Cantor's primary loss creates uncertainty within House GOP leadership

It's also unclear how the primary defeat of House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., could impact efforts by some Republican lawmakers to advance an alternative to Obamacare.

The Washington Post: Eric Cantor Succumbs To Tea Party Challenger Tuesday
In Washington on Tuesday, the idea of Cantor's loss was so strange that there was no plan in place to deal with it. Other Republicans puzzled: Did Cantor have to resign his position as the House Republican leader immediately? … On Capitol Hill, Cantor's defeat will create enormous uncertainty in the House. Cantor, 51, had been considered the next generation's GOP leader, who would take over for House Speaker John A. Boehner (Ohio) when Boehner, 64, retired. In a caucus deeply divided between establishment Republicans and fire-breathing conservatives, these were the two who had shown some ability to keep order (Costa, Vozzella and Fahrenthold, 6/11).

Politico: The GOP Leadership Scramble
Cantor's loss could also dramatically alter the Republican legislative agenda for the next five months. Cantor had been scrambling to craft GOP health care bill to replace Obamacare -- trying to piece together plans from wide corners of the party that could win support from a majority of Republicans. GOP leadership aides were tentatively planning for a series of health care related votes following the July 4th recess. If a number of Republican Study Committee members hop into the race, it could raise the prominence of their health care alternative. Scalise launched a push just last month to pressure Cantor to schedule a vote on that bill (French and Bresnahan, 6/11).

The Wall Street Journal: Eric Cantor Loses To Tea Party's David Brat In Virginia Primary
Mr. Cantor, responsible for setting the House's legislative schedule, had taken the lead organizing House Republicans' efforts to draft an alternative to the Affordable Care Act, an effort now cast into doubt. Mr. Cantor's defeat also scrambles the outlook for the future of the House GOP leadership. He had been seen as the likely successor to Mr. Boehner, who some had thought might be considering retiring after the next term (Peterson and Hook, 6/10).