The House Republican Conference is the party caucus for Republicans in the United States House of Representatives. It hosts meetings, and is the primary forum for communicating the party's message to members. The conference produces a daily publication of political analysis under the title Legislative Digest.
When the conference holds the majority of seats, it is usually led by the speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives who is assisted on the floor by the House majority leader and the party's chief whip. When in the minority, it is led by the House minority leader, assisted by the chief whip. The conference has a chair who directs day-to-day operations and who is assisted by an elected vice chair and a secretary.
In the 119th Congress, the conference is led by Speaker Mike Johnson and Majority Leader Steve Scalise, both of Louisiana, and Majority Whip Tom Emmer. The current chair is Lisa McClain of Michigan, who assumed the position in 2024. Former chairs include Gerald Ford, John Boehner, Mike Pence, John Bayard Anderson, Dick Cheney, Jack Kemp, Liz Cheney, Kevin McCarthy and Elise Stefanik. As a result of the 2024 elections, the party holds a narrow majority in the House of Representatives in the 119th Congress.
Current hierarchy
As of April 16, 2026, the conference leadership has been as follows:
- Mike Johnson (LA–4) as Speaker of the House (conference leader)
- Steve Scalise (LA–1) as House majority leader
- Tom Emmer (MN–6) as House majority whip
- Lisa McClain (MI–9) as chair of the House Republican Conference
- Blake Moore (UT–1) as vice chair of the House Republican Conference
- Erin Houchin (IN–9) as secretary of the House Republican Conference
- Jay Obernolte (CA–23) as chair of the House Republican Policy Committee
- Richard Hudson (NC–9) as chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee
- Guy Reschenthaler (PA–14) as House Republican chief deputy whip
Leaders of the House Republican Conference
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:75%;"
|-
! style="width:5%;" | Congress
! colspan="2" | Leader
! District
! Took office
! Left office
! colspan="2" | House Speaker
|-
| 36th
| 150px
| William Pennington<br>
| New Jersey 5
|
|
| style="background-color:;" |
| Himself
|-
| 37th
| 150px
| Galusha A. Grow<br>
| Pennsylvania 14
|
|
| style="background-color:;" |
| Himself
|-
| 38th
| rowspan="3" | 150px
| rowspan="3" | Schuyler Colfax<br>
| rowspan="3" | Indiana 9
| rowspan="3" |
| rowspan="3" |
| rowspan="3" style="background-color:;" |
| rowspan="3" | Himself
|-
| 39th
|-
| 40th
|-
| 40th
| 150px
| Theodore M. Pomeroy<br>
| New York 24
|
|
| style="background-color:;" |
| Himself
|-
| 41st
| rowspan="3" | 150px
| rowspan="3" | James G. Blaine<br>
| rowspan="3" | Maine 3
| rowspan="3" |
| rowspan="3" |
| rowspan="3" style="background-color:;" |
| rowspan="3" | Himself
|-
| 42nd
|-
| 43rd
|-
| rowspan="2" | 44th
| rowspan="2" | 150px
| rowspan="2" | George W. McCrary<br>
| rowspan="2" | Iowa 1
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" |
| style="background-color:;" |
| style="background-color:#EAECF0;" | Kerr
|-
