The Utah lawmaker “is definitely there in mind, body and spirit,” said one Republican involved in discussions on unbinding delegates, and Lee could be a “deciding factor” if the vote is close by empowering others to follow his lead.
“What he gives people is permission,” the source said. If Lee were to vote in the affirmative, the source added, delegates would have more cover to vote the same without fear of retribution: “If a U.S. senator can do this, so can I.”
One Republican National Committee ally whipping rules committee members against a move to unbind delegates dismissed the suggestion that Lee could wield such clout. “No one gives a hoot what the ‘hired help’ says,” the source said, invoking humorist Will Rogers’s term for members of Congress.
Lee, a conservative freshman senator seeking re-election this year, is one of only two federal elected officials on the panel, in addition to Rep. Steve Pearce of New Mexico. But Lee also has a background as an accomplished attorney and excels at argument.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member