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‘When You Pursue Political Power Over the People, You Lose’: Chip Roy’s Rebuke of the GOP
By Eleanor Ever Loyal
Photo: Gage Skidmore / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
Rep. Chip Roy, the Texas Republican and House Freedom Caucus policy chair who will leave the House on Jan. 3, delivered a blunt public rebuke of his own party Thursday, accusing Republicans of pursuing political power rather than acting in their constituents’ interests after the GOP lost control of both chambers in last week’s midterm elections.
Roy spoke for nearly half an hour on the House floor in what The Hill reported could be his final speech to the chamber. His remarks drew wider attention Friday morning after MS NOW’s Morning Joe replayed clips of the speech.
“It pisses me off,” Roy said, according to The Hill’s reporting.
Roy, who made an unsuccessful bid for Texas attorney general, directed much of his criticism at what he described as a political culture inside the Republican Party that prioritized power and political calculation over the concerns of voters.
“The arrogance of the powers that be, the masters of the universe who tell you that that’s what you have to do,” Roy said, according to The Hill.
His broader conclusion was equally direct: “And when you pursue political power over the people, you lose, and that’s what happened.”
The remarks came after Republicans lost control of both chambers in the midterm elections, according to The Hill. Roy’s speech amounted to an unusually public indictment from a prominent member of the House Freedom Caucus, a group whose members, including Roy, have urged Republicans to use every remaining day before Jan. 3 to advance their legislative agenda.
Roy identified several grievances with his party’s priorities. According to The Hill, he criticized the Republican focus on the Kennedy Center, an ambassador appointment to Greece and what he described as alleged grift. He also attacked the decision to elevate, in his words, someone who was “indicted and impeached by the Republican Texas House” to the top of the ticket in the nation’s largest Republican state.
Roy was referring to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, and the characterization was Roy’s own. He also renewed his criticism of the Republican Party’s decision to back Paxton against incumbent Sen. John Cornyn in the Texas GOP primary, according to the reporting.
Roy used his floor time not only to criticize the party’s recent conduct but also to argue for action during the House’s remaining weeks. He urged Congress to stay in session until Jan. 3 and devote its remaining time to legislative priorities including a congressional stock-trading ban, border security and a reconciliation package.
His criticism had also been directed at the White House political operation earlier in the week.
At the Republican retreat known as “The Forum” in Maryland, Roy told the White House political operation, according to Reuters: “With all due respect to the political operation in the White House, you messed up. You went around the country saying, ‘I want more power.'”
The Texas congressman also offered a warning closer to home. Appearing on Fox Business, Roy said the Texas Republican ticket received 42.9% of the vote and argued that Texas Republicans need to regroup over the next four years around everyday economic concerns.
The floor speech was delivered Thursday, Nov. 12. It was the circulation of clips Friday morning, after Morning Joe replayed them, that brought renewed attention to Roy’s remarks.
Roy will leave Congress as his party confronts the consequences of the midterm losses and prepares for the transition to a new Congress on Jan. 3. His argument Thursday was that Republicans should spend the remaining time pursuing legislative priorities rather than simply protecting or expanding political power.
For Roy, the distinction was the central lesson of the election.
“When you pursue political power over the people, you lose,” he said, according to The Hill. “And that’s what happened.”
Eleanor Ever Loyal
National Desk, The Library Media
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