Boehner, Gingrich: House should empower McHenry as interim Speaker

Former House Speakers John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) want House Republicans to give Speaker Pro Tem Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) more power to run the body as Republicans struggle to select a new permanent Speaker.

In a post on his personal site Tuesday evening, Gingrich said McHenry, who became the Speaker pro tem after former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) was ousted, should be given the broader authority to lead the House and move legislation.

It is unclear if House Republicans can scrounge 217 votes for a single candidate to elect a Speaker on the floor; Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) fell short in the first vote Tuesday and is expected to suffer the same fate in the second vote Wednesday.

“If the House Republicans cannot resolve the speakership in the next few days, they may be better off to empower Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry with the job of running the House through at least the end of the year,” Gingrich said.

“America does not have the luxury to stand by and allow a handful of destructive Republicans — or even the legitimate ambitions of good people — to keep the system from working.”

“Speaker Pro Tempore McHenry is a lot better solution than gridlock and chaos,” he continued. “He should be empowered this week and let’s get on with the peoples’ business.”

Boehner, who now works at law and lobbying firm Squire Patton Boggs, replied to a journalist’s coverage of Gingrich’s column on X, formerly Twitter, saying “I agree.”

Both Gingrich and Boehner faced divided GOP caucuses when they led the group in the 1990s and 2010s, respectively. 

Former Speaker Paul Ryan (Wis.), another Republican who dealt with a divided caucus while in office, made similar remarks early Tuesday in an event hosted by Harvard University.

Ryan said McHenry’s powers should be expanded so he has the “ability to be a Speaker for legislative reasons,” with that continuing until Republicans “can find a Speaker.”

“That’s probably where they’re going to end up if Jim Jordan can’t put it together,” Ryan said.

The movement to empower McHenry from inside Congress had been headed by Rep. Dave Joyce (R-Ohio). He will introduce a measure Wednesday to officially give the North Carolina Republican the authority to preside over legislation.

“After two weeks without a Speaker of the House and no clear candidate with 217 votes in the Republican conference, it is time to look at other viable options. By empowering Patrick McHenry as Speaker Pro Tempore we can take care of our ally Israel until a new Speaker is elected,” Joyce said in a statement.

Reps. Carlos Gimenez (R-Fla.), Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.), Ken Buck (R-Colo.), Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-Ore.), Mike Kelly (R-Pa.) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) have also signaled support for similar moves.

“We cannot go for weeks on end — which we are now — without having a functional legislative branch. So, whoever can get us there … I’ll pursue. If that’s Patrick, if that’s whoever,” Fitzpatrick said Wednesday.

But other Republicans in the conference contend that McHenry doesn’t want the job.

“I’ve spoken with Patrick several times about this. And I asked him, does he want this? Does he want to do this? And just said to me, ‘Do you hate me that much?’” said Rep. Greg Murphy (R-N.C.).  

“So he’s been pretty consistent. He doesn’t want it.”