Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), who represents New York’s reliably Republican 21st district, was elected to become the new GOP conference chair on Friday after the removal of Anti-Trumper Rep. Liz Cheney from the coveted number three seat in the House minority.
House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy put his weight behind Stefanik, taking to the Fox News program “Sunday Morning Futures” to deliver an official endorsement.
Thank you @GOPLeader for your endorsement for House GOP Conference Chair.
Together, as one team, we will stand up for the American people and #FIREPelosi in 2022. pic.twitter.com/zUhv1h4K71
— Elise Stefanik (@EliseStefanik) May 9, 2021
Rep. Stefanik was heavily favored to win the House Republican Conference, facing only one challenger, Texas Congressman Chip Roy. The New York congresswoman breezed past Roy 134 to 46 in a secret ballot vote. Prior to the vote, Roy mounted his challenge by citing concerns over Stefanik’s left-leaning voting record.
“Therefore, with all due respect to my friend, Elise Stefanik, let us contemplate the message Republican leadership is about to send by rushing to coronate a spokesperson whose voting record embodies much of what led to the 2018 ass-kicking we recevied by Democrats.”
GOP Rep. Chip Roy slams Elise Stefanik in a memo to colleagues: "we should either choose someone who reflects our conservative values, or perhaps leave the position vacant…" pic.twitter.com/IrTwKjRKgr
— Andrew Solender (@AndrewSolender) May 11, 2021
At the conclusion of the vote, Rep. Roy graciously conceded the race, vowing to work in unity with Stefanik and the House GOP.
I extend my sincere congratulations to my friend and colleague, Elise Stefanik. As I said from the beginning, our goal was to provide an alternative with a proven record of standing up not for politicians — but for freedom, the Constitution, & the conservative principles… (1/5)
— Chip Roy (@chiproytx) May 14, 2021
Cheney, who argues that Fox News has an “obligation” to convince Americans that the 2020 election was not stolen, has remained consistent in propagating her anti-MAGA agenda. Cheney also voted to certify the election and impeach President Trump on a charge of incitement of insurrection. Cheney’s ousting became all but inevitable as her polling showed 52% of GOP primary voters would vote against her, regardless of who challenges her in 2022.
The GOP unified to cut out Cheney, but can grassroots conservatives and the MAGA faithful feel confident that Stefanik will be the one to prioritize the “America First” agenda? Has Stefanik proven to be a defender of fiscal conservatism, border security, and US energy independence? Many Americans who make up the Trump base have argued this is not the case.
Pelosi, Schumer, and the Biden administration delivered a $1.9 trillion stimulus at the end of a pandemic when vaccines were already available to vulnerable populations. This administration has also promised to ram through $1.8 trillion of spending on “human infrastructure” and another $2.5 trillion on the “American Jobs Plan,” a nationwide push to unionize both the private and public sectors. “Inflation accelerated at its fastest pace in more than 12 years for April as the U.S. economic recovery kicked into gear and energy prices jumped higher,” CNBC reported. The GOP is cognizant that in order to retake the House in 2022 they must vow to stay out of their constituents’ pocketbooks.
Last week, Stefanik received a glowing endorsement from former President Donald Trump, who made the case that Stefanik “knows how to win”:
Being hailed as a winner by Trump seems to be the most effective way to garner Republican support. A CBS News poll shows that an overwhelming majority of Republicans support Trump as the party’s figurehead. Although she now claims to be a Trump ally, Stefanik’s voting record resembles that of a moderate Democrat:
- Elise Stefanik voted against the Trump “Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017.” This piece of economic legislation lowered the tax rates applied to working-class Americans, dropping rates for five of the seven tax brackets, according to LawShelf.
- Stefanik voted in favor of H.R. 5, also known as the “Equality Act.” “H.R. 5 would force employers, medical professionals, educators, and religious organizations to allow men into women’s shelters, pay for or perform sex-change operations, and engage in speech that violates their consciences,” explains The Heritage Foundation.
- Stefanik also voted for H.R. 9, the “Climate Action Now Act,” which blocks the use of any federal funds to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement. The lopsided Paris Agreement is a major threat to US fossil fuel industries. A study commissioned by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce estimates the agreement could cost the United States 6.5 million industrial sector jobs by the year 2040. The Paris accord is a double standard that requires little reduction in carbon emissions from China, the world’s biggest emitter of CO2.
- Stefanik voted to terminate Trump’s emergency declaration to fund the Mexico-U.S. border wall.
According to FiveThirtyEight, Stefanik has only voted in line with Trump’s position 77.7% of the time. This is a drastic departure from Cheney’s 92.9%. After co-sponsoring a pathway to amnesty for illegal workers, Stefanik earned a C- on her Immigration-Reduction Report Card from NumbersUSA Education & Research Foundation.
Republicans have greater concerns than the number three position in the House minority. What good is it for Republicans to “take back the House” if primary challenges against false-flag Democrat alternatives fail to deliver principled conservatives into power?
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of Def-Con News.
Jacob Ornelas is a journalist, social media influencer, and contributor to Def-Con News. He has built a following of over 86,000 conservatives on the social media platform TikTok where he delivers daily headlines without the “legacy media spin.” He can be found on Instagram, Twitter, and Parler @PatriotJakey.
