Summary

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.

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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 Lisa McClain of Michigan, who assumed the position .[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, Kevin McCarthy and Elise Stefanik. As a result of the 2024 elections, the party holds a narrow majority in the House of Representatives in the 119th Congress.

Current hierarchy

As of January 3, 2024, the conference leadership has been as follows:

Leaders of the House Republican Conference

CongressLeaderDistrictTook officeLeft officeHouse Speaker
36thWilliam Pennington
(1796–1862)		New Jersey 5February 1, 1860March 3, 1861 Himself 1860–1861
37thGalusha A. Grow
(1823–1907)		Pennsylvania 14July 4, 1861March 4, 1863 Himself 1861–1863
38thSchuyler Colfax
(1823–1885)		Indiana 9December 7, 1863March 3, 1869[a] Himself 1863–1869
39th
40th
40thTheodore M. Pomeroy
(1824–1905)		New York 24March 3, 1869March 4, 1869 Himself 1869
41stJames G. Blaine
(1830–1893)		Maine 3March 4, 1869March 4, 1875 Himself 1869–1875
42nd
43rd
44thGeorge W. McCrary
(1835–1890)		Iowa 1March 4, 1875March 3, 1877 Kerr 1875–1876
 Randall 1876–1881
45thEugene Hale
(1836–1918)		Maine 5March 4, 1877March 4, 1879
46thWilliam P. Frye
(1830–1911)		Maine 2March 4, 1879March 3, 1881
47thJ. Warren Keifer
(1836–1932)		Ohio 8December 5, 1881March 4, 1883 Himself 1881–1883
48thJoseph Gurney Cannon
(1836–1926)		Illinois 15March 4, 1883March 3, 1889 Carlisle 1883–1889
49th
50th
51stThomas Brackett Reed
(1839–1902)		Maine 1December 4, 1889March 3, 1891 Himself 1889–1891
52ndThomas J. Henderson
(1824–1911)		Illinois 7March 4, 1891March 3, 1895 Crisp 1891–1895
53rd
54thThomas Brackett Reed
(1839–1902)		Maine 1December 2, 1895March 4, 1899 Himself 1895–1899
55th
56thDavid B. Henderson
(1840–1906)		Iowa 3December 4, 1899March 4, 1903 Himself 1899–1903
57th
58thJoseph Gurney Cannon
(1836–1926)		Illinois 18November 9, 1903March 4, 1911 Himself 1903–1911
59th
60th
61st
62ndJames Robert Mann
(1856–1922)		Illinois 2March 4, 1911March 3, 1919 Clark 1911–1919
63rd
64th
65th
66thFrederick H. Gillett
(1851–1935)		Massachusetts 2May 19, 1919March 3, 1925 Himself 1919–1925
67th
68th
69thNicholas Longworth
(1869–1931)		Ohio 1December 7, 1925March 4, 1931 Himself 1925–1931
70th
71st
72ndBertrand Snell
(1870–1958)		New York 31March 4, 1931January 3, 1939 Garner 1931–1933
73rd Rainey 1933–1934
74th Byrns 1935–1936
 Bankhead 1936–1940
75th
76thJoseph W. Martin Jr.
(1884–1968)		Massachusetts 14January 3, 1939January 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
86thCharles A. Halleck
(1900–1986)		Indiana 2January 3, 1959January 3, 1965
87th
 McCormack 1962–1971
88th
89thGerald Ford
(1913–2006)		Michigan 5January 3, 1965December 6, 1973[a]
90th
91st
92nd Albert 1971–1977
93rd
93rdJohn Jacob Rhodes
(1916–2003)		Arizona 1December 7, 1973January 3, 1981
94th
95th O’Neill 1977–1987
96th
97thRobert H. Michel
(1923–2017)		Illinois 18January 3, 1981January 3, 1995
98th
99th
100th Wright 1987–1989
101st
101st Foley 1989–1995
102nd
103rd
104thNewt Gingrich
(born 1943)		Georgia 6January 3, 1995January 3, 1999[b] Himself 1995–1999
105th
106thDennis Hastert
(born 1942)		Illinois 14January 6, 1999January 3, 2007 Himself 1999–2007
107th
108th
109th
110thJohn Boehner
(born 1949)		Ohio 8January 3, 2007October 29, 2015[b] Pelosi 2007–2011
111th
112th Himself 2011–2015
113th
114th
114thPaul Ryan
(born 1970)		Wisconsin 1October 29, 2015January 3, 2019 Himself 2015–2019
115th
116thKevin McCarthy
(born 1965)		California 23January 3, 2019October 3, 2023[c] Pelosi 2019–2023
117th
118thCalifornia 20 Himself 2023
118thVacantOctober 3, 2023October 25, 2023 McHenry[d] 2023
118thMike Johnson
(born 1972)		Louisiana 4October 25, 2023Incumbent Himself 2023–present
119th

Notes

  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 and House Republican Leader on October 3, 2023, until the election of Mike Johnson on October 25.
  4. ^ This person served as speaker pro tempore.

