Former U.S. Rep. Bob Barr, R-Georgia, says it's time to think outside the box in the search for the next Speaker of the House and bring back Newt Gingrich.
"Want a Speaker who knows how to get things done?" Barr writes in a opinion piece for
Townhhall.com.
"Then elect Newt Gingrich as the next Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives," he concludes after ticking off a series of other important qualities for the next Speaker.
Gingrich, 72, was Speaker from 1995-1999, when he resigned after an ethics reprimand and under pressure over the party's poor showing in the 1998 midterm elections.
Although he's been out of Congress for 15 years, he's still eligible for the job, Barr writes.
"While all 61 occupants of this constitutionally-established post have been members of the House of Representatives, the Constitution does not limit the pool of candidates to this college," Barr says.
Barr's time in Congress — represented Georgia's 7th Congressional District from 1995 to 2003 — that of fellow Georgian Gingrich.
Barr says he didn't always agree with Gingrich while he was Speaker, and hasn't agreed with every position he has taken since.
"However, Newt Gingrich remains one of the singularly brightest and most competent public figures in the United States today," Barr says.
© 2024 Newsmax. All rights reserved.