The Scoop
One option that Republicans are floating to bring Rep. Elise Stefanik back into their House leadership fold: an elevated version of an existing lower-profile job.
As GOP leaders search for a landing spot for Stefanik after the abrupt withdrawal of her nomination as ambassador to the United Nations, two sources told Semafor that they’re considering making her chair of the Elected Leadership Committee. The ELC is a group of advisers to leadership — and its chair is a speaker-appointed position that got filled for the first time in more than a decade by former Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
Stefanik and Johnson’s camps remain in active discussions about her return to leadership, and no decision has been made. But if Stefanik were to be offered the ELC job, two Republicans familiar with the conversations said it would come with more “heft” and “teeth” than the position has previously held.
“That’s a possibility,” Rep. Lisa McClain, R-Mich., who replaced Stefanik as conference chair this year, told Semafor when asked if ELC chair was on the table for the New Yorker. “That’s an option.”
ELC was revived when McCarthy tapped then-Louisiana Rep. Garret Graves, an influential ally of the former speaker, to fill the spot. Even if the role were beefed up, it would likely result in diminished significance for Stefanik.
She did not seek reelection to the No. 4 leadership post that McClain won out of the expectation she would be confirmed as President Donald Trump’s UN ambassador.
Know More
Now that Stefanik’s nomination has been pulled — with Trump publicly airing concerns about hanging on to her House seat in a special election — the party has agreed she’ll return to GOP leadership. That’s where the clarity ends.
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., told reporters Tuesday that there would be “a lot of roles presented to her.” Still, the dilemma of trying to retrofit an influential member of Congress into leadership four months into the start of the term is proving tricky.
“We can’t give her a gavel. We can’t give her one of the elected positions. So we want to bring her back in to have a seat at the leadership table,” McClain told Semafor, adding that leaders agree “she’s so valuable.”
Johnson also repeated his willingness to reinstall Stefanik to leadership while also acknowledging the challenges.
“Recognizing her talent, I said I would love to have her back immediately to the leadership table. All the leadership posts are filled at the moment, so we’re trying to figure out some creative role for Elise to play,” Johnson said.
Stefanik voted last Friday, a day after Trump’s announcement, but did not cast a vote this week.
She has served as a vocal Trump ally since his 2019 impeachment trial, a role that helped rebrand her from the moderate image she first ran on into a MAGA favorite. Stefanik’s ascension to leadership followed the removal of former Rep. Liz Cheney from her post as conference chair in response to Cheney’s harsh criticism of Trump.
Stefanik was elected the following day.
Last year, the Harvard alumna made headlines for her questioning of Ivy League college presidents for their handling of antisemitism allegations. Her work prompted a series of resignations, including one from the president of Stefanik’s alma mater.
Notable
- Here’s the luxury 5-bedroom apartment Stefanik had to give up after the ambassador to the UN position was yanked from her, according to Newsweek.
- Johnson removed Graves from the ELC post after becoming speaker and opted to lead the committee’s meetings himself, Politico reported at the time.