House Freedom Caucus

House Freedom Caucus
House
Leadership:	Scott Perry (R-PA)
Established	2015
Members	31 (as of June 2019)
Website	House Freedom Caucus

The House Freedom Caucus is a congressional caucus in the U.S. House of Representatives. According to the group's official Facebook page, "The House Freedom Caucus gives a voice to countless Americans who feel that Washington does not represent them. We support open, accountable and limited government, the Constitution and the rule of law, and policies that promote the liberty, safety and prosperity of all Americans."

History

The House Freedom Caucus was established in 2015 by a group of nine Republican representatives and grew to roughly 40 members by October 2015. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) was the group's first chair. In March 2017, the Wall Street Journal estimated that the caucus maintained about 29 members. An October 2015 study by the Pew Research Center found that the majority of caucus members were generally considered to be more conservative than most Republicans.

Members

117th Congress

Members of the 117th Congress included:

• Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Arizona)
• Rep. Dan Bishop (R-North Carolina)
• Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colorado)
• Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Alabama)
• Rep. Ken Bucks (R-Colorado)
• Rep. Ted Budd (R-Ohio)
• Rep. Ben Cline (R-Virginia)
• Rep. Michael Cloud (R-Texas)
• Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-Georgia)
• Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-Georgia)
• Rep. Warren Davidson(R-Ohio)
• Rep. Scott DesJarlais (R-Tenn.)
• Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Florida)
• Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-South Carolina)
• Rep. Russ Fulcher (R-Idaho)
• Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas)
• Rep. Bob Good (R-Virginia)
• Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Arizona)
• Rep. Mark Green (R-Tennessee)
• Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-Virginia)
• Rep. Andy Harris (R-Maryland)
• Rep. Diana Harshbarger (R-Tennessee)
• Rep. Yvette Herrell (R-New Mexico)
• Rep. Jody Hice (R-Georgia)
• Rep. Clay Higgins (R-Louisiana)
• Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio)
• Rep. Debbie Lesko (R-Arizona)
• Rep. Mary Miller (R-Illinois)
• Rep. Alex Mooney (R-West Virginia)
• Rep. Barry Moore (R-Alabama)
• Rep. Ralph Norman (R-South Carolina)
• Rep. Gary Palmer (R-Alabama)
• Rep. Bill Posey (R-Florida)
• Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-Montana)
• Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas)
• Rep. David Schweikert (R-Arizona)
• Rep. Greg Steube (R-Florida)
• Rep. Tom Tiffany (R-Wisconsin)
• Rep. Randy Webber (R-Texas)

116th Congress

As of November 2021, the leader of the caucus was Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA). Members of the caucus during the 116th Congress included:

• Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.)
• Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colorado)
• Rep. Ted Budd (R-North Carolina)
• Rep. Ben Cline (R-Virginia)
• Rep. Michael Cloud (R-Texas)
• Rep. Warren Davidson (R-Ohio)
• Rep. Scott DesJarlais (R-Tenn.)
• Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-S.C.)
• Rep. Russ Fulcher (R-Idaho)
• Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.)
• Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas)
• Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.)
• Rep. Mark Green (R-Tennessee)
• Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-Virginia)
• Rep. Andrew Harris (R-Md.)
• Rep. Jody Hice (R-Ga.)
• Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio)
• Rep. Debbie Lesko (R-Ariz.)
• Rep. Alex Mooney (R-West Virginia)
• Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.)
• Rep. Gary Palmer (R-Alabama)
• Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pennsylvania)
• Rep. Bill Posey (R-Florida)
• Rep. Bob Good (R-Virginia)
• Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas)
• Rep. Randy Weber (R-Texas)
• Rep. Ron Wright (R-Texas)
• Rep. Ted Yoho (R-Fla.)

Political activity

The House Freedom Fund, a PAC associated with the Caucus, endorses candidates which it says are “dedicated to open, accountable, and limited government – candidates who will fight to defend the Constitution and advance policies that promote liberty, safety, and prosperity for all Americans.” According to Jordan, the fund “helps grassroots candidates get the financial support they need to compete with establishment candidates.”

