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House Republican Conference

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House Republican Conference
ChairpersonElise Stefanik (NY)
Part ofUnited States House of Representatives
House SpeakerMike Johnson (LA)
Floor LeaderSteve Scalise (LA)
Floor WhipTom Emmer (MN)
Vice ChairBlake Moore (UT)
IdeologyConservatism
Political positionCenter-right to right-wing
AffiliationRepublican Party
Colors  Red
Seats
220 / 435
Website
gop.gov
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The House Republican Conference is the party caucus for Republicans in the United States House of Representatives. It hosts meetings, and is the primary forum for communicating the party's message to members. The conference produces a daily publication of political analysis under the title Legislative Digest.

When the conference holds the majority of seats, it is usually led by the speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives who is assisted on the floor by the House majority leader and the party's chief whip. When in the minority, it is led by the House minority leader, assisted by the chief whip. The conference has a chair who directs day-to-day operations and who is assisted by an elected vice chair and a secretary.

In the 118th Congress, the conference is led by Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana, assisted by Majority Leader Steve Scalise (also of Louisiana), and Majority Whip Tom Emmer. The current chair is Elise Stefanik of New York, who assumed the position after a vote of the House Republican Conference on May 14, 2021.[1][2] Former chairs include Gerald Ford, John Boehner, Mike Pence, John B. Anderson, Dick Cheney, Jack Kemp, J. C. Watts, Deborah D. Pryce, Adam Putnam, Jeb Hensarling, Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Liz Cheney, and Kevin McCarthy. As a result of the 2022 elections, the party holds a narrow majority in the House of Representatives in the 118th Congress, which was reduced from 222 to 221 after the expulsion of Republican George Santos on December 1, 2023. It was reduced additionally upon the resignation of Kevin McCarthy on December 31, 2023.

Current hierarchy

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As of November 8, 2023, the conference leadership has been as follows:

