And as go-go as Scalise has been on the path for Republicans, he stays second to McCarthy there too: Since October started, Scalise has visited 17 completely different states stumping for 42 members. Over the identical interval, McCarthy has traveled in assist of 170 GOP candidates and incumbents — together with to 9 states alone final week.
“I simply have lots of belief” in Scalise, McCarthy instructed POLITICO, lauding the Louisianan for his work on vitality coverage in addition to the convention’s “Dedication to America” framework earlier than calling them “a very robust staff” and observing that “the struggles we’ve been by means of have made us stronger.”
That burying of previous tensions could quickly turn out to be useful. Virtually as quickly as Republicans full a probable Home takeover subsequent week, the duo is about to face withering stress from divided wings of their convention to pursue impeachments of Biden administration officers — and probably the president himself.
“I feel that Scalise and McCarthy get alongside loads higher than what the media tries to painting,” mentioned Kentucky Rep. James Comer, the highest Oversight Committee Republican who will function one in every of occasion management’s two level males on bombarding Biden’s staff with investigative work.
“We’re all heading into January getting alongside very well and understanding that there are lots of completely different ideologies in our convention, lots of completely different ranges of conservatism,” Comer added. “However on the finish of the day, I feel we’re very united in making an attempt to repair the issues, all of the crises that Joe Biden created.”
In fact, displaying unity earlier than you are taking a congressional majority is loads simpler than sustaining it whereas in energy. As a lot as Home Republicans agree in precept on serving as an aggressive examine on what’s been a completely Democratic-controlled authorities, the query of how far to go will mutually problem McCarthy and Scalise — who’re at the moment uncontested favorites for the speakership and majority chief submit, respectively.
Scalise could discover that the toughest a part of his job is working with McCarthy to assuage conservatives’ push for revenge in opposition to a Democratic Occasion that the GOP’s proper flank despises after years of what it noticed as unfair Trump impeachments. McCarthy has tried to maintain impeachment conversations at arm’s size, remarking in current interviews that he doesn’t need it for use for political causes.
However McCarthy’s solutions additionally left the door cracked for his convention to maneuver forward on impeachments. A few of his pro-Trump members are already making their stress for it plain.
“This may occur. Not for political causes. However as a result of it have to be completed. Any GOP Member rising weak on it will sorely disappoint our nation,” freshman Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) tweeted earlier this week, linking to a narrative concerning the anticipated GOP push for impeaching Biden.
Scalise, who beforehand served within the Louisiana state legislature for greater than a decade, says he’s had loads of useful follow bringing factions collectively to construct consensus. In spite of everything, his present job as minority whip usually requires him to nudge members to take robust votes.
“I like attending to know my colleagues because the whip, since you actually do get to work with everyone. And also you perceive all of the completely different factions and what makes folks tick,” Scalise mentioned aboard a constitution airplane final week as he raced from marketing campaign occasion to marketing campaign occasion.
“I acknowledge that not everyone thinks the identical manner in our occasion,” he added, “however most individuals need to get to the identical place.”
That isn’t to say all of the competitors between the Home GOP’s No. 1 and No. 2 has dissipated.
Heading into a brand new Congress that can begin with a shuffling of management positions, there are nonetheless potential mini-proxy battles at play as McCarthy appears to be like to fill his management staff with loyal allies, whereas Scalise appears to be like to usher in his. And regardless of the softer tone between Scalise and McCarthy, the previous has signaled his casual assist to lift chief deputy whip Rep. Drew Ferguson (R-Ga.) to majority-whip standing.
McCarthy has despatched a counter-signal: The bulk whip shouldn’t be Ferguson, however one of many different two candidates, Rep. Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) or Jim Banks (R-Ind.).
Even that shadow-boxing for his or her favorites, nevertheless, is a far cry from the extra conspicuous rivalry that when existed between Scalise and McCarthy. Lots of their members say privately {that a} dynamic as soon as suffering from suspicion, delicate alliances between divided groups and behind-the-scenes jockeying now appears behind them.
“On something, there’s going to be struggles and variations of opinion,” McCarthy mentioned. “The wonderful thing about our relationship: we respect one another’s variations of opinion. And I truly search them out.”
That shift started in earnest in 2018, when McCarthy took over for Paul Ryan and entered the minority with Scalise as his No. 2. Their goodwill solidified due to their shared exhaustive recruiting, fundraising and campaigning work down the stretch towards a shared purpose: not simply flipping the Home, however shaping the contours of the GOP’s incoming class as properly to be formidable and governable on the similar time.
McCarthy transferred $52 million to the Nationwide Republican Congressional Committee and state events all through the 2022 cycle thus far and $18.5 million to particular person candidates and members; Scalise has raised $53.4 million in whole this cycle, transferring about $25.1 million to the Home GOP marketing campaign arm and $3.4 million to particular person members and candidates.
The 2 high leaders additionally targeted their fundraising on so-called attain seats within the closing days of the election, in keeping with a number of folks accustomed to their plans — an indication of confidence within the consequence Tuesday night time.
Scalise, who got here to Congress in 2008, has an open-secret expertise that might assist calm GOP convention nerves going ahead. A recognized foodie, he’s usually constructed relationships by breaking bread with colleagues.
Over the previous 4 years, deputy whip Rep. Man Reschenthaler (R-Pa.) noticed, I haven’t seen Scalise “lose too many whip votes.”