2020

The House Freedom Fund endorsed the following candidates in the 2020 election cycle:

• Scott Perry (R-Pa.)
• Chip Roy (R-Texas)
• Yvette Herrell (R-N.M.)
• Matt Rosendale (R-Mont.)
• Rich McCormick (R-Ga.)
• Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.)
• Nick Freitas (R-Va.)
• Jeanne Ives (R-Ill.)
• Matt Mowers (R-N.H.)
• Greg Raths (R-Calif.)
• Jim Oberweis (R-Ill.)
• Burgess Owens (R-Utah)
• Jim Marchant (R-Nev.)
• Christina Hagan (R-Ohio)
• Byron Donalds (R-Fla.)
• Mary Miller (R-Ill.)
• Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.)
• Barry Moore (R-Ala.)
• Ronny Jackson (R-Texas)
• David Schweikert (R-Ariz.)
• Darrell Issa (R-Calif.)

2018

See also: Republican Party factional conflict in U.S. House primaries, 2018

According to McClatchy's Brian Murphy, the group's strategy was to "endorse primary candidates in eight to 10 heavily Republican districts where no incumbent is running for re-election, hoping to elevate the more conservative candidate."

The House Freedom Fund posted its first win of the 2018 cycle with Debbie Lesko's (R) primary victory in the special election in Arizona's 8th Congressional District.

The Fund's other endorsements in 2018 included Russ Fulcher in ID-01, TN-06's Judd Matheny, TN-07's Mark Green, and TX-21's Chip Roy. All were conservative candidates running for open seats in likely or safely Republican districts.

Scott Wong wrote for The Hill that the primaries were a "proxy battle over how much influence...the Freedom Caucus can exert over the House GOP conference next year— and who might lead Republicans after retiring Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) steps down."

U.S. House Republican factions
Faction	Primary victories in 2018	Seats held prior to primaries	Performance
Affiliated with the House Freedom Caucus	8	6	+2
Not affiliated with the House Freedom Caucus	10	12	-2

Priority candidates

The House Freedom Fund named the following candidates as priority candidates ahead of the 2018 elections:

House Freedom Fund Priority Candidates
Candidate	District	Election result
U.S. Rep. Rod Blum	Iowa's 1st Congressional District	d
U.S. Rep. Ted Budd	North Carolina's 13th Congressional District
U.S. Rep. Dave Brat	Virginia's 7th Congressional District	d
Mark Harris	North Carolina's 9th Congressional District
Yvette Herrell	New Mexico's 2nd Congressional District	d
U.S. Rep. Debbie Lesko	Arizona's 8th Congressional District
U.S. Rep. Scott Perry	Pennsylvania's 10th Congressional District
Denver Riggleman	Virginia's 5th Congressional District
Chip Roy	Texas' 21st Congressional District
Greg Steube	Florida's 17th Congressional District

State legislatures with Freedom Caucuses

As of January 2022, Ballotpedia had identified ten state legislatures with Republican caucuses modeled after the Freedom Caucus. State-level caucuses are not necessarily formally affiliated with the federal Freedom Caucus, but may share similarities in areas such as ideological positions and approaches to legislating. Please email [email protected] if you know of additional caucuses.

Georgia

In December 2021, several lawmakers in the Georgia State Legislature announced the formation of the Georgia Freedom Caucus. Its founding members were: Reps. Philip Singleton (R), Charlice Byrd (R), Emory Dunahoo (R), Sheri Gilligan (R), Timothy Barr (R), Sens. Greg Dolezal (R), Burt Jones (R), and Brandon Beach (R).

Dolezal, the chairman of the caucus, said: "I don’t wake up in the morning and say, ‘You know what Georgia needs tomorrow? More law and regulation. So, we’re going to make sure that we’re also working with our colleagues to stop legislation to increase the size and scope of government, that reduces the liberties among citizens of Georgia.”

