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EXCLUSIVE: New Home Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris, R-Md., needs to give attention to two key points for the rest of this yr – authorities funding and subsequent yr’s Home GOP Convention guidelines.
“I have been on the Freedom Caucus, actually, since, for the reason that starting,” Harris advised Fox Information Digital on Tuesday night time, in his first interview since being elected chair of the ultra-conservative group.
“I’ve watched, you realize, all our chairs do an important job pushing the conservative agenda with Congress, and with the American folks. And proper now our huge struggle goes to be on controlling spending. It should be on what the foundations appear like for the following Congress.”
Harris promised, “I’ll roll up my sleeves and battle these two points.”
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Rep. Andy Harris has been chosen the following Home Freedom Caucus chair (Getty Photographs)
The Maryland Republican, who was first elected in 2010, was chosen to guide the Freedom Caucus for the rest of the yr after Rep. Bob Good, R-Va., vacated the position following his June main loss to a different Republican.
Harris has not been identified to be notably chatty with reporters on Capitol Hill, making him an comprehensible successor for a bunch that retains even its membership record undisclosed.
The Freedom Caucus has additionally lengthy been seen as a thorn within the aspect of Home GOP leaders, pushing them to go additional in pushing conservative insurance policies by Congress.
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Harris, nonetheless, praised Speaker Mike Johnson’s management on authorities funding forward of a Wednesday vote on a Freedom Caucus-backed plan to keep away from a authorities shutdown.
The plan is a six-month extension of this yr’s federal funds generally known as a unbroken decision (CR), to offer lawmakers extra time to hash out fiscal yr 2025’s priorities, paired with a measure requiring proof of citizenship within the voter registration course of.
Rep. Bob Good not too long ago stepped apart from the chairmanship (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Photographs)
“The management he’s proven on this difficulty is superb,” Harris stated. “I feel if we had had this dialogue one month in the past and somebody urged that Speaker Johnson was going to convey a six-month CR to the ground, and, oh, by the best way, we add the [Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act] into it – most individuals would not imagine it.”
However the Democrat-controlled Senate and White Home have known as the laws a nonstarter.
Harris wouldn’t say how conservatives might power Johnson to stay by the plan, whilst a number of Republicans have publicly opposed the measure over issues the speaker wouldn’t struggle for the SAVE Act if it was rejected by the Senate.
“If it fails, we’ll cross that bridge once we come to it,” he stated.
Harris did, nonetheless, urge these GOP critics to take a “re-assessment” on the invoice forward of Wednesday’s vote.
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“I hope they take a re-assessment earlier than tomorrow and understand that the essential sign would ship to the American folks,” Harris stated. “I might love to listen to the argument Chuck Schumer goes to make to say, ‘Yeah, you realize, we’ll reject that as a result of we wish unlawful aliens to vote.’”
The Maryland Republican equally wouldn’t go into element about what modifications he would wish to see to the Home GOP Convention guidelines – although the problem is anticipated to take heart stage within the end-of-year management elections.
Harris praised Speaker Mike Johnson’s management within the authorities funding struggle (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Name, Inc by way of Getty Photographs)
Ex-Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., agreed to altering sure convention guidelines to win over his critics after Home Republicans received the bulk within the 2022 midterm elections.
That notably included reducing the edge for triggering a vote on the speaker’s ouster – known as the movement to vacate the chair – from a easy majority to only one vote.
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“I hope that in its knowledge, that the Republican majority subsequent yr – as a result of I imagine there will likely be a Republican majority – not solely adopts and endorses all these modifications we made this time period, however possibly make some additional modifications. These will likely be mentioned extra clearly within the subsequent two months.”
When pressed for particulars, Harris famous there have been different members of the group in addition to himself.
“That’s going to be as much as what the Freedom Caucus says,” Harris stated. “I’m the chairman, however I’m not all of the members.”
Elizabeth Elkind is a politics reporter for Fox Information Digital main protection of the Home of Representatives. Earlier digital bylines seen at Every day Mail and CBS Information.
Observe on Twitter at @liz_elkind and ship tricks to [email protected]
New Home Freedom Caucus chair reveals GOP insurgent group’s subsequent ‘huge struggle’
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