The Republican Study Committee executive committee has endorsed Rep. Ben Cline of Virginia to be the next chairman of the largest Republican caucus in Congress.
The committee said it met with Cline earlier this week to hear his vision for leading the group in the 120th Congress. Its executive committee includes Chairman Rep. August Pfluger of Texas, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, and Republican Reps. Kevin Hern of Oklahoma, Virginia Foxx of North Carolina, and Tom McClintock of California.
The statement called Cline 'a trustworthy voice' in the Republican Conference and said he had led the organization as vice chair in the 119th Congress with 'an unwavering commitment' to its founding principles. It also said Cline's vision would help 'deliver victories for hardworking Americans' and help President Donald Trump advance the conservative agenda.
Cline was the only member to enter the race after getting backing from the current chairman earlier this spring. He presented his plan to the executive committee on Tuesday and then to the full RSC membership during its weekly Wednesday lunch.
He still needs to be formally elected by RSC members. That vote is set for mid-November, after the midterm elections.
Why it matters: The RSC is one of the most consequential power centers on Capitol Hill, and its agenda often shapes the conservative wing's push on taxes, border security, and health care spending. A Cline win would keep that machinery in place.
The big picture: The committee's priorities this Congress include a crackdown on fraud, alongside the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, and new legislation in the House. That is the kind of agenda that, on paper, can mean less waste and more accountability for taxpayer money.