| rowspan="3" style="background-color:;" |
| rowspan="3" style="background-color:#EAECF0;" | Randall
|-
| 45th
| 150px
| Eugene Hale<br>
| Maine 5
|
|
|-
| 46th
| 150px
| William P. Frye<br>
| Maine 2
|
|
|-
| 47th
| 150px
| J. Warren Keifer<br>
| Ohio 8
|
|
| style="background-color:;" |
| Himself
|-
| 48th
| rowspan="3" | 150px
| rowspan="3" | Joseph Gurney Cannon<br>
| rowspan="3" | Illinois 15
| rowspan="3" |
| rowspan="3" |
| rowspan="3" style="background-color:;" |
| rowspan="3" style="background-color:#EAECF0;" | Carlisle
|-
| 49th
|-
| 50th
|-
| 51st
| 150px
| Thomas Brackett Reed<br>
| Maine 1
|
|
| style="background-color:;" |
| Himself
|-
| 52nd
| rowspan="2" | 150px
| rowspan="2" | Thomas J. Henderson<br>
| rowspan="2" | Illinois 7
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" style="background-color:;" |
| rowspan="2" style="background-color:#EAECF0;" | Crisp
|-
| 53rd
|-
| 54th
| rowspan="2" | 150px
| rowspan="2" | Thomas Brackett Reed<br>
| rowspan="2" | Maine 1
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" style="background-color:;" |
| rowspan="2" | Himself
|-
| 55th
|-
| 56th
| rowspan="2" | 150px
| rowspan="2" | David B. Henderson<br>
| rowspan="2" | Iowa 3
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" style="background-color:;" |
| rowspan="2" | Himself
|-
| 57th
|-
| 58th
| rowspan="4" | 150px
| rowspan="4" | Joseph Gurney Cannon<br>
| rowspan="4" | Illinois 18
| rowspan="4" |
| rowspan="4" |
| rowspan="4" style="background-color:;" |
| rowspan="4" | Himself
|-
| 59th
|-
| 60th
|-
| 61st
|-
| 62nd
| rowspan="4" | 150px
| rowspan="4" | James Robert Mann<br>
| rowspan="4" | Illinois 2
| rowspan="4" |
| rowspan="4" |
| rowspan="4" style="background-color:;" |
| rowspan="4" style="background-color:#EAECF0;" | Clark
|-
| 63rd
|-
| 64th
|-
| 65th
|-
| 66th
| rowspan="3" | 150px
| rowspan="3" | Frederick H. Gillett<br>
| rowspan="3" | Massachusetts 2
| rowspan="3" |
| rowspan="3" |
| rowspan="3" style="background-color:;" |
| rowspan="3" | Himself
|-
| 67th
|-
| 68th
|-
| 69th
| rowspan="3" | 150px
| rowspan="3" | Nicholas Longworth<br>
| rowspan="3" | Ohio 1
| rowspan="3" |
| rowspan="3" |
| rowspan="3" style="background-color:;" |
| rowspan="3" | Himself
|-
| 70th
|-
| 71st
|-
| 72nd
| rowspan="5" | 150px
| rowspan="5" | Bertrand Snell<br>
| rowspan="5" | New York 31
| rowspan="5" |
| rowspan="5" |
| style="background-color:;" |
| style="background-color:#EAECF0;" | Garner
|-
| 73rd
| style="background-color:;" |
| style="background-color:#EAECF0;" | Rainey
|-
| rowspan="2" | 74th
| style="background-color:;" |
| style="background-color:#EAECF0;" | Byrns
|-
| rowspan="3" style="background-color:;" |
| rowspan="3" style="background-color:#EAECF0;" | Bankhead
|-
| 75th
|-
| rowspan="2" | 76th
| rowspan="11" | 150px
| rowspan="11" | Joseph W. Martin Jr.<br>
| rowspan="11" | Massachusetts 14
| rowspan="11" |
| rowspan="11" |
|-
| rowspan="4" style="background-color:;" |
| rowspan="4" style="background-color:#EAECF0;" | Rayburn
|-
| 77th
|-
| 78th
|-
| 79th
|-
| 80th
| style="background-color:;" |
| Himself
|-
| 81st
| rowspan="2" style="background-color:;" |
