First-term House Republicans who won their seats with the help of the House Freedom Caucus’ political arm aren’t making any promises they’ll join the group now that they’re in office.
Several freshmen backed by the House Freedom Fund are noncommittal about becoming members of the hard right group. The HFC has fewer members in this Congress than last due to retirements, resignations and electoral defeats.
Rep. Marlin Stutzman (R-Ind.), a founding member of the group in 2015, says the political environment is different in a GOP trifecta than when he was battling the Obama administration as the group first launched.
“Wherever I land, whatever we do, we want to just make sure that the Republican conference is successful this time with the trifecta,” Stutzman told us.
Rep. Bob Onder (R-Mo.), who was also backed by the House Freedom Fund, said he isn’t sure yet whether he wants to join the group, though he did appear on the HFC podcast earlier this month along with Rep. Nick Begich (R-Alaska).
“I haven’t decided that yet,” Onder said. “It’s a matter of how we can best advance the Trump conservative agenda.”
Staffers for Rep. Mark Harris (R-N.C.), who was also supported by the caucus, said he hasn’t joined any caucuses yet either.
Still, HFC board members predict they can gain between three and five members after invitations have formally been extended.
Begich, who didn’t respond to inquiries about joining the group, is a top HFC hopeful. HFC aides phone-banked for the candidate during the campaign in a bid to help him flip Alaska’s sole congressional seat.
Rep. Brandon Gill (R-Texas), who has attended some HFC meetings already, is also expected to join if asked.
Cash concerns: The House Freedom Fund severely struggled with its fundraising efforts last cycle after pouring much of its resources into a failed attempt to fend off a primary challenger to save ex-HFC Chair Bob Good (R-Va.). We wrote about the tumultuous fallout for the HFC’s political apparatus here.
The HFF also lost a series of primaries in which they backed challengers to incumbent Republicans in an effort to grow the caucus’ ranks.
Additionally, the fundraising arm had to deal with trying to protect incumbents in closer-than-expected races. Congressional Leadership Fund, a super PAC loathed by conservatives, stepped in at the last minute to boost Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.), who won his race by just 2 points.
HFF has given money to candidates in the past who didn’t end up joining the caucus. HFF was heavily involved in Wyoming GOP Rep. Harriet Hageman’s primary bid to unseat ex-Rep. Liz Cheney in 2022 and backed now-Sen. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) in his first congressional race. Neither Hageman nor Banks joined HFC.
However, sources close to HFC said there’s been general concern about the direction of the group since it lost a slew of members in the last Congress. Under Good’s leadership, several members were booted from the group, which prompted frustration among the remaining group members. Rep. Troy Nehls (R-Texas) quit the caucus after Rep. Warren Davidson (R-Ohio) was kicked out.
We also recently wrote about some of the tension between Trump World and HFC, which has prompted some competing caucuses to contend against HFC to become Trump’s top Hill allies.
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), a founding Freedom Caucus member and close Donald Trump confidante, just re-joined the Republican Study Committee, though he told us he will continue to remain active in HFC.
