Rep. Thomas Massie removed from House Rules Committee

It was announced this week that Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) had been removed from the House Rules Committee following a closed-door meeting.

There was a vote reportedly taken by the House Republican Conference on a new committee roster this week as the new session of Congress prepares to convene, and Massie's name wasn't on the list, according to Newsmax.

Massive happened to have been the lone Republican member who voted against Speaker Mike Johnson's reelection bid last month (R-LA).

The Kentucky lawmaker was reported to have previously said he would step down from the committee after voting against Johnson's reelection bid.

The removal of Massie from the committee will undoubtedly be beneficial to the Republican speaker, as Massie often held up Johnson's legislation in the past -- to the point where he would have to rely on Democrats' votes to get anything through.

Newsmax noted:

According to Axios, Massie's replacement, Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-Va., is a deferential member of the House Freedom Caucus who generally does not join in when his colleagues buck conference leadership.

The Virginia Republican told Axios that he considers himself a "rules guy," adding "if the rules are set up in accordance with the House rules, precedent and Jefferson's manual, then I don't look at the policy, I look at the rules."

For his part, Massie released a statement clearing the record in that his removal from the committee wasn't a retaliatory move because of his "no" vote for Speaker Johnson's reelection.

"I volunteered to step aside if the Speaker wanted to place someone else on the Rules Committee and he chose that option. This was not retribution for my vote against him. I look forward to continuing my work on the Judiciary and Transportation committees," Massie wrote on his X account.

I volunteered to step aside if the Speaker wanted to place someone else on the Rules Committee and he chose that option. This was not retribution for my vote against him.

I look forward to continuing my work on the Judiciary and Transportation committees.

— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) January 14, 2025

Social media users had mixed reactions to Massie's announcement.

"Thank you for your efforts on the Rules Committee and all you endured throughout. I'd say the needle was moved our way or prevented from moving the wrong way at a minimum, so not in vain. I did assume this was gonna happen soon given the speaker vote," one X user wrote.

Another X user wrote, "Thanks for addressing your removal. I, and many others, saw it as a possible retaliation. Glad to know that's not the case."

"I am glad you stood your ground and would have stood with you on the Johnson speaker issue. He has strong Pence vibes," another X user wrote.