Senate GOP leadership faces post-election shake-up

Anti-establishment fervor roiling the presidential race may soon tumble the Senate Republican hierarchy.

Several lawmakers claim that under Senate Republican Conference rules, three of the five top-ranking leaders must step down from their posts after the election 

{mosads}At least one rising conservative star — Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), the only Republican senator to endorse fellow Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) for president — wants to move up the ranks.

Lee has made phone calls to colleagues about running for the Republican Policy Committee chairmanship, now held by Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), the fourth-ranking member of GOP leadership. 

“Sen. Lee is a natural fit for the position. He’s been making calls since last week. And he’s been getting an enthusiastic response from those he’s called,” said a Senate GOP aide.

Lee’s spokesman, Conn Carroll, declined to comment.

A challenge for Lee and anyone else seeking to move up the ladder, however, is that other Republicans in the Senate interpret the rules differently.

One GOP leadership aide argued Monday that the limit doesn’t kick in until the end of 2018. Under that interpretation, Barrasso and Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) would be safe from term limits.

That means Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) can serve in the top spot for as long as we wants.

The second-ranking leader, Senate GOP Whip John Cornyn (R-Texas), who didn’t assume his post until 2013, is also immune from the term-limit rule.

Thune, Barrasso and Blunt are in a different position.

All three took their leadership posts at the beginning of 2012, after Senate Republican Conference Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) resigned in the middle of the 112th Congress.

The rules state that terms of office for party leaders “shall extend for not more than two years and shall expire at the close of each Congress.”

Nowhere do the rules state a term must last for any set amount of time.

The GOP leadership aide argued that “the partial term in 2012 doesn’t count toward their six-year term limit.

But others disagree.

“The conference rule is black and white on this issue,” said a GOP aide who argues that Thune, Barrasso and Blunt face term limits at the end of this Congress.

Don Stewart, McConnell’s spokesman, said his boss thinks the leadership team should remain intact. 

The issue is becoming a hot topic among GOP senators.

“Absolutely we should enforce term limits on leadership, new blood is beneficial,” said one Republican senator who requested anonymity to comment on internal leadership deliberations.

“Why have term-limit rules if we keep waiving them?” the lawmaker added.

Lee, who currently serves as chairman of the Senate Republican Steering Committee, hosts a well-attended lunch every Wednesday. He’s contacting colleagues on the assumption that Barrasso is term-limited at the end of this year.

A final interpretation of the rules will have to be settled behind closed doors between now and Election Day.

Thune, Barrasso and Blunt have served in McConnell’s inner circle for years.

If he is term-limited, Thune, the third-ranking GOP leader, would face a tough decision. Will he challenge McConnell or Cornyn to move up the leadership ladder? Or will he take a demotion or drop out of leadership altogether to focus on his work as chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee?

A challenge to McConnell seems far-fetched now, but if Republicans lose four or more seats and control of the upper chamber in November, rank-and-file senators may want a new CEO.

Thune’s spokesman did not respond to a request for comment.

Barrasso’s most logical step would be to run for Thune’s job, said a GOP aide. 

That could put him in a race with Blunt, who now serves as the Senate Republican Conference vice chairman.

In 2006, Blunt lost a race for House majority leader to John Boehner, the Ohio Republican who went on to become Speaker. The career setback for Blunt — which The New York Times described as a “stunning upset” — led to a later Senate run.