Momentum to unseat Speaker John Boehner is a product of the "rumbling and the discontent with current leadership" in the House said Florida Rep. Ted Yoho, one of two representatives campaigning to take over as speaker.
"We hear it over and over again and people's biggest objection of not voting against Mr. Boehner is there's no alternative," Yoho told "America’s Forum” host J.D. Hayworth on
Newsmax TV. "We've thrown our name in the hat as [Rep. Louie] Gohmert has as an alternative so that people don't have that as an excuse."
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While Boehner is widely expected to be re-elected to the post, it won’t be without a challenge when the 114th Congress convenes for the first time Tuesday. But the steep odds aren’t stopping Yoho and Gohmert from trying.
And Yoho said Tuesday that "momentum is growing" for his bid to unseat Boehner.
"We had two new people this morning, patriots willing to stand-up and represent the people that sent them here and so the count is up to 13," he said during an appearance on "Americas Forum."
"We just got a message from somebody that got over 1,000 calls from their constituents and this is what we need to vote against Mr. Boehner. One-thousand calls in one morning to vote against Mr. Boehner. The American people expect a new day in American politics and it starts with changing the status quo."
During an earlier segment on the Newsmax TV show, Rep. Walter Jones of North Carolina said he "could vote for anyone other than Boehner."
"Speaker John Boehner is a very fine person, but I do not think he is a true policy leader," Jones said on "America's Forum."
Tensions between the establishment and tea party factions of the GOP have been brewing for a while. The more conservative tea party Republicans feel that Boehner has abandoned the party’s conservative principles and failed to show sufficient leadership in opposing President Barack Obama on several issues, most notably immigration reform and the budget.
"So many people are unwilling to buck the system or go against the status quo," Yoho said. "I'm not afraid to do that, we ran on that and it's what the people in my district sent me up here and we hear from people all over the country that say it's time for a change in Washington and the status quo and I work for the American people and not for the Wall Street, I don't work for the speaker, I don't work for the political establishment, I work to represent the people of my district."
Republicans who have publicly said they plan to vote against Boehner include Reps. Jim Bridenstine of Oklahoma, Paul Gosar of Arizona,
Steve King of Iowa, Marlin Stutzman of Indiana and Virginia’s Dave Brat.
"In my opinion, this vote is between continuing the status quo or moving in a new direction," Bridenstine said in a statement. "Members of Congress now have two good choices, neither one including a vote for the status quo."
To force a second ballot, at least 29 Republicans – an absolute majority – will need to vote against Boehner.
This report was supplemented with content from The Associated Press.
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