Idaho

On March 27, 2017, state Reps. Bryan Zollinger (R) and Mike Kingsley (R) announced they were forming the Idaho House Freedom Caucus and would serve as co-chairmen. They said the group's goal was to increase the influence of conservative Republicans so that their bills would be heard before committees more frequently. Zollinger said the caucus' policy goals and membership would be guided by the Idaho Republican Party’s platform. Kingsley tied the group to the House Freedom Caucus, saying, “We love what they’re doing in D.C. with their Freedom Caucus. They’re having an impact.”

The group was formed after a group of Republican representatives, including state Reps. Heather Scott, Ron Nate, and Priscilla Giddings, came into conflict with House Republican leaders on policy and procedural matters in the 2016 and 2017 legislative sessions. Kingsley said his group would pursue similar policy goals but would be less confrontational with House leaders. Zollinger said, “We aren’t going to be throwing grenades. We’re not trying to oust anyone. We’re looking to push conservative ideas through the channels that currently exist.”

Several months after the new caucus was announced, Kingsley told the Idaho Statesman that the legislature's more conservative members were still feuding with House Republican leaders and that the caucus had not realized its goals. He said, “What I’ve been feeling from the far right hasn’t been very positive. I don’t think they’re going to calm down to the point that we can move forward.”

During the 2018 session, Zollinger said that state House Speaker Scott Bedke (R) had been responsive to the Freedom Caucus concerns that their legislation was not being heard in committees.

Three supporters of the Freedom Caucus—Nate, state Sen. Tony Potts, and state Rep. Karey Hanks—were defeated in the state legislative Republican primaries on May 15, 2018.

Mississippi

In September 2020, several lawmakers in Mississippi's House of Representatives formed the Mississippi Freedom Caucus. The five founding members were: Reps. Chris Brown, Dana Criswell, Steve Hopkins, Dan Eubanks (R), and Brady Williamson (R).

The caucus' website describes itself as "the voice of citizens who want bold action to protect life, strengthen families, defend our constitutional rights, limit government, and revitalize personal and economic freedoms in the state of Mississippi."

Nevada

In January 2021, six lawmakers in the Nevada State Assembly formed the Nevada Legislative Freedom Caucus. The six founding members were: Reps. Jim Wheeler (R), John Ellison (R), Jill Dickman (R), Richard McArthur (R), Philip O'Neill (R), and Andy Matthews (R).

Wheeler, the chairman of the caucus, told the Elko Daily Free Press: "The creation of the Nevada Legislative Freedom Caucus represents an important step in the fight to promote legislation and policies that embrace the values of constitutional conservatism. We look forward to working as allies with our fellow members of the Republican Assembly Caucus to implement policy reforms that will make Nevada a better place to work, live, raise a family, and do business."

New Hampshire

Starting in 2017, a group of Republicans in the New Hampshire House of Representatives organized themselves as the New Hampshire House Freedom Caucus (NHHFC). According to its website, the NHHFC "is a grassroots organization consisting of legislators and private citizens, who believe in personal liberty and the traditional conservative 'Yankee' values that made New Hampshire a great place to live." In December 2017, NHHFC member JR Hoell said the caucus had about 35 regular members and about 66 affiliated members.

The NHHFC primarily came out against fiscal and economic legislation in the 2017 and 2018 legislative sessions, when both chambers of the New Hampshire General Court were under Republican control. Members opposed the initial 2017 House budget plan, legislation to make the expansion of Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act permanent, and an online sales tax bill. See the NHHFC positions in 2017 and 2018 by clicking on box below.

Click here to see NHHFC's positions on legislation and other matters in the 2017 and 2018 legislative sessions