Leaders of the House Republican Conference

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Congress Leader District Took office Left office House Speaker
36th William Pennington
(1796–1862) 		New Jersey 5 February 1, 1860 March 3, 1861   Himself 1860–1861
37th Galusha A. Grow
(1823–1907) 		Pennsylvania 14 July 4, 1861 March 4, 1863   Himself 1861–1863
38th Schuyler Colfax
(1823–1885) 		Indiana 9 December 7, 1863 March 3, 1869[a]   Himself 1863–1869
39th
40th
40th Theodore M. Pomeroy
(1824–1905) 		New York 24 March 3, 1869 March 4, 1869   Himself 1869
41st James G. Blaine
(1830–1893) 		Maine 3 March 4, 1869 March 4, 1875   Himself 1869–1875
42nd
43rd
44th George W. McCrary
(1835–1890) 		Iowa 1 March 4, 1875 March 3, 1877   Kerr 1875–1876
  Randall 1876–1881
45th Eugene Hale
(1836–1918) 		Maine 5 March 4, 1877 March 4, 1879
46th William P. Frye
(1830–1911) 		Maine 2 March 4, 1879 March 3, 1881
47th J. Warren Keifer
(1836–1932) 		Ohio 8 December 5, 1881 March 4, 1883   Himself 1881–1883
48th Joseph Gurney Cannon
(1836–1926) 		Illinois 15 March 4, 1883 March 3, 1889   Carlisle 1883–1889
49th
50th
51st Thomas Brackett Reed
(1839–1902) 		Maine 1 December 4, 1889 March 3, 1891   Himself 1889–1891
52nd Thomas J. Henderson
(1824–1911) 		Illinois 7 March 4, 1891 March 3, 1895   Crisp 1891–1895
53rd
54th Thomas Brackett Reed
(1839–1902) 		Maine 1 December 2, 1895 March 4, 1899   Himself 1895–1899
55th
56th David B. Henderson
(1840–1906) 		Iowa 3 December 4, 1899 March 4, 1903   Himself 1899–1903
57th
58th Joseph Gurney Cannon
(1836–1926) 		Illinois 18 November 9, 1903 March 4, 1911   Himself 1903–1911
59th
60th
61st
62nd James Robert Mann
(1856–1922) 		Illinois 2 March 4, 1911 March 3, 1919   Clark 1911–1919
63rd
64th
65th
66th Frederick H. Gillett
(1851–1935) 		Massachusetts 2 May 19, 1919 March 3, 1925   Himself 1919–1925
67th
68th
69th Nicholas Longworth
(1869–1931) 		Ohio 1 December 7, 1925 March 4, 1931   Himself 1925–1931
70th
71st
72nd Bertrand Snell
(1870–1958) 		New York 31 March 4, 1931 January 3, 1939   Garner 1931–1933
73rd   Rainey 1933–1934
74th   Byrns 1935–1936
  Bankhead 1936–1940
75th
76th Joseph W. Martin Jr.
(1884–1968) 		Massachusetts 14 January 3, 1939 January 3, 1959
  Rayburn 1940–1947
77th
78th
79th
80th   Himself 1947–1949
81st   Rayburn 1949–1953
82nd
83rd   Himself 1953–1955
84th   Rayburn 1955–1961
85th
86th Charles A. Halleck
(1900–1986) 		Indiana 2 January 3, 1959 January 3, 1965
87th
  McCormack 1962–1971
88th
89th Gerald Ford
(1913–2006) 		Michigan 5 January 3, 1965 December 6, 1973[a]
90th
91st
92nd   Albert 1971–1977
93rd
93rd John Jacob Rhodes
(1916–2003) 		Arizona 1 December 7, 1973 January 3, 1981
94th
95th   O'Neill 1977–1987
96th
97th Robert H. Michel
(1923–2017) 		Illinois 18 January 3, 1981 January 3, 1995
98th
99th
100th   Wright 1987–1989
101st
101st   Foley 1989–1995
102nd
103rd
104th Newt Gingrich
(born 1943) 		Georgia 6 January 3, 1995 January 3, 1999[b]   Himself 1995–1999
105th
106th Dennis Hastert
(born 1942) 		Illinois 14 January 6, 1999 January 3, 2007   Himself 1999–2007
107th
108th
109th
110th John Boehner
(born 1949) 		Ohio 8 January 3, 2007 October 29, 2015[b]   Pelosi 2007–2011
111th
112th   Himself 2011–2015
113th
114th
114th Paul Ryan
(born 1970) 		Wisconsin 1 October 29, 2015 January 3, 2019   Himself 2015–2019
115th
116th Kevin McCarthy
(born 1965) 		California 23 January 3, 2019 October 3, 2023[c]   Pelosi 2019–2023
117th
118th California 20   Himself 2023
October 3, 2023 October 25, 2023   McHenry[d] 2023
Mike Johnson
(born 1972) 		Louisiana 4 October 25, 2023 Incumbent   Himself 2023–present

Notes

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  1. ^ a b Resigned to become Vice President of the United States.
  2. ^ a b Resigned from office and from Congress.
  3. ^ Kevin McCarthy was vacated as speaker on October 3, 2023, though McCarthy remained as House Republican Leader until the election of Mike Johnson on October 25.
  4. ^ This person served as speaker pro tempore.

Conference chairs

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The conference chair is elected each Congress.[3]