| rowspan="2" style="background-color:#EAECF0;" | Rayburn
|-
| 82nd
|-
| 83rd
| style="background-color:;" |
| Himself
|-
| 84th
| rowspan="4" style="background-color:;" |
| rowspan="4" style="background-color:#EAECF0;" | Rayburn
|-
| 85th
|-
| 86th
| rowspan="4" | 150px
| rowspan="4" | Charles A. Halleck<br>
| rowspan="4" | Indiana 2
| rowspan="4" |
| rowspan="4" |
|-
| rowspan="2" | 87th
|-
| rowspan="5" style="background-color:;" |
| rowspan="5" style="background-color:#EAECF0;" | McCormack
|-
| 88th
|-
| 89th
| rowspan="5" | 150px
| rowspan="5" | Gerald Ford<br>
| rowspan="5" | Michigan 5
| rowspan="5" |
| rowspan="5" |
|-
| 90th
|-
| 91st
|-
| 92nd
| rowspan="4" style="background-color:;" |
| rowspan="4" style="background-color:#EAECF0;" | Albert
|-
| 93rd
|-
| 93rd
| rowspan="4" | 150px
| rowspan="4" | John Jacob Rhodes<br>
| rowspan="4" | Arizona 1
| rowspan="4" |
| rowspan="4" |
|-
| 94th
|-
| 95th
| rowspan="5" style="background-color:;" |
| rowspan="5" style="background-color:#EAECF0;" | O'Neill
|-
| 96th
|-
| 97th
| rowspan="8" | 150px
| rowspan="8" | Robert H. Michel<br>
| rowspan="8" | Illinois 18
| rowspan="8" |
| rowspan="8" |
|-
| 98th
|-
| 99th
|-
| 100th
| rowspan="2" style="background-color:;" |
| rowspan="2" style="background-color:#EAECF0;" | Wright
|-
| rowspan="2" | 101st
|-
| rowspan="3" style="background-color:;" |
| rowspan="3" style="background-color:#EAECF0;" | Foley
|-
| 102nd
|-
| 103rd
|-
| 104th
| rowspan="2" | 150px
| rowspan="2" | Newt Gingrich<br>
| rowspan="2" | Georgia 6
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" style="background-color:;" |
| rowspan="2" | Himself
|-
| 105th
|-
| 106th
| rowspan="4" | 150px
| rowspan="4" | Dennis Hastert<br>
| rowspan="4" | Illinois 14
| rowspan="4" |
| rowspan="4" |
| rowspan="4" style="background-color:;" |
| rowspan="4" | Himself
|-
| 107th
|-
| 108th
|-
| 109th
|-
| 110th
| rowspan="5" | 150px
| rowspan="5" | John Boehner<br>
| rowspan="5" | Ohio 8
| rowspan="5" |
| rowspan="5" |
| rowspan="2" style="background-color:;" |
| rowspan="2" style="background-color:#EAECF0;" | Pelosi
|-
| 111th
|-
| 112th
| rowspan="3" style="background-color:;" |
| rowspan="3" | Himself
|-
| 113th
|-
| 114th
|-
| 114th
| rowspan="2" | 150px
| rowspan="2" | Paul Ryan<br>
| rowspan="2" | Wisconsin 1
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" style="background-color:;" |
| rowspan="2" | Himself
|-
| 115th
|-
| 116th
| rowspan="3" | 150px
| rowspan="3" | Kevin McCarthy<br>
| rowspan="2" | California 23
| rowspan="3" |
| rowspan="3" |
| rowspan="2" style="background-color:;" |
| rowspan="2" style="background-color:#EAECF0;" | Pelosi
|-
| 117th
|-
| 118th
| California 20
| style="background-color:;" |
| Himself
|-
| 118th
| colspan="3" | Vacant
| '
| '
| style="background-color:;" |
| style="background-color:#E6E6AA;" | McHenry
|-
| 118th
| rowspan="2" | 150px
| rowspan="2" | Mike Johnson<br>
| rowspan="2" | Louisiana 4
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" | Incumbent
| rowspan="2" style="background-color:;" |
| rowspan="2" | Himself
|-
|119th
|}
Notes
Conference chairs
The conference chair is elected each Congress.
