A new report out indicates that Trey Gowdy might be in the running for the powerful Chairmanship of the House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. This is the same committee that made Hillary Clinton testify on Benghazi. Additionally, they hosted high-profile hearings to hold the Obama administration accountable, such as a hearing on the IRS’ targeting of conservative groups.
As we noted before, current Oversight Chairman Jason Chaffetz plans to retire from the House during his current term.(READ MORE: Congressman Who Tried to Keep Obama’s Administration in Check Won’t Seek Re-election)
According to Politico, this is leaving a power vacuum:
House Oversight Chairman Jason Chaffetz’s announcement last week that he might soon resign from Congress has triggered a behind-the-scenes battle for one of the highest-profile chairmanships on Capitol Hill. And the power vacuum has the potential to cause GOP leaders serious heartburn.
Right now the favorite for the post is Jim Jordan, one of the top conservatives in the house. However, some are unsure whether or not Jordan can win due to his rocky relationship with GOP leadership — who have a powerful say in the matter:
But sources told POLITICO that they’re not sure Jordan can win the post, and not just because of his rocky relationship with GOP leaders. Many members of the House Steering Committee that chooses chairmen — and is composed entirely of leadership loyalists — don’t like him, either.
Enter Gowdy:
GOP leaders and their allies are so worried about a Jordan candidacy that they’ve begun buttonholing Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.) — the former chairman of the House Benghazi Committee and a dark-horse candidate for the Oversight post — to run, according to multiple House sources. While Gowdy often jokes that he hates the high-profile nature of his job and would rather be home watching Hallmark movies with his wife, insiders say he is now considering a bid.
Gowdy’s congressional office declined to comment on the matter. American Action News will stay on top of this possibility as we know a large contigency of our readers are huge Trey Gowdy fans. Stay tuned…