Opposition to a $12 billion budget proposed by the House Finance Committee in March 2017 NHHFC member Len Turcotte said, “The taxpayers of New Hampshire elected the members of the House to pass a responsible, fiscally prudent budget. What we are seeing is massive growth of government just because the revenues will be higher. Our government would better serve our businesses and taxpayers by easing the tax burden on them, instead of going on a shopping spree . The long term fiscal health of our state will be jeopardized from this growth.” Opposition to the final House budget plan when it failed to pass in April 2017 NHHFC member JR Hoell said, “Today, the House made the decision that we would not pass a fiscally irresponsible budget that grows government at an unsustainable rate. Right now, our economy is growing rapidly, thanks to tax relief in the last budget. Instead of using this new revenue to grow government, we believe that it’s critical to share the benefits of this economy with the hard-working taxpayers who earned it. We are hopeful that the Senate will take a more responsible view to state spending.” Opposition to a conference committee to resolve differences in the state budget in June 2017. NHHFC member Anne Copp said, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. By putting the same leadership on the committee of conference that led to a budget that failed by over 85 votes, the state is being set up for having no budget that can pass the House later this month. We need a fresh start to begin the processing of a truly fiscally responsible budget, not the same group that offered a reckless spending increase.” Widespread (but not unanimous) support for a budget compromise in June 2017. NHHFC member Victoria Sullivan said, "“Although the caucus as a whole finds the level of spending in this budget objectionable, there are definite benefits for the New Hampshire taxpayers. The work requirement added into the expanded Medicaid program, the Hyde amendment for preventing taxpayer funded abortions, additional money for charters schools, and business tax cuts are all items that make New Hampshire a better state. The majority of our caucus members were able to support the budget in order to bring these benefits to our constituents.” Opposition to changes made to the budget by the Legislative Fiscal Committee in August 2017. NHHFC member Josh Moore said, "Taxpayers deserve the right to know how the state is spending our money. However, the Fiscal Committee bypassed the budget process to spend $93 million without a single word of public input. This shows a disturbing lack of transparency that undermines the credibility of government. The Freedom Caucus fought the House budget in part because it included roughly $220 million in phony ‘cuts’ that were simply a way of bringing money in through the back door. New Hampshire is entitled to integrity in budgeting taxpayer money, but we’re witnessing just the opposite here.” Opposition to House Speaker Shawn Jasper (R) after he said “no person who ascribes to the principles of the Free State Project can also be considered to be a Republican” in September 2017. NHHFC member JR Hoell said, “It is sad, that House leadership has now made explicitly clear that they oppose working with citizens who ascribe to the values of limited government, lower taxation and personal freedom. Thankfully, liberty-minded Granite Staters, both Republicans and Independents, have a place where they can work to build the ‘Live Free or Die’ values into effective policy – the House Freedom Caucus. We work with members of all parties to promote the notion that government should stay out of your life and your pocketbook. Moreover, we don’t put a litmus test on whether or not individuals moved here from out of state or were born and raised here with these values.” Opposition to a proposal to make the expansion of Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act permanent in New Hampshire in January 2018. NHHFC member Jeanine Notter said, “Medicaid expansion has failed New Hampshire, leading to massive, 52% premium increases this year for those who are forced to buy health insurance in the individual marketplace. While giving a free ride for some to get health insurance, it has made getting that same opportunity unaffordable for many working families across the state. It’s time to admit that this program is a disaster, not to double down on this colossal failure.” Opposition to a $102.3 million omnibus spending bill in May 2018. NHHFC member Glen Aldrich said, “This drunken sailor spending binge is Washington politics at its worst. This omnibus spending bill never received a public hearing in the House while burning through over $100 million in taxpayer money, with no thought about any other priorities or asking the public to weigh in. Then, just four House members decided to add even more spending to this outrageous monster without discussing it with the rest of the House. On Wednesday, we’ll be asked to ‘pass this bill so we can find out what’s in it.’ That might be fine for Washington, but it’s truly disgusting to see that happen here in New Hampshire.” Opposition to an online sales tax bill brought forth in a July 2018 special session. NHHFC member Michael Sylvia said, “The proposed legislation coming before the Legislature Wednesday is not a roadblock to prevent out-of-state sales taxes, it’s a roadmap to tell the 10,000 taxing entities how to collect these taxes. While this law might stop some of the smaller jurisdictions from trying to come to New Hampshire, it doesn’t offer the full, robust protections that our retailers need. The goal of this effort should be to put up a real fight, not merely manage the slow decline of our no sales tax status.”