Conference chairs

The conference chair is elected each Congress.[3]

ChairmanStateCongressDates
Justin S. MorrillVT38th–39th1863–1867
N/A40th1867–1869
Robert C. SchenckOH41st1869–1871
Nathaniel P. BanksMA
Austin BlairMI42nd1871–1873
Horace MaynardTN43rd1873–1875
George W. McCraryIA44th1875–1877
Eugene HaleME45th1877–1879
William P. FryeME46th1879–1881
George M. RobesonNJ47th1881–1883
Joseph G. CannonIL48th–50th1883–1889
Thomas J. HendersonIL51st–53rd1889–1895
Charles H. GrosvenorOH54th–55th1895–1899
Joseph G. CannonIL56th–57th1899–1903
William P. HepburnIA58th–60th1903–1909
Frank D. CurrierNH61st–62nd1909–1913
William S. GreeneMA63rd–65th1913–1919
Horace M. TownerIA66th–67th1919–1923
Sydney AndersonMN68th1923–1925
Willis C. HawleyOR69th–72nd1925–1933
Robert LuceMA73rd1933–1935
Frederick R. LehlbachNJ74th1935–1937
Roy WoodruffMI75th–81st1937–1951
Clifford HopeKS82nd–84th1951–1957
Charles B. HoevenIA85th–87th1957–1963
Gerald FordMI88th1963–1965
Melvin LairdWI89th–90th1965–1969
John B. AndersonIL91st–95th1969–1979
Samuel L. DevineOH96th1979–1981
Jack KempNY97th–99th1981–1987
Dick CheneyWY100th1987–1989
Jerry LewisCA101st–102nd1989–1993
Dick ArmeyTX103rd1993–1995
John BoehnerOH104th–105th1995–1999
J. C. WattsOK106th–107th1999–2003
Deborah PryceOH108th–109th2003–2007
Adam PutnamFL110th2007–2009
Mike PenceIN111th2009–2011
Jeb HensarlingTX112th2011–2013
Cathy McMorris RodgersWA113th—115th2013–2019
Liz CheneyWY116th—117th2019–2021[a]
Elise StefanikNY117th—118th2021–2025
Lisa McClainMI119th2025–present
  1. ^ Removal as conference chair

Vice chairs

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

List of successive secretaries of the House Republican Conference
CongressNameStateTerm startTerm end
Position established
90thDick PoffVirginiaJanuary 3, 1967August 29, 1972
91st
92nd
Jack Edwards[5][6]AlabamaAugust 29, 1972January 3, 1979
93rd
94th
95th
96thClair BurgenerCaliforniaJanuary 3, 1979January 3, 1985
97th
98th
99thRobert J. LagomarsinoJanuary 3, 1985January 3, 1989
100th
101stVin WeberMinnesotaJanuary 3, 1989January 3, 1993
102nd
103rdTom DeLayTexasJanuary 3, 1993January 3, 1995
104thBarbara VucanovichNevadaJanuary 3, 1995January 3, 1997
105thJennifer DunnWashingtonJanuary 3, 1997July 17, 1997
Tillie FowlerFloridaJuly 17, 1997January 3, 1999
106thDeborah PryceOhioJanuary 3, 1999January 3, 2001
107thBarbara CubinWyomingJanuary 3, 2001January 3, 2003
108thJohn DoolittleCaliforniaJanuary 3, 2003January 3, 2007
109th
110thJohn CarterTexasJanuary 3, 2007January 3, 2013
111th
112th
113thVirginia FoxxNorth CarolinaJanuary 3, 2013January 3, 2017
114th
115thJason SmithMissouriJanuary 3, 2017January 3, 2021
116th
117thRichard HudsonNorth CarolinaJanuary 3, 2021January 3, 2023
118thLisa McClainMichiganJanuary 3, 2023January 3, 2025
119thErin HouchinIndianaJanuary 3, 2025Present

See also

References

  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.


source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_Republican_Conference