There is more to the tension that exists between some House Republicans and their GOP colleagues who lead the chamber, with some of the infighting potentially tied to a lack of donations to the party.
According to
Roll Call, the revolt that saw
34 Republicans vote against House Speaker John Boehner in a trade bill on June 11 is having a ripple effect.
For one, Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., was
removed as chairman of a subcommittee of the House Oversight and Government Reform panel days after the vote. Meadows was one of the 34 House Republicans who voted no on the trade bill.
At issue is the House Freedom Caucus (HFC),
a group of House Republicans that formed in January. Meadows is a member of the group, which often clashes with GOP leaders in the House.
After Meadows was sacked as subcommittee chairman, HFC members, according to Roll Call, had a meeting with Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, and demanded that he reinstate Meadows to his position. Chaffetz relented and gave into their demands.
Roll Call also reports that many of the reported 40 or so members of the HFC have not donated money to the National Republican Congressional Committee, which shows they are trying to separate themselves from the established members of the GOP.
The HFC reportedly meets privately in the basement of a Capitol Hill restaurant called Tortilla Coast. The restaurant and its penchant for hosting secret meetings was profiled in a
2013 Washington Post story.
The HFC, argues Roll Call, is starting to flex its muscles — and is seeing results.
One reported member of the HFC is Virginia Rep.
Dave Brat, who pulled off a stunning upset of House Majority Leader Eric Cantor in last year's primary ahead of the midterm elections. Brat won the spot on the ballot and was elected in November.
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