In the 2018 session, four members of the NHHFC—Reps. David Bates, Gregory Hill, Andrew Renzullo, and Victoria Sullivan—joined the leadership team of Speaker Gene Chandler (R). Chandler replaced Shawn Jasper (R) as speaker in November 2017 despite opposition from members of the Freedom Caucus.

“Speaker Chandler said he wanted to unite the Republican caucus and include all voices, and he’s demonstrating he was serious about that,” Bates said.

North Carolina

In January 2021, several lawmakers in the North Carolina House of Representatives announced they would be reforming the North Carolina House Freedom Caucus. Caucus officers at the time included Reps. Keith Kidwell (R), Bobby Hanig (R), and Jeff McNeely (R).

Kidwell, the chairman of the caucus, told WNCT: "I am proud to join my colleagues in re-organizing the House Freedom Caucus and help lead our efforts in support of freedom and the Constitution. We look forward to working with the Republican leadership to help advance conservative causes in North Carolina."

South Dakota

On May 29, 2018, state Sen. Stace Nelson (R) and state Rep. Liz May (R) announced they were forming the Conservative Republican Caucus, which they said would be separate from the mainline Republican Party and similar to the House Freedom Caucus.

Nelson and May said they decided to form the caucus after learning that Gov. Dennis Daugaard (R) had contributed to Republican state representatives they considered to be moderates. They invited 20 representatives to join the caucus based on their scorecard rating from the group South Dakota Citizens for Liberty. May said members could decide whether to attend daily caucus meetings for their group or the mainline Republican caucus.

Texas

See also: Texas Freedom Caucus

The Texas Freedom Caucus was founded in February 2017 with the aim of connecting conservative grassroots activists with legislation being considered in the Texas House of Representatives. At that time, Rep. Matt Schaefer (R), the caucus chairman, explained the group's perspective, saying, "We don’t want our priorities to be determined from Austin down, but from the grassroots up. That includes taking things like the Texas Republican Party platform seriously. ... There are thousands of people too busy working and raising their families to embed themselves in the legislative process. Their voices matter too, and we want to make sure they are heard, and their efforts are multiplied."

After forming during the 2017 legislative session, the 12-member caucus opposed legislation that increased taxes, including bills to create local taxes or utility districts. The caucus supported legislation requiring individuals to use bathroom facilities that correspond with their sex identified at birth and legislation banning sanctuary cities in the state.

In March 2017, the group used procedural tactics to block legislation from being listed on the local and consent calendar (which fast tracks legislation not expected to generate debate) to kill more than 100 pieces of legislation. The Texas Tribune reported that the caucus killed the bills "in retribution for what they called the 'petty personal politics' of the Republican-controlled chamber." According to the Tribune, "They were punishing House leaders after what they called a session of routine obstruction of key anti-abortion, 2nd Amendment and property rights bills."

In the 2018 state legislative Republican primaries, Freedom Caucus members supported Republican candidates opposed to outgoing House Speaker Joe Straus (R), who they said was not conservative enough for the state. All but two pro-Straus incumbents won their primaries, but anti-Straus challengers won several open primaries and all Freedom Caucus members won their primaries.

Washington

In February 2021, several lawmakers in the Washington State Senate announced the formation of the Washington Senate Freedom Caucus. The founding members of the caucus were: Sens. Doug Ericksen (R), Phil Fortunato (R), Mike Padden (R), and Jim McCune (R).

A press release from Ericksen's office said the caucus would "put its emphasis on the direction and role of government. Key issues include the rights of the individual guaranteed by the Constitution, with a particular emphasis on the economic freedoms that underpin the free-market economy."

Wyoming

In 2020, lawmakers in the Wyoming House of Representatives announced the formation of the Wyoming Freedom Caucus. Membership included Reps. Tim Hallinan (R), Dan Laursen (R), and between 16-18 other representatives.

Hallinan told WyoFile: "They’ve [moderate Republicans] had their way for pretty much as long as I’ve been in the Legislature. It may be time for some change now. If they give in to that change, I think things oughta go pretty well. If there’s opposition to our side, well, we’ll see how that goes."

