The conservative House Freedom Caucus is demonstrating restraint, despite Speaker Mike Johnson's (R-La.) divergence from their preferred strategy for implementing President-elect Trump's agenda.
The caucus argues that the final outcome is more significant than the process.
The board of directors of the Freedom Caucus had previously written to Johnson, endorsing a two-bill strategy for reconciliation. This procedural maneuver would enable Republicans to pass Trump's priorities without needing Democratic votes. The caucus proposed a border-focused package in January, followed by a larger measure encompassing tax and energy policy. This stance was in line with Senate Majority Leader John Thune's (R-S.D.) advocacy for a two-bill approach.
However, Johnson is now forging ahead with a single, comprehensive reconciliation package, a position he adopted after Trump expressed his preference for "one powerful bill." The president-elect has reiterated this stance several times, while leaving the possibility of two bills open.
This approach by Johnson contradicts the Freedom Caucus's wishes, a group known for its history of challenging leadership and causing legislative standstills when their preferences are not prioritized. However, this time, the hard-line conservatives, who are scheduled to meet with Trump at Mar-a-Lago on Friday, are aligning with the Speaker's strategy.
According to The Hill, Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.), a Freedom Caucus member, stated, "You've only got so much time. What we're facing is President Trump's got 12, 13 months, that's it. It's just a matter of what we can get passed and get in. At the end of the day if they do one Id prefer two if they do one, and if its substantive, Id be fine with that.
Rep. Ben Cline (R-Va.), another member of the conservative group, echoed this sentiment, citing Trump's stated preference for a single package. "Its up to the president and his preference was one, and so the Speaker is taking his cue from the president and proceeding with one. Absent any direction by the president in another direction were gonna continue on the path of one, Cline said. Individual members are gonna have their individual positions, but I am OK with it at this point.
Rather than focusing on strategy, these hard-line Republicans have expressed their main concerns lie in the construction of the bill and the policies included. They have been insistent on an open, member-driven process for crafting legislation that enacts Trump's agenda, a demand they voiced in the lead-up to last weeks Speaker election.
Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.), a Freedom Caucus member and close Trump ally, stated, Im OK with whatever gets the presidents agenda accomplished. I think the key thing is the details in the overall proposal, what the construction looks like. The end result is what matters, everything else is just preferences.
Norman, who initially opposed Johnson for Speaker before changing his vote to support him, emphasized the importance of the details, particularly with regards to cuts and offsets.
Following Johnson's election as Speaker, the Freedom Caucus board of directors issued a series of demands for legislation in the 119th Congress, including spending cuts. Despite their "reservations" about Johnson's leadership track record, the group of 11 hard-liners stated they supported him for the top job.
In their letter to House Republicans, they wrote, There is always room to negotiate on so-called leadership positions under the rules; in the meantime, each one of our election certificates is still equal. Personalities can be debated later, but right now there is zero room for error on the policies the American people demanded when they voted for President Trump the ones necessary to save the country. We demand the House of Representatives deliver quickly.
The strategy for reconciliation, the budgetary process that allows parties with full control in Washington to bypass opposition, has been a topic of debate among Republicans on Capitol Hill for weeks.
Thune, the newly appointed Senate majority leader, expressed his preference for two bills in early December, aiming to secure early victories on the border before tackling the extension of the 2017 Trump tax cuts, a potentially more contentious issue.
On the other hand, Rep. Jason Smith (R-Mo.), the chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, has publicly advocated for a single bill. Supporters of this approach argue that a single bill would be easier to pass through the slim GOP majority, as more favored provisions would overshadow items some members may oppose.
Johnson reiterated on Tuesday that the House will proceed with one bill, siding with Smith over Thune and the Freedom Caucus members. We still remain convinced over here that the one-bill strategy is the best way to go, Johnson said. We will get the two chambers united on the same strategy and I think the president still prefers one big, beautiful bill, as he likes to say, and theres a lot of merit to that.
Trump has repeatedly stated his preference for a single bill, but has also left the possibility of two measures open. During a press conference on Tuesday, the president-elect said, I like one big, beautiful bill, and I always have, I always will, before adding but if two is more certain, it does go a little bit quicker because you can do the immigration stuff early.
As part of a series of meetings with a diverse array of House Republicans, Freedom Caucus members are scheduled to visit with Trump at Mar-a-Lago on Friday. One member of the group told The Hill they want to hear from the president-elect how can we best help implement the Trump agenda.
While Johnson is advocating for a single-bill approach, some hard-liners believe their preference for two bills will ultimately prevail. Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.), a Freedom Caucus member, predicted that Republican leaders will struggle to fit all their priorities into a single bill and will eventually shift to the two-track approach.
As you start to prioritize what you want to get done and how quickly you want to get it done, a two-bill solution becomes more of a reality because the larger it is the more complicated it is in the time its going to take, Ogles told The Hill. It makes sense for them to move in a direction, but if you hit an obstacle and you have to adapt, they always have that opportunity.
This ongoing debate within the Republican party illustrates the complexities of implementing a comprehensive legislative agenda. It remains to be seen whether the single-bill approach will be successful, or if the two-bill strategy will ultimately be adopted. Regardless, the Freedom Caucus's willingness to align with the Speaker's strategy, despite their initial reservations, signals a potential shift in their approach to leadership.
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