If Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas) wants to fuel speculation that he’s going to make a run for Speaker later this year, he’ll have his chance this week.
The chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, considered one of the few Republicans who could mount a serious challenge to Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) or Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.), will attack crony capitalism on Tuesday in a major speech at the Heritage Foundation.
Hensarling’s venue on Tuesday is as noteworthy as his topic. Long one of the capital’s most influential conservative think tanks, Heritage and its political arm, Heritage Action, have become openly hostile to the House GOP leadership over the last two years.
Here is what Roll Call had to say:
That Hensarling spoke at the Heritage Foundation is news in its own right. Speaker John A. Boehner, R-Ohio, has made no qualms about his increasing frustration with Heritage, and for Hensarling, who was once the GOP Conference chairman but stepped down to take the gavel of Financial Services, speaking at Heritage while they are in an awkward battle with House leadership may be seen as a soft rebuke of Boehner.
Rep. Hensarling spoke just two hours after Heritage Foundation suffered one of its harshest congressional rebukes ever, with more congressmen than ever before breaking from the advice of Heritage Action and voting for a water resources bill. Heritage Action had strongly recommended "no" votes on that bill.
The Hensarling speech at Heritage can be viewed here.