Noteworthy events

Schweikert ends membership with the House Freedom Caucus

On February 2, 2023, Rep. David Schweikert (R) announced that he would be leaving the House Freedom Caucus. Schweikert was a founding member of the caucus when it was formed in 2015.

Schweikert explained that he left the congressional caucus because he didn't want to be associated with the state caucus bearing the same name. He said in an interview:

"There’s a difference between conservatism and populism. These people are operating much more on their passions than protecting all the gains they made in the last couple of years in the state legislature. So I had people yelling at me, ‘You’re a member of the Freedom Caucus’ and I keep saying, ‘I’m not a member of the state Freedom Caucus. I go to Washington.’

I spend a lot of time trying to explain – the Freedom Caucus is the right to legislate. But the more difficult thing in my district is actually explaining the difference between my state Freedom Caucus from the federal one. It’s just so hard to explain that they get to use our name, but they’re not us.”

American Health Care Act of 2017

See also: 115th Congress on the American Health Care Act of 2017

Following the failure of House Republicans to pass a bill to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act in March 2017, President Donald Trump expressed frustration with the members of the House Freedom Caucus on Twitter, identifying them as potential targets for the 2018 election cycle.

The Freedom Caucus will hurt the entire Republican agenda if they don't get on the team, & fast. We must fight them, & Dems, in 2018!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 30, 2017

According to The Hill, Trump wanted to bring together House Republicans, including members of the House Freedom Caucus, in order to pass the healthcare legislation. While negotiations between Republican groups addressed some of the caucus' demands, members were ultimately unsatisfied with the American Health Care Act of 2017, saying that the bill did not satisfy their requirements for reversing the Affordable Care Act.

Caucus member Justin Amash (R-Mich.) responded to Trump's comments on Twitter. Amash wrote, “It didn't take long for the swamp to drain @realDonaldTrump. No shame, Mr. President. Almost everyone succumbs to the D.C. Establishment."

Amendments

On April 13, 2017, House Republicans added a new amendment to the American Health Care Act of 2017 in an attempt to unite the party behind the bill. The amendment was the culmination of negotiations between Rep. Tom MacArthur (R-N.J.), co-chair of the Tuesday Group (a congressional caucus in the House described by co-chair Charlie Dent (R-Pa.) as "a group of center-right Republicans dedicated to promoting fiscal responsibility, personal independence, and a strong national defense"), and Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), head of the House Freedom Caucus. According to Politico, House members had been aiming to vote on the bill as soon as the final week of April.

The amendment proposed allowing states to obtain a waiver from certain minimum coverage and consumer protection standards under Obamacare, such as measures that prevent insurers from charging consumers higher premiums due to pre-existing conditions. According to Politico, states needed to be able to "offer an alternative that reduces premiums, enhances competition or increases the number of people with coverage" in order to obtain a waiver.

The revised bill garnered the endorsement of members of the House Freedom Caucus on April 26, 2017.

"While the revised version still does not fully repeal Obamacare, we are prepared to support it to keep our promise to the American people to lower healthcare costs," caucus members said in a statement.

Though the amendment earned the backing of House Freedom Caucus members, Politico reported that many centrist and moderate Republicans remained undecided or opposed to the legislation as of April 27, 2017, including several members of the Tuesday Group.

"My goal is to try to get everyone struggling with the bill to get to yes," MacArthur told CNN. "No bill will satisfy everyone. This is certainly not a perfect bill."

In an attempt to earn support for the bill from centrist and moderate Republicans, Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.) introduced an amendment on May 3, 2017, that proposed providing states with an additional $8 billion over five years to fund high-risk pools for individuals with preexisting conditions. The amendment boosted Republican support to the 216 votes they needed.

The House passed the legislation by a vote of 217-213 on May 4, 2017. The United States Senate considered three amendments/modifications to the legislation, but none of these passed.

Recent news

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See also

• Tuesday Group
• Republican Study Committee

External links

• House Freedom Caucus on Facebook
• House Freedom Caucus on Twitter