House Republicans have recently talked about lingering tensions and frustrations, with multiple lawmakers expressing their displeasure with how their colleagues behaved last year.
“Democrats are good at carrot and the stick — you know, we reward you with the carrot or we hit you with the stick. We’re not very good at that as Republicans,” Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., told The Hill.
He added that Republicans are “independent. We go out to do our thing,” but “that creates a problem” when trying to get members of the GOP in agreement.
“But I don’t think it was supposed to be some rah, rah, cheering section,” Burchett said.
“For a body that creates laws for the American people to live by, Congress lives in a lawless society to where members can do whatever they would like that goes against conference rules, and still have the ability to maintain the committee assignments — to still get, you know, whether it’s fundraising or extra dollars from leaders wherever it may be,” added Rep. Max Miller, R-Ohio.
He noted the fight over the speakership, which began when a group of Republicans sided with Democrats and voted to oust then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., a move that set off multiple weeks of searching for a new person to take the post.
Miller also criticized a lack of consequences for members who break the rules or their agreements.
“When you discipline people, they learn from their mistakes. I mean, it’s called life. And if you don’t discipline people and members of Congress, you’re gonna get this result, which is privileged resolutions being brought to the floor every day, taking cabinet secretaries down to $1 — I mean, this isn’t helping the American people,” the congressman said.
Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., told the news outlet that “It might have just been a little bit more public … There might be [more] bruised egos, bruised feelings" than there would have been behind closed doors.