Members of the fiscally conservative, no-compromise, anti-establishment House Freedom Caucus (HFC) came into Congress on the Tea Party wave of 2010 and have since come to wield a significant amount of power. As a voting bloc of some 40 members, the HFC’s most high-profile accomplishment is influencing the resignation of House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, on Sept. 25, 2015, and the rise of the current House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis.
There are signs the Freedom Caucus\u2019s influence may be waning, as Ryan has worked to avert stunts that might erode the GOP\u2019s hold on the majority — like a postponed vote to impeach the Internal Revenue Service commissioner. Ryan months ago backed off a commitment to regular order so he could help spending bills advance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The HFC also failed to get the year-long continuing resolution preferred by its members over the three-month stopgap measure Congress passed last month to avert a government shutdown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yet members of the HFC can definitely claim one victory. Tough, high-profile debates over budget and spending priorities now dominate Congress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n