WASHINGTON – Ultraconservative Tom Emmer of Minnesota is on some fellow Congress members’ short list to replace Kevin McCarthy as House speaker. Could it happen? Emmer, of Delano, represents the MN-6 district, which spans the northern Twin Cities to St. Cloud. Emmer told the Minnesota Post that he hasn’t been approached about the speakership. McCarthy, of California, has been targeted for ouster by extreme right-wing members of Congress who see him as not aggressive enough on their priorities. Emmer is the third ranking member of House Republican leadership and a close McCarthy ally. Currently he is the Republican majority whip in the U.S. House. Among Emmer positions over the years:
> Opposed to legalized abortion.
> Opposed legislation to combat school bullying against gays.
> Derided the case for global warming as “climate porn” and favored coal and other biofuels.
> Favored shorter driver license revocations for drunken driving.
> Opposed the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.
> Opposed legalizing gay marriage.
Emmer. Failed in a 2010 bid for the GOP nomination for Minnesota governor.
Emmer profile
Emmer, age 62, a lawyer, made a fortune with a family-owned lumber trading company. His first elected office was on city councils in Independence, Minnesota, and Delano, Minnesota. He was elected to the Minnesota House in 2004. In 2014 when Michelle Bachmann gave up the MN-6 seat in Congress amid a campaign finance ethics scandal, Emmer ran for the seat and won. He has elected every two years since. He ran for governor in 2010 but lost in the primary.