Donald Trump called it “tremendous” to work alongside the House leaders “and their colleagues on winning solutions that will really move us forward. | Getty Trump racks up endorsements from House chairs

Nine House committee chairmen are formally uniting behind Donald Trump’s campaign, announcing their endorsement of the Republican Party’s presumptive presidential nominee Friday as the only pathway to winning the White House in November.

Trump’s camp announced the endorsements of chairs Steve Chabot (Small Business), Michael Conaway (Agriculture), Jeb Hensarling (Financial Services), Candice Miller (House Administration), Jeff Miller (Veterans’ Affairs), Tom Price (Budget), Pete Sessions (Rules), Bill Shuster (Transportation and Infrastructure) and Lamar Smith (Science, Space and Technology). Though publicized in a statement encompassing the support of the range of chairs, some of the individuals named Friday had already voiced their support of the real estate mogul as recently as this week.


“We stand on the precipice of one of the most important elections of our lifetime. This great nation cannot endure eight more years of Democrat-control of the White House,” the chairmen said in a statement released by Trump’s campaign.

The chairmen argue that it’s “paramount that we coalesce around the Republican nominee” — citing Trump by name, a subtle show of support that goes a step further than Republicans who’ve distanced themselves by only vowing to “support the nominee” — to retain control of the House and Senate.

“Any other outcome is a danger to economic growth, puts our national security in peril, enshrines ObamaCare as the law of the land, entraps Americans in a cycle of poverty and dependence, and undermines our constitutional republic,” they said. “There is a path to winning in November, and it comes through unity. To solidify this partnership, we endorse Mr. Trump as the Republican nominee for President and call upon all Americans to support him.”

Trump called it “tremendous” to work alongside the House leaders “and their colleagues on winning solutions that will really move us forward. A strong House Republican majority is imperative to fixing the problems facing America and making our country better and stronger than ever before.”

Sessions, Price, Conaway and Smith on Wednesday backed Trump, who met with House Speaker Paul Ryan and other congressional party leaders Thursday. The statement, however, formalizes the endorsements of most of the chairs, including Shuster and Candice Miller and Jeff Miller. Hensarling initially endorsed Texas Sen. Ted Cruz in March, noting at the time that he had “serious questions” about Trump’s commitment to conservatism. Chabot indicated in December that he would back Trump if he were to win the nomination.