The conservative House Freedom Caucus released a packet detailing what incoming GOP lawmakers should expect during their first weeks in Congress following the midterm elections, cautioning prospective freshmen that the situation will be “worse than you thought.”
The 54-page document is meant to allay confusion over procedure and conservative priorities as the Republican conference votes on leadership, committee assignments, and conference rules as freshmen are just getting to Washington, D.C., and navigating the climate in the Capitol.
The Freedom Caucus is pushing for rule changes such as an end to proxy voting heading into the new Congress.
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“These are critical decisions, but the simple truth is that it perfectly suits some if you are unprepared or unaware of their significance,” Chairman Scott Perry (R-PA) wrote in an introductory letter. “Some will urge you to be ‘a team player’ by falling in line with leadership and doing what you’re told. You’ll be warned not to ‘rock the boat’ by raising questions or concerns with leadership’s agenda.”
The packet contains a chart giving new members a heads-up about their expectations versus the reality of the job. For example, it contrasts the expectation that “committee assignments will be determined by your life experience prior to being elected” with the reality that “committee assignments are based on perceived loyalty to party leadership and whether you agree to meet a fundraising quota.”
The hardline conservative House Freedom Caucus has a “reality check” for potential incoming GOP members.https://t.co/KHVBU3ilRn pic.twitter.com/P2FAW7Yz3m
— bryan metzger (@metzgov) October 20, 2022
Perry said the document is “not a sales pitch to join the Freedom Caucus” but will help every new Republican have a better sense of what’s going on after he or she wins in November. It includes a timeline and explanation of the meetings and votes all members of the new Congress will have to take between Election Day on Nov. 8 and their swearing-in on Jan. 3, as well as practical advice for setting up new offices and hiring staff.
The overwhelming schedule and demands on freshmen who don’t know what to expect in the first few weeks have led to missteps in the past, as Rep. Jody Hice (R-GA), a Freedom Caucus member, recalled.
One of his central campaign promises, when elected in 2014, was that he would not vote for Rep. John Boehner (R-OH) for speaker of the House. But amid pressure and thin margins on the first day of the new session in 2015, he broke that promise and voted for Boehner anyway. A staffer said Hice wasn’t clear on the procedure, as he was told by a member of Republican leadership that he was expected to vote with the party in the election.
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“The months it took to recover from that,” a former Hice staffer told Fox News, “it was a traumatic experience.”
The Republican Party is generally expected to win control of the House of Representatives in the midterm elections fewer than three weeks away. It only needs a net gain of five seats to flip the lower chamber.
