Once-Feared Freedom Caucus Falls in Line With President

BY OLIVIA BEAVERS

WASHINGTON—The House Freedom Caucus is no longer the most feared group of GOP lawmakers on Capitol Hill. And headed into the next fight with fellow Republicans over keeping the government funded this fall, members say they want to help make a deal, not tear one apart.

The group of roughly 30 lawmakers—there is no official list—has included many of the most outspoken dissidents in President Trump’s second term, drawing putative red lines on major legislation ranging from Trump’s “big, beautiful” tax law to a recent crypto proposal. But when it comes time to vote, caucus members have lined up with Trump and party leaders, not torpedoing bills like before.

GOP critics have new nicknames for the group, including the House Folding Caucus. Group members say their shift is an evolution reflecting the movement of the rest of the party toward the right, their approval of much of Trump’s agenda and new caucus leadership that has negotiated effectively to secure spending cuts.

“We have a different dynamic where we’re delivering significant wins,” said Rep. Chip Roy (R., Texas), a caucus member. With Trump aligned on many core issues, “Why aren’t you going to ride that wave? Of course you are.”

Critics say members are papering over repeated surrenders. They see a Freedom Caucus playbook of holding out on big legislation in the narrowly divided House—only to get on board after Trump makes a phone call and offers modest promises to bait them across the finish line.

“I’m all for people representing their district and following their conscience. But, it would seem that the arguments now are more to be seen, than actually be heard,” said Rep. Dave Joyce (R., Ohio).

Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who had his share of Freedom Caucus run--ins, said members “always talked about they’re going to hold the line at something, and within 24 hours, they fold,” he said. “They don’t have a principle to hold.”

He has his own pejorative for them: the “House Collapse Caucus.”

Group members say their tough stances on spending in Trump’s tax law led to big concessions from colleagues and promises for executive actions from the White House.

“To say that we didn’t get anything is ridiculous,” said Rep. Eric Burlison (R., Mo.).

In a GOP-led Washington, the Freedom Caucus is “succeeding in its agenda and trying to find ways to advance that agenda, instead of simply blocking whatever legislation is coming down the pike,” said Rep. Ben Cline (R., Va.), another group member.

The next fight looms at the end of September when federal funding runs out, typically sparking a game of chicken on Capitol Hill as a government shutdown approaches. Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris (R., Md.) is signaling a willingness for the group to back a short-term spending bill if it means less spending.

Earlier this year, the Freedom Caucus demanded sharp cuts in spending in the Trump law, saying deficits were out of control. Members backed curbs in Medicaid outlays and set a goal of $2 trillion in overall budget cuts over 10 years.

Cuts of that magnitude didn’t come to pass, though members take credit for reining in the overall price tag, in part by targeting Medicaid and adding work requirements. Freedom Caucus members also helped extract promises that the administration would make it harder to claim cleanenergy tax breaks that survived the GOP cull.

The law cuts $1.6 trillion in spending, more than offset by lost revenue from tax reductions, and is expected to expand budget deficits, the Congressional Budget Office says.

“I decided I’m getting $1.6 trillion, I’m getting Medicaid, I’m getting Green New Scam subsidies, about 10 other things that are really good,” said Roy, who had tried to directly tie the magnitude of tax cuts to the size of spending cuts. “At the end of the day that was, to me, enough.”