While House Speaker Paul Ryan has maintained his Republican majority, drama on his Congressional campus will begin as soon as the next Congress convenes. Even as their ranks constricted, the Freedom Caucus remains well positioned going into next year.
A minority of the majority, the conservative faction’s influence is directly proportional to the size of the GOP conference. Those numbers didn’t change significant on either side of the equation. That means the cantankerous caucus will continue to cause Ryan trouble.
Pinning down the exact number of the group’s original cadre is a bit difficult. A secretive society, admission is by invitation only and membership is not publicly disclosed. The Washington Examiner confirmed 39 total members.
Three were lost to retirement and another three to primary attrition earlier in the year. During the general election only one Freedom Caucus member, Rep. Scott Garrett of New Jersey, lost his seat to a Democrat challenger.
Through an in-house fundraising arm, the group was able to limit its losses. The Freedom Fund PAC stapled membership invitations to campaign checks earlier in the year. That cash helped Jim Banks of Indiana, Andy Biggs of Arizona, and Ted Budd of North Carolina to the finish line. Each is expected to pledge HFC during the 115th Congress.
And if the populism of this red November is any indication, those numbers are likely to grow later this year. The group plans on extending bids to new members during freshman orientation. For new lawmakers from deep-red districts that could be a tempting offer.
Once dismissed as outside dissidents, the Freedom Caucus has risen to prominence in its first two years after toppling former speaker John Boehner.
Now they’re taking aim at Ryan to boost their own brand. Some caucus members have threatened to oust the Wisconsin speaker because of his original opposition to Donald Trump. It might be an idle threat. Any rebellion would throw the House into chaos. It’d also be a shock after Ryan campaigned and fundraised for a number of vulnerable members in the group. But with 35 members, at least on paper, the caucus has enough votes to pull off that coup.
After midnight Tuesday night, a coy Rep. Mark Meadows would only say that the group was “focused on a Trump administration.” The North Carolinian, who spearheaded the revolt against Boehner, said he’s focused on returning “DC back to its rightful owner…the American people.”
Philip Wegmann is a commentary writer for the Washington Examiner.
