House Minority Leader John A. Boehner is working to oust Alabama Rep. Spencer Bachus and Alaska Rep. Don Young from their posts as the top Republicans on the Financial Services and Natural Resources committees. Power play: Boehner's revenge

In his latest effort to tighten his grip on the Republican Conference, House Minority Leader John A. Boehner is working to oust Alabama Rep. Spencer Bachus and Alaska Rep. Don Young from their posts as the top Republicans on the Financial Services and Natural Resources committees.

Boehner has arranged for “no confidence” votes on Bachus and Young to be taken by the Republican Steering Committee, which makes recommendations on committee assignments to the full GOP Conference.


The votes could come as early as Wednesday. Young is expected to lose his spot, paving the way for a different Republican to take his place as the ranking member of the Natural Resources Committee. Bachus’ fate on Financial Services is unclear, but Boehner has told both Bachus and Young that he would oppose any effort to keep them on as ranking members of their committees, GOP insiders say.

Reps. David Dreier (R-Calif.) and Steven C. LaTourette (R-Ohio) have been mentioned as potential replacements for Bachus on Financial Services, while Reps. Elton Gallegly (R-Calif.) and Doc Hastings (R-Wash.) are favored candidates to succeed the irascible Young.

Neither Bachus’ office nor Young’s office had any comment at press time. Boehner’s office declined to discuss internal Republican Conference actions.

In the aftermath of the November elections, there were rumors that Boehner would face a challenge for his leadership post. He didn’t, and Reps. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) and Adam Putnam (R-Fla.) were instead forced out from their posts as minority whip and Republican Conference chairman, respectively. Reps. Eric Cantor (R-Va.) and Mike Pence (R-Ind.) replaced them in the GOP leadership.

But Boehner still seems to have scores to settle with those who opposed him during the 110th Congress. The Ohio Republican forced out Oklahoma Rep. Tom Cole as chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, replacing him with Texas Rep. Pete Sessions, a close ally. He then installed Johnny DeStefano, his political director, as deputy executive director of the campaign committee, meaning Boehner will have his own independent channel into the National Republican Congressional Committee.

Now he’s taken aim at Bachus and Young.

Bachus was widely criticized by House Republicans for his involvement in early negotiations over the $700 billion Wall Street bailout package in late September. In what amounted to a public comeuppance, Boehner eventually had Blunt replace Bachus at the negotiating table.

But a senior GOP staffer, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the problem with Bachus is bigger than that. “He’s proven to be quite inept as [ranking member] on that committee,” the staffer said.

Young has been embroiled in the same federal corruption probe in Alaska that toppled Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), and the veteran lawmaker has been forced to shell out more than $1 million to lawyers to represent him during the investigation.

Young has denied any wrongdoing, but having him around — especially now that indicted Rep. William Jefferson (D-La.) has been defeated — would make it harder for Republicans to hit Democrats for keeping embattled Rep. Charles B. Rangel (D-N.Y.) on as chairman of the Ways and Means Committee.

“Young has got to go,” claimed another GOP insider. “It’s hard for us to go after Charlie Rangel if Don Young is there.”

Young is also seen as an “old school” politician more interested in winning pork projects than enacting the reform agenda that many Republicans believe the party needs to embrace in order to rebound from two consecutive election defeats.

While Boehner, like some other Republicans, has pushed for earmark reform, Young’s penchant for earmarking federal dollars has led to a Justice Department probe. The Alaska Republican earmarked $10 million for the Coconut Road interchange in Fort Myers, Fla., while he was chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee back in 2005. Young reportedly had language added to a highway bill after the legislation was approved by both the House and the Senate. A developer who favored the project steered more than $40,000 in campaign contributions to Young’s reelection race.