By John Dempsey, WLS-AM News
(CHICAGO) South Suburban Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger was on WLS Thursday morning, expressing bewilderment at President Trump’s decision to bypass Republicans and make a deal with Democrats over the debt ceiling and hurricane disaster relief.
CNN quotes sources who say Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Paul Ryan were “blindsided” by the decision to extend the debt ceiling for three months. In fact, hours before Trump agreed to Democrats’ proposal, Ryan had publicly called such a plan “ridiculous” during a news conference. The GOP leaders had no heads up or warning that Trump’s decision would happen, Republican officials told CNN.
Kinzinger reacted to the news when he appeared on “The Big John and Ramblin Ray Show” on WLS.
“We’re kind of surprised by it to be honest with you”, said Kinzinger. “Obviously because the Senate is holding to their 60 vote rule with getting anything passed, you’re going to have to have some version of compromise. But I think for the President to have literally just let it go, and I’ll probably vote for it, it’s not necessarily a terrible deal, it just kind of kicks the can down the road a little bit. But it was surprising that you know, we had a plan to go forward to have some version of leverage and it’s gone.”
Kinzinger also reacted to a Washington Post report that former Trump adviser Steve Bannon has talked with a leading conservative lawmaker about possible replacements for House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) if conservatives were to attempt to oust him. The post quotes sources who describe those talks with Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), as “informal.” Meadows is the chairman of the conservative House Freedom Caucus.
Kinzinger, who is a political moderate, told WLS it is wrong for conservatives to try and oust Ryan for allegedly not being conservative enough.
“You know, if Paul Ryan can’t remain Speaker, I mean this is the guy that was the most conservative member of Congress until they re-defined conservatism a few years ago. If Paul Ryan is not conservative enough to be Speaker, then frankly I think we’re lost as a majority. I think he’s the best Speaker we’ve had in a very long time.”
The Post reported that both Meadows and two of the group’s other leaders, Reps. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and Scott Perry (R-Pa.), met with Ryan on Wednesday to vent frustration with his leadership.
