COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — The South Carolina House began its latest session Tuesday with a failed longshot attempt to unseat the Speaker, which may be a sign of Republican bickering over who should be considered conservative.
As the Republican Freedom Caucus attempted to demonstrate its power, House Speaker Murrell Smith was elected to a second two-year term by a vote of 102–17.
For the most of the past two years, the intraparty conflict has been simmering. According to the Freedom Caucus, the majority of Republicans are not conservative enough since they allowed Democrats, who hold only 35 of the 124 members in the body, to manage a few subcommittees, offered tax incentives to corporations, and failed to enact a complete ban on abortion.
Republicans in the mainstream claim that the caucus members are more focused on winning votes on social media and defeating other Republicans in primaries than they are on carrying out the duties of government. Some members of the broader community even make fun of Caucus members on the internet. More significantly, caucus members have been excluded from the most significant House committees, such as the Ways and Means Committee, which writes the budget.
Republican Representative Bill Chumley of Spartanburg County received 17 votes for speaker, which is comparable to the Freedom Caucus’s support from the previous year. However, the fact that the Freedom Caucus decided to oppose Smith at all and held a press conference last month to discuss its objectives on the same day that the Republican House leadership convened to establish its agenda indicates that the caucus has no intention of following suit.
Republican South Carolina Rep. R.J. May of Lexington speaks to reporters during the organizational session for the House on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024, in Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Collins)
Image courtesy of Jeffrey Collins/Associated Press
Conservative, fearless, non-malicious, and cooperative leadership is what we need. Rep. Jordan Pace of Goose Creek, the caucus leader, stated that he was willing to be fair.
Smith’s post-election statement, which called for additional tax cuts and economic development to sustain South Carolina’s strong growth, made no mention of the difficulty. In order to improve the state, the Sumter Republican also urged Republicans and Democrats to cooperate and listen to one another.
According to Smith, it is our responsibility to demonstrate to the citizens of South Carolina that their government serves them and that we can disagree without being antagonistic.
House Speaker Pro Tem Tommy Pope of York was left to deliver the mainstream Republican reprimand, focusing on the politics and disinformation that feed the caucus. Pope stated that in order for the House to complete its crucial function, the mistrust must end.
Pope stated, “If we do disagree, let’s disagree in truth.”
Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter, a Democrat and the longest-serving member of the House, presided over the opening session until the Speaker could be chosen. She stated that over her thirty-two years in the chamber, she has discovered that a representative’s accomplishments frequently reflect the motivations behind their election. What do you want to see on a resume? Did you believe you could change anything? Do you enjoy serving others?
Do you? Be yourself. Cobb-Hunter stated that you are the only one present who has the ability to vote for you.
An important Freedom Caucus member attended the organizational meeting on Tuesday. Rep. R.J. May of Lexington did not venture into the mix of politicians on the House floor, instead spending most of his time standing by a members-and-staff-only exit door.
Federal prosecutors stated in court documents filed in October that they expected to submit a criminal charge within three months after the investigators collected many electronic devices from May. The paperwork did not include any further information and aimed to extend the devices’ use without a formal hearing.
Members of the Freedom Caucus claimed they hadn’t heard from May in months. May reminded reporters that he was reelected last month without Democratic opposition, but he did not discuss the details of his legal issues on Tuesday.
I was elected to do a certain job, and I’m going to keep doing that, which is to be one of the House’s most conservative members, May stated.
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