Mississippi House freshmen hold sway on debt deal

Miss. House freshmen hold sway on debt deal

WASHINGTON — Mississippi 4th District Rep. Steven Palazzo faced a difficult challenge last week.

As an assistant Republican whip, Palazzo had the task of telling House Speaker John Boehner that some of his colleagues, mostly freshmen, wouldn’t back his debt-reduction plan because it wouldn’t cut spending enough.

So Boehner postponed a vote on the proposal and revised it to appease the conservatives. The proposal narrowly passed the House the next day.

“Hands down, the votes weren’t there,” Palazzo recalled. “By listening and leadership reacting, we made it better.”

Clarion Ledger
8/3/11