Republican House members this month chose new leadership for this session of Congress, voting to make Representative John Boehner of Ohio their elected majority leader, over expected winner Roy Blunt of Missouri. Iowa fifth-district Congressman Steve King says it was a step closer to a clean slate for republicans.
King says he’s impressed with the plan Boehner’s put together, and while he hadn’t worked closely with him he says Boehner’s central points are that “first you win the debate, and then you win the vote.” King says just having the votes in Congress isn’t enough to move policy. He says the majority party has to carry its message the American people and sell it, “or let them amend it for us.” Then he says they’ll be moving forward with public policy that people want.
With a widening corruption scandal and sagging public-approval numbers, King says Republicans have to work to regain the trust of Americans. King says “these issues that have come up have diminished that trust.” He says to get the benefit of the doubt, the party will have to “earn the trust, win the debate, then win the vote, and then put good public policy in place.”
Missouri Congressman Roy Blunt, who’d also been a contender for the post of House Majority Leader, will remain House Republican Whip, a position where Congressman King says his experience will still be valuable to the party.