Cathy McMorris Rodgers says she’s not running for House majority leader

Published rumors that she is preparing a run for House majority leader are “a mischaracterization and misinformed,” U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers said Monday.

A report that first surfaced on the Politico website last week said McMorris Rodgers has consulted other lawmakers in an effort to move up the ranks.

The Spokane Republican, who is the highest-ranking woman in House GOP leadership, said she has no clue where the report came from.

“I have not been pursuing any other leadership positions,” she said in a phone interview. “I have not made any calls. I am focused on getting things done for the people of Eastern Washington, and that continues to be my priority.”

The future of House Republican leadership has been a hot topic since Congress returned from its summer recess.

Congress needs to focus more on the challenges facing the country and less on leadership positioning, McMorris Rodgers said. That includes those calling for Speaker John Boehner’s ouster, she added.

Asked if she supports Boehner as speaker, McMorris Rodgers replied, “He was the only person who ran, and our focus now needs to be on getting things done for America.”

She would not say if she might consider a future run for majority leader or if colleagues had contacted her about running if the circumstances arose.

“There’s a lot of rumors right now flying around Capitol Hill,” she said. “Congress needs to be getting things done for the American people, and anything else is really a distraction.”