The problem within the Republican Party is fear, plain and simple. Members of Congress, too timid to take a stance, have allowed extremist tactics to cripple the government. I was outraged by this unnecessary, avoidable predicament. The Congress had failed in its fundamental duty – to finance and operate the government.
I expected Speaker Boehner to call me into his office to deliver a public statement on the government shutdown and prepare me for a rebuke, but that never happened. Instead, Boehner summoned four other Republican colleagues in the House for a meeting where he began the discussion almost apologetically, explaining his strategy and reasons for seeking concessions that he knew would be controlled by the Democrats. The Senate rejected his offer. Of course, Boehner argued that he would break away from his tormentors by insisting on a government shutdown to deny funding to Obamacare. The problem with this strategy is the collateral damage to swing district members, repeatedly blamed and beaten up by voters for the ongoing closures.
Boehner went on to say that he could only rely on 85 responsible members of the Republican Conference in the House in 2013, out of the roughly 234 members. He mentioned nearly 40 other members who undermined him at every opportunity. This was the group pushing for the shutdown – many of them became known as the "Freedom Caucus."
However, Boehner expressed his greatest concerns for the approximately 109 remaining members. He said these members represented relatively secure Republican seats vulnerable to primary challengers. Depending on the situation, this group could be swayed in either direction – and as the government neared collapse, many followed reluctantly. While Boehner himself opposed any shutdown, he sympathized with this third group and declared that they were particularly susceptible to attacks and primary challenges from the right.
I reacted negatively to Boehner's last comment. I immediately disagreed and countered with, "Why are my primary challengers more important than mine?" As someone who represents a swing district used to being under attack from both the left and right, I had little patience or empathy for these members. I continued: "Tell them they need to raise a lot of money for their campaigns, do their due diligence on their opposition, and make their opponent's life miserable. Complaining and hiding out of fear is not how to handle a primary challenge." I added this passage during my heated rant, and Ohio Representative Pat Tiberi, one of Boehner's closest allies in the House, interjected, "John, I hope you heard that."
This brings us to the current state of the Republican Party, now led by Trump. Recent leaks from House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, revealing his frustration with Trump in the days following the January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol, reveal the situation inside the Republican Party.
Too many Republicans in Congress live under a constant cloud of fear. We call them the "Fear Caucus." Unfortunately, this honorable group of men and women is too concerned about their positions to publicly denounce the behavior, temperament, and qualifications of the former president for the office. McCarthy's angry remarks about Trump's responsibility for the unrest at the Capitol likely reflected the feelings of most Republican members in the House and Senate, but what they are willing to say in public is often a different story.
These members must find the courage to take a stance and challenge radical elements within the party like Representatives Marjorie Taylor Greene, Madison Cawthorn, Matt Gaetz, and others who have used extreme and derogatory rhetoric as part of their political brand. The members of the Fear Caucus must also overcome their fear to express their views on Trump, especially regarding lies about the 2020 elections being stolen.
Silence strengthens the radical elements of the Republican Party, and fear can make even the most basic tasks of governing, such as raising the debt ceiling or passing necessary funding bills, incredibly challenging. Sitting on the sidelines and hoping for "yes" votes while casting "no" votes is not the same as showing courage. Worse still, governing out of fear often prompts understandable skepticism from voters and can lead to the very thing these members most want to avoid: a primary challenge from the right.
During my time in Congress, I believed I should have the courage to publicly state what I discussed in closed-door meetings in the Republican Conference of the House and defend it to my constituents at home.
