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Vescovo selected as the next majority floor leader

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Rep. Rob Vescovo will be the next majority floor leader in the Missouri House of Representatives.

The two-term Republican representative from Jefferson County was selected to fill the position left vacant by the outgoing Rep. Mike Cierpiot by the House Majority Caucus.

“I want to thank my colleagues for their trust and support and for giving me this opportunity to serve the caucus and the people of Missouri as Floor Leader. I’m excited to work with Speaker Richardson and the members of the leadership team to continue our efforts to make Missouri an even better place to live, work, and raise a family,” said Vescovo, R-Arnold.

As House Majority Floor Leader, Vescovo will set the legislative calendar and determine which legislation makes it to the floor for debate and when. The Majority Floor Leader also controls the flow of business on the House floor and is considered the second most powerful position in the Missouri House of Representatives. 

Vescovo brings a wealth of experience and passion to the role, having served as the vice chairman of the committees on Economic Development, Fiscal Review, and Local, State, Federal Relations, and Miscellaneous Business.

Vescovo has been noted for his passion and temper as a legislator.

Vescovo

“I don’t have a lot of patience for petty political games and obstruction that blocks the things we were sent to Jefferson City to do from getting done. We were elected to do a job,” he told the Missouri Times in a July 2017 interview.

When asked what he thought the hardest part of serving as the majority floor leader would be, Vescovo said he believed it was time management.

The toughest part would be allocating the most limited resource the legislature has – time – with the almost unlimited spectrum of debate-worthy ideas and proposals that many of the 163 House members bring to the table every year,” Vescovo replied.

One thing that could be a challenge for the Republican-dominated legislature is a large number of members, with the potential of infighting among the ranks. It often falls on the shoulders of leadership to steer the party and bridge the gaps between members. Vescovo, however, likens it to that of a large family.

“Since I’ve been elected, I’ve come to see our House Majority Caucus as a family…thankfully, a big family. We have different backgrounds, different passions, different temperaments, talents and convictions and sometimes we have big disagreements,” he said. “But we truly are a family and we can put our differences aside and come together to create meaningful, conservative change for the people of our state. One leader or one small group of members alone can’t get it done. But when we stand together, we can do so much.”

Palm Strategic’s Scott Dieckhaus and Jon Ratliff consults for Vescovo and worked on this race, marking their second in a row leadership victory, after Rep. Elijah Haahr was selected as the next speaker.

Vescovo will assume the role when the legislature returns to Jefferson City on January 3, 2018.

“We have an important session ahead of us and I am ready to work hand-in-hand with my fellow House members to advance the common-sense reforms that will help working-class Missouri families in all parts of our great state,” he said.

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