positions and lead their conference in the 117th Congress.
McCarthy, the top Republican who would likely be speaker if Republicans win back the majority in 2022, was elected unanimously.
Rep. Tom Emmer of Minnesota, the National Republican Congressional Committee chairman, will also retain his role as the leader of the campaign arm for the minority. Rep. Gary Palmer of Alabama will reprise his title of Republican Policy Committee chairman.
Two roles were open — House Republican Conference vice chair and House Republican Conference secretary — due to North Carolina Rep. Mark Walker's retirement and Missouri Rep. Jason Smith's decision to seek the ranking member spot on the Budget Committee.
Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana will be the conference's next vice chair and Rep. Richard Hudson of North Carolina will be the conference's next secretary.
The announcements were made Tuesday from the House Republicans' Twitter account.
McCarthy, who represents California, touted the GOP's success last week, noting that "not one incumbent Republican lost" and the Democrats' performance will result in the slimmest majority in decades. Rep. Mike Garcia, R-Calif., is engaged in a close contest that has not yet been called.
McCarthy also commended the diversity of the GOP candidates that won, calling it the "most diverse class" and alluded to it as the year of Republican women.
"We are (poised) to have 29 House Republican women join our ranks, surpassing the previous record," he said Thursday.
Despite this rise in female GOP lawmakers, six of the top seven posts in House Republican leadership are held by men — the same number as the 116th Congress.
Scalise, of Louisiana, will serve his fourth consecutive term as whip and said he is excited for the future of the party.
"Our Republican conference is stronger and more unified than ever, and I am energized to work with this large and diverse new freshman class to continue the fight for our shared conservative values," Scalise said in a statement.