Chairman State Congress Dates
Justin S. Morrill VT 38th–39th 1863–1867
N/A 40th 1867–1869
Robert C. Schenck OH 41st 1869–1871
Nathaniel P. Banks MA
Austin Blair MI 42nd 1871–1873
Horace Maynard TN 43rd 1873–1875
George W. McCrary IA 44th 1875–1877
Eugene Hale ME 45th 1877–1879
William P. Frye ME 46th 1879–1881
George M. Robeson NJ 47th 1881–1883
Joseph G. Cannon IL 48th–50th 1883–1889
Thomas J. Henderson IL 51st–53rd 1889–1895
Charles H. Grosvenor OH 54th–55th 1895–1899
Joseph G. Cannon IL 56th–57th 1899–1903
William P. Hepburn IA 58th–60th 1903–1909
Frank D. Currier NH 61st–62nd 1909–1913
William S. Greene MA 63rd–65th 1913–1919
Horace M. Towner IA 66th–67th 1919–1923
Sydney Anderson MN 68th 1923–1925
Willis C. Hawley OR 69th–72nd 1925–1933
Robert Luce MA 73rd 1933–1935
Frederick R. Lehlbach NJ 74th 1935–1937
Roy Woodruff MI 75th–81st 1937–1951
Clifford Hope KS 82nd–84th 1951–1957
Charles B. Hoeven IA 85th–87th 1957–1963
Gerald Ford MI 88th 1963–1965
Melvin Laird WI 89th–90th 1965–1969
John B. Anderson IL 91st–95th 1969–1979
Samuel L. Devine OH 96th 1979–1981
Jack Kemp NY 97th–99th 1981–1987
Dick Cheney WY 100th 1987–1989
Jerry Lewis CA 101st–102nd 1989–1993
Dick Armey TX 103rd 1993–1995
John Boehner OH 104th–105th 1995–1999
J. C. Watts OK 106th–107th 1999–2003
Deborah Pryce OH 108th–109th 2003–2007
Adam Putnam FL 110th 2007–2009
Mike Pence IN 111th 2009–2011
Jeb Hensarling TX 112th 2011–2013
Cathy McMorris Rodgers WA 113th—115th 2013–2019
Liz Cheney WY 116th—117th 2019–2021[a]
Elise Stefanik NY 117th—118th 2021–present
  1. ^ Removal as conference chair

Vice chairs

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The vice chair is next in rank after the House Republican Conference Chair. Like the chair, the vice chair is elected by a vote of all Republican House members before each Congress. Among other duties, the vice chair has a seat on both the Steering and Policy Committees.[4]

Secretaries

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List of successive secretaries of the House Republican Conference
Congress Name State Term start Term end
Position established
90th Dick Poff Virginia January 3, 1967 August 29, 1972
91st
92nd
Jack Edwards[5][6] Alabama August 29, 1972 January 3, 1979
93rd
94th
95th
96th Clair Burgener California January 3, 1979 January 3, 1985
97th
98th
99th Robert J. Lagomarsino January 3, 1985 January 3, 1989
100th
101st Vin Weber Minnesota January 3, 1989 January 3, 1993
102nd
103rd Tom DeLay Texas January 3, 1993 January 3, 1995
104th Barbara Vucanovich Nevada January 3, 1995 January 3, 1997
105th Jennifer Dunn Washington January 3, 1997 July 17, 1997
Tillie Fowler Florida July 17, 1997 January 3, 1999
106th Deborah Pryce Ohio January 3, 1999 January 3, 2001
107th Barbara Cubin Wyoming January 3, 2001 January 3, 2003
108th John Doolittle California January 3, 2003 January 3, 2007
109th
110th John Carter Texas January 3, 2007 January 3, 2013
111th
112th
113th Virginia Foxx North Carolina January 3, 2013 January 3, 2017
114th
115th Jason Smith Missouri January 3, 2017 January 3, 2021
116th
117th Richard Hudson North Carolina January 3, 2021 January 3, 2023
118th Lisa McClain Michigan January 3, 2023 present

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Milman, Oliver (2021-05-14). "Trump loyalist Elise Stefanik wins Republican vote to replace Liz Cheney". The Guardian.
  2. ^ "Republican Conference Chairmen". US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives. Retrieved 7 January 2019.
  3. ^ "Republican Conference Chairmen | US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives". history.house.gov. Retrieved 2021-02-04.
  4. ^ "House Leadership Structure: Overview of Party Organization" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on November 29, 2006.
  5. ^ "Anniston Star, Sep 12, 1972, p. 10 | NewspaperArchive®". newspaperarchive.comn. 1972-09-12. Retrieved 2021-02-04.
  6. ^ "Ford Press Releases, September - December 1972" (PDF). fordlibrarymuseum.gov. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
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