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 legislative 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 of Minnesota. The current chair is Lisa McClain of Michigan, who assumed the position in 2024. Former chairs include President Gerald Ford, Vice Presidents Mike Pence and Dick Cheney, Speakers John Boehner and Kevin McCarthy, presidential candidate John Bayard Anderson, vice presidential candidate Jack Kemp, and Representatives Liz Cheney 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 Congress Leader District Took office Left office House Speaker 36th William Pennington New Jersey 5 Himself 37th Galusha A. Grow Pennsylvania 14 Himself 38th Schuyler Colfax Indiana 9 Himself 39th 40th 40th Theodore M. Pomeroy New York 24 Himself 41st James G. Blaine Maine 3 Himself 42nd 43rd 44th George W. McCrary Iowa 1 Kerr Randall 45th Eugene Hale Maine 5 46th William P. Frye Maine 2 47th J. Warren Keifer Ohio 8 Himself 48th Joseph Gurney Cannon Illinois 15 Carlisle 49th 50th 51st Thomas Brackett Reed Maine 1 Himself 52nd Thomas J. Henderson Illinois 7 Crisp 53rd 54th Thomas Brackett Reed Maine 1 Himself 55th 56th David B. Henderson Iowa 3 Himself 57th 58th Joseph Gurney Cannon Illinois 18 Himself 59th 60th 61st 62nd James Robert Mann Illinois 2 Clark 63rd 64th 65th 66th Frederick H. Gillett Massachusetts 2 Himself 67th 68th 69th Nicholas Longworth Ohio 1 Himself 70th 71st 72nd Bertrand Snell New York 31 Garner 73rd Rainey 74th Byrns Bankhead 75th 76th Joseph W. Martin Jr. Massachusetts 14 Rayburn 77th 78th 79th 80th Himself 81st Rayburn 82nd 83rd Himself 84th Rayburn 85th 86th Charles A. Halleck Indiana 2 87th McCormack 88th 89th Gerald Ford Michigan 5 90th 91st 92nd Albert 93rd 93rd John Jacob Rhodes Arizona 1 94th 95th O'Neill 96th 97th Robert H. Michel Illinois 18 98th 99th 100th Wright 101st Foley 102nd 103rd 104th Newt Gingrich Georgia 6 Himself 105th 106th Dennis Hastert Illinois 14 Himself 107th 108th 109th 110th John Boehner Ohio 8 Pelosi 111th 112th Himself 113th 114th 114th Paul Ryan Wisconsin 1 Himself 115th 116th Kevin McCarthy California 23 Pelosi 117th 118th California 20 Himself 118th Vacant McHenry 118th Mike Johnson Louisiana 4 Incumbent Himself 119th

Notes

Conference chairs The conference chair is elected each Congress. Chairman State Congress Dates Justin S. Morrill VT 38th–39th 1863–1867N/A 40th 1867–1869 Robert C. Schenck OH 41st 1869–1871Nathaniel 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 2013–2019Liz Cheney WY116th—117th2019–2021Elise StefanikNY117th—118th2021–2025Lisa McClainMI119th2025–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 +List of successive secretaries of the House Republican ConferenceCongressNameStateTerm startTerm endPosition established90thDick Poff VirginiaJanuary 3, 1967August 29, 197291st92ndJack EdwardsAlabamaAugust 29, 1972January 3, 197993rd94th95th96thClair BurgenerCaliforniaJanuary 3, 1979January 3, 198597th98th99thRobert J. Lagomarsino January 3, 1985January 3, 1989100th101stVin Weber MinnesotaJanuary 3, 1989January 3, 1993102nd103rdTom DeLayTexasJanuary 3, 1993January 3, 1995104th Barbara VucanovichNevadaJanuary 3, 1995January 3, 1997105th Jennifer DunnWashingtonJanuary 3, 1997July 17, 1997Tillie Fowler FloridaJuly 17, 1997January 3, 1999106thDeborah Pryce OhioJanuary 3, 1999January 3, 2001107thBarbara CubinWyomingJanuary 3, 2001January 3, 2003108thJohn DoolittleCaliforniaJanuary 3, 2003January 3, 2007109th110thJohn Carter TexasJanuary 3, 2007January 3, 2013111th112th113thVirginia FoxxNorth CarolinaJanuary 3, 2013January 3, 2017114th115thJason SmithMissouriJanuary 3, 2017January 3, 2021116th117thRichard HudsonNorth CarolinaJanuary 3, 2021January 3, 2023118thLisa McClainMichiganJanuary 3, 2023January 3, 2025119thErin HouchinIndianaJanuary 3, 2025Present

Notes

References

See also House Democratic Caucus Senate Republican Conference Senate Democratic Caucus

External links Republican Conference