A.G. Gancarski
Jacksonville Rep. John Rutherford, new to D.C., told Roll Call he was surprised by both ideological and strategic divisions in the GOP caucus itself this week.
The caucus, said Rutherford, could be more unified: “to come from the executive side, or at least what feels like the executive side, to the legislative branch, is a little frustrating because I’m used to, as a sheriff, I say, ‘Take the hill’ and my team would come together and take the hill.”
“Heck, they’d even take a bullet to take that hill because they believe in something bigger than themselves,” Rutherford added.
“Up here, the speaker says, ‘Take the hill,’ and somebody says, ‘We’ll take ‘that’ hill ‘,” Rutherford continued.
Speaker Paul Ryan, Rutherford noted, “said one time that being the speaker is like walking through a graveyard — you’re above a lot of people but they ain’t listening to you. That’s been an interesting situation.”
“I think what’s probably surprised me most is the differences within the Republican caucus. You think that everybody comes from the same experience and background. In some places, I’d be a staunch conservative and in other places of the country, I’d be a moderate. It’s interesting to see how that works in the family,” Rutherford said, regarding ideological divisions among the legislators.
Though new to the family, Rutherford has already done some chores.
Rutherford, in a safe seat with universal popularity among Northeast Florida Republicans, has rolled up his sleeves and gotten into the trenches — including rallying for the American Health Care Act with VP Mike Pence earlier this year.
A revised AHCA has passed the House, but whatever emerges from the Senate won’t resemble it.
Meanwhile, even President Donald Trump has reversed position on the bill House Republicans carried for him., calling it “mean” and urging the Senate to craft a health care reform bill that is “generous, kind (and) with heart.”
