Although the majority of its members will not be returning to Congress next year, the House Freedom Caucus plans to remain active through Republicans’ legislative agenda in the final weeks of the current Congress.
At a press conference on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, the group of conservative lawmakers gathered to outline its legislative priorities and urge Republican leaders to act before Democrats take control.
This comes after the group issued a letter earlier this week to current Republican leaders calling for action on a slate of conservative policy priorities. It also comes after caucus Co-Founder and Representative Jim Jordan (R-OH) was appointed minority leader in the next Congress.
“We think that we're the only one right now with a plan to finish the job, and we hope it'll be accepted,” Chairman and Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD) said of the caucus' letter. “Republicans should not leave town until these priorities are completed and Democrats are denied every possible leverage point.”
The shock of the election is still hanging over Republicans' heads, and Rep. Keith Self (R-TX) said the results send a clear message to Congress.
“The folks back home are done with excuses,” he said.
Rep. Self emphasized that the key points outlined in the letter, including border security, spending cuts, tax relief, and government reforms, are not new policy initiatives. He said the caucus has been calling for these priorities for years.
“For years, they [Democrats] called us legislative terrorists for pushing the priorities that we campaigned on,” Rep. Self said. “If more of our colleagues had followed these same priorities that we've laid out for you, we might not be in this position today. Our constituents asked for results, not delay.”
Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) echoed a similar sentiment, adding that the letter was meant to be a “roadmap” for House Republican leaders while they still have the majority for the next two months.
One of the biggest concerns among Texans this election, Rep. Roy said, was corruption. He is continuing to call for more government accountability measures, like banning stock trading for members.
“Because in our Republican form of government, the people is where it all begins,” Rep. Roy said. “And the Freedom Caucus has always stood on that premise.”
But no matter what items remain on House Republicans’ to-do list, Rep. Roy said they won’t make any progress among voters if they leave Capitol Hill early.
“The bottom line is simple: everyone needs to stay until the work is finished,” he said. “No packing up early.”
