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Republicans on Capitol Hill are on edge over what they view as Stephen Bannons growing influence inside President Trumps White House.

The White House counselors elevation to being a permanent member of the National Security Council has deepened the debate, as has the furor surrounding Trumps controversial executive order on immigration.

Bannon has reportedly formed an alliance with White House senior adviser Jared Kushner, who is also Trumps son-in-law. That would give him enormous power in the White House given Kushners perceived influence with Trump.

On the refugee order, Bannon is seen as having worked closely with White House senior adviser Stephen Miller, a former aide to Sen. Jeff SessionsJeff SessionsFranken slams Cruz for trying to impugn his record The Hill's 12:30 Report Dem rips Trump's 'lip service' during Black History Month MORE (R-Ala.) known for his hard-line position on immigration.

Sessions, who is expected to be confirmed soon as Trumps attorney general, is also seen as a Bannon ally. And Bannon has brought other people to the White House from Breitbart News, giving him more influence.

We clearly see what Bannon is doing. Theres no secret in it. Hes increasing his people inside and aligning with Kushner, said one former GOP leadership aide. And the person to look at is really Kushner, because at the end of the day, hes the person Trump trusts most. And together, those two guys seem like they want to knock everyone else over.

Many Republicans fear that Bannons ascendance is coming at the expense of Trumps chief of staff, Reince Priebus, the former Republican National Committee chairman who is a home-state friend of Speaker Paul RyanPaul RyanHouse begins to map out infrastructure strategy Homeland Security chairman suggests changes possible to Trump refugee order Republican leadership: The new silent majority MORE (R-Wis.) and has longstanding ties with many lawmakers.

In a joint statement announcing the hiring of Bannon and Priebus last November, Trump said the two would work together as equal partners. But Republicans on Capitol Hill say they are seeing scant evidence of that.

If Priebus is seen as a Washington insider, Bannon is the ultimate outsider.

Before joining Trump, he oversaw Breitbart News, which repeatedly published stories criticizing Ryan and other GOP lawmakers for a lack of conservative fortitude. Many lawmakers saw those attacks as unfair, and this history is weighed into their views of what is happening now at the White House.

The lack of vetting on Trumps immigrant and refugee order which bars citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries from traveling to the United States for 90 days, freezes the nations refugee program for 120 days and indefinitely pauses the acceptance of Syrian refugees left many Republicans on Capitol Hill fuming. House GOP leaders have acknowledged they only learned of the order when it was being rolled out, even though staff on the House Judiciary Committee reportedly provided input to the White House.

Theyre not doing the basic blocking and tackling, and that makes it more difficult for congressional leaders to defend it, one former GOP leadership aide said.

The decision to make Bannon a permanent member of Trumps National Security Council was a shock. Past White House political advisers such as Karl Rove and David Axelrod didnt make that leap.

[Bannon] wouldnt be anywhere near my National Security Council if I were president, Rep. Carlos Curbelo (R-Fla.) told The Hill.

While Trump added Bannon, the director of national intelligence and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff will only attend committee meetings when the discussions pertain specifically to their areas of expertise.

Why would you remove the [director] and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff? Sen. Susan CollinsSusan CollinsThe growing case against Scott Pruitt's nomination to lead EPA White House has '100 percent confidence' in DeVos confirmation Freedom Caucus meets with senators on ObamaCare replacement MORE (R-Maine) said to The Hill. I dont think thats a good decision, and I hope the president will reconsider. The removal of two people whose advice is essential when these critical policy decisions are made that bothers me.

Allies of Trump on Capitol Hill are eager to defend Bannon.

Rep. Tom Rooney (R-Fla.), who initially supported Sen. Marco RubioMarco RubioSenate confirms Tillerson as secretary of State Trump's regulatory rollback a relief to small business Bannons power puts Republicans on edge MORE (R-Fla.) for president, told The Hill that it makes sense for Trump to have his chief strategist sit in on important national security meetings.

And any executive orders that Bannon may have had a hand in should have been expected, Rooney said, because Trump promised it all during his campaign.

The furor over Bannons rise is just because its him and hes controversial, Rooney said.

Others, like House Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), who campaigned with Trump several times during the 2016 race, are excited about Bannons rise because they think it puts Washington on notice.

He is a brilliant strategic thinker who understands how to get the most out of a team, Meadows told The Hill. Bannon, Kushner, Miller and [Kellyanne] Conway have built a winning combination, and they are not afraid to act as long as they believe that they have the best interest of the country at the core of their mission.

Rep. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), a key Trump ally on Capitol Hill and a policy adviser to the campaign, said reports of Bannons rise are overplayed. Bannon has always been one of Trumps most trusted confidants, Cramer said, and Americans elected Trump knowing that.

I think hes always had a lot of influence, and maybe its just becoming more obvious, Cramer said. While he seems to be a controversial figure to some, I dont find it all that egregious personally.

There is always enormous interest in who holds power in a White House, and thats no exception for Trumps team.

The presidents history in setting up rival centers of power in his businesses has only raised interest in how he will manage his White House team as has the sense that whoever talks to Trump last might have an edge.

Theres always been a nice balance for every Trump, there was a [Vice President] Pence; for every Bannon, there was a Priebus, said one current GOP aide. Now, the important question is who will be the first among the equals, because whoever that is will determine whether this is an administration that Republicans think they can work with.

Scott Wong contributed.

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Bannon's power puts Republicans on edge - The Hill