Byrne Congratulates New House Leaders

Congressman Bradley Byrne (AL-1) congratulated Majority Leader-elect Kevin McCarthy (CA-23) and Majority Whip-elect Steve Scalise (LA-1) on their election to leadership positions in the United States House of Representatives today.

Both Leader-elect McCarthy and Majority Whip-elect Scalise have spent time in Alabama’s First Congressional District this year. Leader-elect McCarthy joined Congressman Byrne in April for a tour of the Austal USA shipyard.  Congressman Byrne took Majority Whip-elect Scalise Red Snapper fishing to highlight how the federally mandated 9-day Red Snapper season negatively impacts Alabama’s coastal communities.

Byrne said: “Congratulations to both Kevin McCarthy and Steve Scalise on their elections today. I believe this process was an important opportunity to have a healthy conversation about the direction of our Republican majority. I thought we had a great selection of candidates including Raul Labrador, Peter Roskam, and Marlin Stutzman, and I valued the opportunity to get to know them better throughout this process.

“I am particularly pleased to have recently hosted both Leader-elect McCarthy and Majority Whip-elect Scalise in Southwest Alabama to highlight two of our area’s top priorities: the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) and Red Snapper season. I look forward to continuing to work with them and all of my colleagues in the House on these and other important priorities.

“It is more important now than ever that we put this leadership election behind us and unite together to advance a commonsense agenda that promotes job growth and combats the overreach of the Obama administration.”

The House leadership elections became necessary following current Majority Leader Eric Cantor’s decision to step down from his position effective July 31. Cantor lost his primary election on June 10.

The new House leaders were selected during a meeting of the House Republican Conference this afternoon. Each Republican member of the House had one vote. Vote totals were not announced. Majority Leader-elect McCarthy and Majority Whip-elect Scalise will officially assume their new positions on August 1.