New GOP Congresswoman Luna says speaker spat good for Americans to see, cathartic for House GOP

Newly-elected Republican Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna says the very public spat among some members of her conference Friday night en route to electing a new House speaker was worthwhile for Americans to see and perhaps cathartic for her party.

"These discussions and dialogues have actually been good for the American people," Luna said Tuesday on "The Water Cooler" TV show with David Brody. "And although the media tries to pit us against each other, I can tell you that it's been something that we need as a country."

To be sure, members of the House Republican Conference have long been frustrated with what they consider establishment leaders failing to uphold conservative values and denying the conservative wing a larger voice on Capitol Hill.

That dynamic began to boil over several weeks ago when Senate Republicans appeared to mount little resistance toward blocking – or at least trimming – the $1.7 trillion omnibus appropriations bill passed by the Democrat-controlled Congress. 

That frustration came to a head last week when as many as 20 conservative House Republicans withheld their votes for fellow GOP Congressman Kevin McCarthy to become speaker until they got some concessions – including checks on leadership job performance and its meddling in primaries. 

Late Friday, the sides, after tense, televised negotiations reached a deal on the House floor to elect McCarthy – and perhaps a mutual understanding of each other.

"There are people who (were) frustrated with this process," Luna also said, adding, "In no way, shape or form will a Democrat ever hold the gavel to a Republican-controlled House."

Luna, of Florida, was elected in November among a handful of GOP nominees who strongly support former President Trump. 

She also got help in her winning campaign from Georgia GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a firebrand conservative who in fact helped broker the Friday night deal that got McCarthy elected speaker.  

"I'm pro life. I'm pro God, I'm pro gun, and I'm anti socialist," Luna also told Brody. "I'm a Christian, first and foremost. And I can tell you that my entire life, the reason why I actually decided to get involved in politics, is because I felt like probably so many of you here. ... I felt called to follow a path to stand up for what's right in this country."