Ultimatums from the House Freedom Caucus won’t stop the spending binge

Fixing our nation's finances will require electing more officials with the gumption to make tough decisions and to bargain with others

Presently, members of the House Freedom Caucus and a few of its allies are in a cage match with the rest of Congress and the White House over excessive federal spending. Last month, they led an unsuccessful charge against the continuing resolution that was enacted to keep the government open through early March.

To be sure, they were not alone. A total of 106 Republicans voted against the bill, although many did so because they knew the bill would pass — which freed them to please their base voters by saying, “Nay.”

But this was a House Freedom Caucus fight through and through. 

As the Senate hurried the legislation along, the caucus stunned many Hill-watchers by demanding to attach a border control bill — H.R. 2 — to it. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) balked at that prospect and brought the legislation to the floor under suspension of the rules, thereby avoiding the House Freedom Caucus critics who sit on the Rules Committee. Thereafter, Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) floated the possibility that he might take vengeance by trying to topple Speaker Johnson, which sent Capitol Hill into a tizzy…. (Read more)