{| class=wikitable
! Chairman
! State
! Congress
! Dates
|-
| Justin S. Morrill
| VT
| 38th–39th
| 1863–1867
|-
| colspan="2" |<small>N/A</small>
| 40th
| 1867–1869
|-
| Robert C. Schenck
| OH
| rowspan="2" | 41st
| rowspan="2" | 1869–1871
|-
|Nathaniel P. Banks
| MA
|-
| Austin Blair
| MI
| 42nd
| 1871–1873
|-
| Horace Maynard
| TN
| 43rd
| 1873–1875
|-
| George W. McCrary
| IA
| 44th
| 1875–1877
|-
| Eugene Hale
| ME
| 45th
| 1877–1879
|-
| William P. Frye
| ME
| 46th
| 1879–1881
|-
| George M. Robeson
| NJ
| 47th
| 1881–1883
|-
| Joseph G. Cannon
| IL
| 48th–50th
| 1883–1889
|-
| Thomas J. Henderson
| IL
| 51st–53rd
| 1889–1895
|-
| Charles H. Grosvenor
| OH
| 54th–55th
| 1895–1899
|-
| Joseph G. Cannon
| IL
| 56th–57th
| 1899–1903
|-
| William P. Hepburn
| IA
| 58th–60th
| 1903–1909
|-
| Frank D. Currier
| NH
| 61st–62nd
| 1909–1913
|-
| William S. Greene
| MA
| 63rd–65th
| 1913–1919
|-
| Horace M. Towner
| IA
| 66th–67th
| 1919–1923
|-
| Sydney Anderson
| MN
| 68th
| 1923–1925
|-
| Willis C. Hawley
| OR
| 69th–72nd
| 1925–1933
|-
| Robert Luce
| MA
| 73rd
| 1933–1935
|-
| Frederick R. Lehlbach
| NJ
| 74th
| 1935–1937
|-
| Roy Woodruff
| MI
| 75th–81st
| 1937–1951
|-
| Clifford Hope
| KS
| 82nd–84th
| 1951–1957
|-
| Charles B. Hoeven
| IA
| 85th–87th
| 1957–1963
|-
| Gerald Ford
| MI
| 88th
| 1963–1965
|-
| Melvin Laird
| WI
| 89th–90th
| 1965–1969
|-
| John B. Anderson
| IL
| 91st–95th
| 1969–1979
|-
| Samuel L. Devine
| OH
| 96th
| 1979–1981
|-
| Jack Kemp
| NY
| 97th–99th
| 1981–1987
|-
| Dick Cheney
| WY
| 100th
| 1987–1989
|-
| Jerry Lewis
| CA
| 101st–102nd
| 1989–1993
|-
| Dick Armey
| TX
| 103rd
| 1993–1995
|-
| John Boehner
| OH
| 104th–105th
| 1995–1999
|-
| J. C. Watts
| OK
| 106th–107th
| 1999–2003
|-
| Deborah Pryce
| OH
| 108th–109th
| 2003–2007
|-
| Adam Putnam
| FL
| 110th
| 2007–2009
|-
| Mike Pence
| IN
| 111th
| 2009–2011
|-
| Jeb Hensarling
| TX
| 112th
| 2011–2013
|-
| Cathy McMorris Rodgers
| WA
| 113th—115th
| 2013–2019
|-
|Liz Cheney
| WY
|116th—117th
|2019–2021
|-
|Elise Stefanik
|NY
|117th—118th
|2021–2025
|-
|Lisa McClain
|MI
|119th
|2025–present
|}
Vice chairs
The vice chair is next in rank after the House Republican Conference Chair. Like the chair, the vice chair is elected by a vote of all Republican House members before each Congress. Among other duties, the vice chair has a seat on both the Steering and Policy Committees.
