A second-term Georgia Republican was elected chairman of the largest conservative caucus in the House today despite efforts among some lawmakers to put a Tea Party stalwart in the spot.
Rep. Rob Woodall (R-Ga.) will serve the rest of chairman Steve Scalise’s (R-La.) term, beginning July 16, as Scalise assumes his new role as majority whip on July 31.
“I congratulate my good friend and colleague Rob Woodall today on being elected by our members to succeed me as the Chairman of the Republican Study Committee,” Scalise said in a statement. “As Chairman of the RSC Budget and Spending Task Force, Rep. Woodall has been a champion for fiscally conservative policy and presented our RSC budget that implements bold reforms to balance in four years.”
“I look forward to working with Rob in our new roles as we continue promoting the conservative solutions necessary to unite our conference and get our country back on track.”
Scalise said the vote of the caucus to promote Woodall was unanimous.
Last month, Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) was spreading word among his colleagues that he was interested in the chairmanship.
“The RSC is the conscience of conservatism in Congress. There is no better choice for Chairman than one of our most fearless champions,” Rep. Steve Stockman (R-Texas) said in a June 12 statement to support his Texas colleague’s candidacy. “Louie Gohmert is the no-compromise leader we need to do battle in a town of compromisers.”
Gohmert, however, is setting his sights on the full-term post for which elections will be held in the fall.
In the end, Woodall ended up running unopposed for the interim position.
Woodall, who sits on the House Budget Committee as well as the Oversight committee, has a “C” grade from the National Rifle Association after opposing a bill that would allow concealed carry permits to cross state lines, but said he did so because it’s already a right under the Second Amendment.
“We can begin to protect the Second Amendment by doing away with all federal control of gun laws,” he said at a campaign forum in 2012.
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