Home Republican Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) sees a bonus in wrangling the tiny Home GOP majority this 12 months, regardless of having a traditionally slim margin and fewer members than final time: President Trump.
The Trump think about whipping GOP votes is each carrot and stick: Republicans are wanting to advance Trump’s bold legislative agenda — and they’re additionally cautious of getting on the president’s dangerous facet.
“I’m pretty sure you’re not going to want to be the one in your district where the president shows up to tell everybody you’re the one blocking the advancement of his agenda,” Emmer stated in an interview final week on the Home Republican points convention at Trump’s resort in Doral, Fla.
Emmer stated Trump might be a “significant force” in maintaining the Home GOP collectively, pointing to his affect in ensuring Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) was reelected on the primary poll on Jan. 3. Trump referred to as two preliminary holdouts, Reps. Keith Self (R-Texas) and Ralph Norman (R-S.C.), and acquired them to modify their votes.
The president’s message to Home Republicans on the retreat, Emmer stated, was “classic Trump.”
“You’re going to have differences of opinion, but when we get to the moment, just vote yes. You just got to get this stuff done,” Emmer stated of the president’s message.
Whereas Trump as soon as helped to derail Emmer’s short-lived bid for Speaker after former Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s (R-Calif.) ouster by calling the whip a “Globalist RINO,” he now heaps reward on Emmer.
“Tom is incredible,” Trump informed Home Republicans on the retreat. “He’s done an unbelievable job. I’ve become friendly with him. I didn’t really know him, and over the last year or so, I’ve become friendly. He’s an incredible leader.”
However Trump additionally reverenced the robust job Emmer has in maintaining the GOP majority collectively, with which Emmer is all too acquainted after the chaotic final two years.
Final 12 months, GOP rebels not solely ousted the Speaker, however additionally they repeatedly blocked procedural votes for GOP laws on the Home flooring in an unheard-of shift in flooring dynamics.
It might be even more durable this time round, with a fair smaller majority and better expectations of what Republicans can ship with trifecta management in Washington. Emmer should deal with clashing factions within the Home GOP, like fiscal hawks within the Home Freedom Caucus and elsewhere on the one finish, and moderates and blue-state Republicans targeted on elevating the state and native tax deduction on the opposite.
After Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) is confirmed to be U.N. ambassador, anticipated this week, Republicans could have 217 members to 215 members for Democrats — that means they will be unable to spare any GOP defections, assuming all members are current and voting.
That may final till two Florida particular elections are accomplished on April 1. However earlier than then, Republicans face a March 14 funding deadline, and goal to maneuver ahead on a party-line funds decision that’s the first legislative step for teeing up a large Trump legislative agenda on the border, taxes, vitality, and extra.
Democrats, nonetheless, have seen some members take prolonged absences, doubtlessly altering the mathematics for Home Republicans.
Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.), who has been battling most cancers, missed the overwhelming majority of votes in 2025 and has been absent for the reason that first day of the brand new Congress. Rep. Brittany Pettersen (D-Colo.) introduced the beginning of her second baby final week and has pushed to permit for proxy voting for brand new dad and mom, saying it’s “incredibly unfair that my constituents will not have a voice in Congress until I am physically able to return to Washington” whereas she recovers from beginning.
However Emmer says he isn’t relying on Democratic absences when assessing whether or not a partisan invoice has the votes to cross.
“We are never going to say to the Speaker, ‘Oh, they’ve been missing six people all week, so let’s go,’” Emmer stated. “In fact, we emphasized this morning to the group, we just don’t have a margin for error. We need everybody in attendance.”
“Take the budget resolution a couple weeks. Don’t for a second think that they won’t have everybody there voting. They will on the big stuff. They’re going to have everybody,” Emmer stated.
A foul guess on Democratic absence led to a exceptional failure on the Home flooring final 12 months, of Republicans’ first try at impeaching then-Homeland Safety Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
Three Republicans had been towards the measure and Home Majority Chief Steve Scalise (R-La.) was out because of most cancers therapy, however as a result of Rep. Al Inexperienced (D-Texas) was within the hospital for a process and missed different votes that day, Republicans noticed an opportunity of approving the impeachment articles by one vote.
Emmer recalled telling Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.): “They’ve been missing one person all week that we understand is in the hospital. If they somehow bring that person from the hospital, it will likely be a tie vote, it will fail.”
Leaders went together with the vote — and Inexperienced, in a wheelchair and hospital garb, confirmed up on the final minute to forged his vote in a shocking defeat of the measure. Republicans introduced up the impeachment articles once more later when Scalise was again and accredited them.
“He was in his hospital garb. He looked awful, but he was there,” Emmer stated of Inexperienced.
In the case of vote-counting, Emmer sees his job as much less as one in every of whipping Republicans to alter their minds and extra of assessing the place each member stands.
“It’s advising the speaker, the majority leader, this is where the conference is at,” Emmer stated.
Emmer says he solely has two guidelines for Home GOP members.
The primary: “You take care of the people at home first, nobody in DC voted for you.”
The second: “You take care of yourself, second, because if you’re not taking care of yourself, you’re not going to be here long.”
“If you can do those two things, then you can work with the team, and we’ll, we’ll try to help you so that you can achieve whatever it is you came here to achieve,” Emmer stated.