- Robert Stafford of Vermont (1971)
- Samuel L. Devine of Ohio (1971–1979)
- Jack Edwards of Alabama (1979–1985)
- Lynn Morley Martin of Illinois (1985–1989)
- Bill McCollum of Florida (1989–1995)
- Susan Molinari of New York (1995–1997)
- Jennifer Dunn of Washington (1997–1999)
- Tillie Fowler of Florida (1999–2001)
- Deborah Pryce of Ohio (2001–2003)
- Jack Kingston of Georgia (2003–2007)
- Kay Granger of Texas (2007–2009)
- Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington (2009–2013)
- Lynn Jenkins of Kansas (2013–2017)
- Doug Collins of Georgia (2017–2019)
- Mark Walker of North Carolina (2019–2021)
- Mike Johnson of Louisiana (2021–2023)
- Blake Moore of Utah (2023–present)
Secretaries
{| class="wikitable"
|+List of successive secretaries of the House Republican Conference
!Congress
!Name
!State
!Term start
!Term end
|-
| colspan="5" |Position established
|-
|90th
| rowspan="3" |Dick Poff
| rowspan="3" |Virginia
| rowspan="3" |January 3, 1967
| rowspan="3" |August 29, 1972
|-
|91st
|-
| rowspan="2" |92nd
|-
| rowspan="4" |Jack Edwards
| rowspan="4" |Alabama
| rowspan="4" |August 29, 1972
| rowspan="4" |January 3, 1979
|-
|93rd
|-
|94th
|-
|95th
|-
|96th
| rowspan="3" |Clair Burgener
| rowspan="5" |California
| rowspan="3" |January 3, 1979
| rowspan="3" |January 3, 1985
|-
|97th
|-
|98th
|-
|99th
| rowspan="2" |Robert J. Lagomarsino
| rowspan="2" |January 3, 1985
| rowspan="2" |January 3, 1989
|-
|100th
|-
|101st
| rowspan="2" |Vin Weber
| rowspan="2" |Minnesota
| rowspan="2" |January 3, 1989
| rowspan="2" |January 3, 1993
|-
|102nd
|-
|103rd
|Tom DeLay
|Texas
|January 3, 1993
|January 3, 1995
|-
|104th
|Barbara Vucanovich
|Nevada
|January 3, 1995
|January 3, 1997
|-
| rowspan="2" |105th
|Jennifer Dunn
|Washington
|January 3, 1997
|July 17, 1997
|-
|Tillie Fowler
|Florida
|July 17, 1997
|January 3, 1999
|-
|106th
|Deborah Pryce
|Ohio
|January 3, 1999
|January 3, 2001
|-
|107th
|Barbara Cubin
|Wyoming
|January 3, 2001
|January 3, 2003
|-
|108th
| rowspan="2" |John Doolittle
| rowspan="2" |California
| rowspan="2" |January 3, 2003
| rowspan="2" |January 3, 2007
|-
|109th
|-
|110th
| rowspan="3" |John Carter
| rowspan="3" |Texas
| rowspan="3" |January 3, 2007
| rowspan="3" |January 3, 2013
|-
|111th
|-
|112th
|-
|113th
| rowspan="2" |Virginia Foxx
| rowspan="2" |North Carolina
| rowspan="2" |January 3, 2013
| rowspan="2" |January 3, 2017
|-
|114th
|-
|115th
| rowspan="2" |Jason Smith
| rowspan="2" |Missouri
| rowspan="2" |January 3, 2017
| rowspan="2" |January 3, 2021
|-
|116th
|-
|117th
|Richard Hudson
|North Carolina
|January 3, 2021
|January 3, 2023
|-
|118th
|Lisa McClain
|Michigan
|January 3, 2023
|January 3, 2025
|-
|119th
|Erin Houchin
|Indiana
|January 3, 2025
|Present
|}
Notes
References
See also
- House Democratic Caucus
- Senate Republican Conference
- Senate Democratic Caucus
External links
- Republican Conference