But some of Gosar’s Freedom Caucus colleagues who publicly voted for Ryan are now threatening to oppose him in a January floor vote depending on how he navigates this tricky set of issues before the election.
“He has to earn my vote, and he has not earned it yet,” said one caucus member who supported Ryan last year and asked to remain anonymous. “The question many of us have is whether his leadership is any different than Boehner’s.
“Can you name a result that is fundamentally different than when Boehner was Speaker? The answer is no.”
A third caucus member and past Ryan supporter told The Hill he was still angry that the Speaker didn’t do everything within his power to reinstate Huelskamp on the Agriculture Committee before his Aug. 2 primary. Boehner (R-Ohio) had kicked the Kansas Republican off the panel years earlier, and many believe Huelskamp’s failure to win back his spot cost him his reelection.
“The Speaker has not addressed the Huelskamp issue in a satisfactory manner,” the caucus member told The Hill on Wednesday. “That, together with his business-as-usual approach, will make the January vote very difficult.”
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