Nine conservative lawmakers are forming what they call the House Freedom Caucus, a new thorn in the side of the House Republican leadership.
In a brief news release, the founding members said they adopted the following mission statement: “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.”
The founding members of the caucus include Rep. Scott Garrett of New Jersey, Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, Rep. John Fleming of Louisiana, Rep. Matt Salmon of Arizona, Rep. Justin Amash of Michigan, Rep. Raúl Labrador of Idaho, Rep. Mick Mulvaney of South Carolina, Rep. Ron DeSantis of Florida and Rep. Mark Meadows of North Carolina.
“The HFC will work to provide a unified conservative voice in the House Republican Conference,” Meadows said. “I look forward to working with leadership to make the concerns of conservatives known as we work together to advance a pro-growth, limited government agenda in the House.”
The House Freedom Caucus comes as conservative lawmakers have expressed frustration with the Republican Study Committee, which has traditionally played the role of being the conservative conscience of the House. As The Daily Caller’s Jim Antle has reported, some conservatives on the committee think it has gone soft in it’s battles with the Republican leadership.