House Republicans Plot Path Forward

House Republicans will meet next Tuesday to plot the path forward after another discouraging special election loss in a solidly GOP seat in northern Mississippi this past week.

Rep. Jeb Hensarling, who chairs the conservative Republican Study Committee, requested the meeting on behalf of his colleagues in the group. The Texas Republican notified RSC members on Friday that leaders agreed to the session and encouraged his conservative colleagues to attend the special caucus so their priorities would be among those discussed at the party-wide planning session.

"As you know, on behalf of the RSC, I requested a special conference so that all Members could be heard on how best to go forward and define House Republicans," Hensarling told his colleagues in the e-mail. "Members are asked to attend this important conference, and if needed, make plans to fly in the night before in order to be there. The RSC will present ideas for a Conference action plan. "

Republicans are still reeling from a special election loss in Mississippi last week - their third this spring - and leaders have struggled to get a lift from the initial rollout of their new policy platform. As such, members from all over the conference have begun plotting their own plans to regain power - or at least stop the bleeding before it's too late.

Clarification: Apparently, this is a conference-wide meeting. An earlier version stated this was just for RSC members.