Conservative lawmakers considered an ouster of House Appropriations Committee chair, Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen, R-N.J., for his "no" on tax reform and indecision on Obamacare, The Hill reported.
The Republican Study Committee met last Thursday on the matter in a discussion that included Majority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La., a former RSC chairman, The Hill reported, citing unnamed GOP sources.
The next morning, current RSC chair, Rep. Mark Walker, R-N.C., and another group leader met with House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., to tell him it was the group's "consensus" Frelinghuysen should be forced out, The Hill reported.
"Having a chairman basically going rogue on the two most important issues we've promised . . . To me, there's a line there," Walker told The Hill.
"The RSC has discussed his situation, has concerns and now has officially met with leadership over those concerns," he added.
Frelinghuysen told The Hill he has not had any part in talks about his future as chairman but did not comment further.
Politico reported Monday that Ryan and his leadership team talked over the Thanksgiving recess about forcing a vote on whether Frelinghuysen should be stripped of the powerful gavel.
But Walker said Frelinghuysen's fate is "still to be determined based on what may happen over the next 10 days" — suggesting the lawmaker will be watched on how he votes on the final tax bill.
Appropriations member Rep. Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, said the ouster would be unwise.
"A lot of us would walk away from the Appropriations Committee and say, 'If that's what you want to do, then you can have this job,'" he told The Hill.
"Rodney has done a great job as chairman. One of the things they tell you when you get here on Day One is, 'We'll never ask you to vote against your district.' You've got to give people the freedom to vote for their district."
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