Rep. Charlie Blaum, a Republican who represents a Nashville suburb, said he preferred working with the Tennessee Three to make the House rules clearer.
He quickly began hearing from as many as 100 constituents in Murfreesboro, a Nashville suburb, who told him they felt expulsion wasn’t necessary. That night, he spoke to his wife, Kelly, who agreed. On Tuesday, he told Republican leadership he would break with the party.
By Thursday, Jones and Pearson had been ousted, and Baum was the lone Republican of the 75-seat majority who voted against all three resolutions. He saiddid not try to persuade him to change his decision and supported his “vote of conscience.” In conversations before the expulsion vote with 8 to 10 GOP colleagues, the lawmaker said he explained his reservations and heard why many felt the extraordinary step of expulsion was necessary. He said some told him they were pessimistic that additional attempts at working with Jones, Pearson and Johnson would be fruitful.
During the Thursday debate, Democrats argued that the Tennessee Three’s actions were a mistake but that expulsion would set a dangerous precedent for democracy. Republicans said expulsion was necessary to prevent further potential attempts to disobey the chamber’s rules. The GOP representatives used a more aggressive line of questioning during cross-examination of Jones and Pearson, calling the two lawmakers disruption makers and attention seekers.When asked why he thought Jones and Pearson were expelled while Johnson wasn’t, the third-term lawmaker and economics professor pointed to Johnson’s history of following rules in committee. He thought that past might have benefited Johnson and hurt Pearson and Jones, who were both in their first term.
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