Republican Effort to Rebrand the Party Takes a Hit
Cantor’s approach echoed the “compassionate conservatism” of an earlier Republican era. In a speech at the American Enterprise Institute, he said the House majority would “pursue an agenda based on a shared vision of creating the conditions for health, happiness and prosperity for more Americans and their families.”
That ambitious goal ran smack into political reality Wednesday as conservative lawmakers rejected a Republican bill to help Americans with preexisting health conditions gain access to insurance coverage.
Republican leaders had to abruptly yank the bill from consideration because they did not have enough votes from their rank and file to pass it. The episode was another example of the difficulty the Republican Party faces in corralling its unruly majority and finding a common message to attract voters.
Although rebellious lawmakers have bucked their leaders at crucial moments, this was the first time they had rejected part of Cantor’s effort to rebrand the party.
“We’re going to continue to work the bill,” Cantor spokesman Doug Heye said. “We had positive conversations today and made good progress.”