Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) may be House speaker, but in order to get there, he had to hear out the policy proposals of the House Freedom Caucus. At the end of the day, this method of negotiation may serve conservatives in state governments well.
The stand of the members of the House Freedom Caucus against McCarthy for speaker certainly got their message out there. This came after a warning from former President Trump for Republicans to stand together in favor of McCarthy.
The warnings didn’t seem to work too well, as the members of the House Freedom Caucus got several major concessions from the McCarthy camp.
Now that this model has been used successfully in Congress, perhaps it could be used at the state legislature level.
McCarthy appoints three Freedom Caucus/Freedom Caucus-adjacent members to House Rules Committee, a key concession from Speakership saga — holdouts Chip Roy and Ralph Norman, plus Thomas Massie (not a HFC member but frequently votes with them) https://t.co/IDHNqoTio2
— Emily Brooks (@emilybrooksnews) January 23, 2023
The 50 states represent 50 different chances to bring conservative approaches to government. It’s true that some of these states are controlled by Democrats. In some states, there is a Republican government that is too cautious.
A small number of Republican firebrands could successfully lock down business in the state legislatures and offer their vision for their states. For those asking whether this could be successful, you have to ask: in some states, trying something can’t make things work.
The new Republican movement is a bold one and includes elements of rebellion. To rebel against the status quo for a better tomorrow is what the population wants. It’s also something that Republican legislators can deliver on — and promise in campaigns.
There are a number of issues that only sustained conservative leadership can achieve. This includes the Second Amendment and pro-life causes. No one else will stand up for our Constitutional rights apart from us.
And the state level is a great place to start. These legislators have the ability to gain more influence on committees and cause their state G.O.P. to enact more conservative policies.
What happened in the House earlier this year may not be the end of the discussion. It may be just the first of 50 similar actions across the country.
