Politics

Freedom Caucus Rebels Launch New Attack on Mike Johnson’s MAGA Tactics

TROUBLE IN PARADISE

A new conflict is brewing between House Republican leadership and some of the most conservative members of the conference.

U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) awaits the arrival of President Donald Trump, who addressed the 2025 Republican Issues Conference at the Trump National Doral Miami on January 27, 2025 in Doral, Florida.
Joe Raedle/Joe Raedle/Getty Images

DORAL, Florida—A new rift has opened in the House Republican caucus over how best to carry out President Donald Trump’s sweeping “Make America Great Again” agenda.

Conservative hardliners left the House GOP’s annual issues conference this week arguing leadership hasn’t found a path forward to effectively overhaul the federal government.

The House Freedom Caucus, a group of the most right-wing members of the Republican caucus, is now pushing for the conference to take up their proposal.

“Are you a Republican Member of Congress leaving Miami today feeling rudderless when it comes to reconciliation? Are you worried you may be dragged into a process that will cause you to break your America First campaign promises? Do you want a plan to unite Republicans and advance President Trump’s agenda? Don’t worry, there is a plan for you: the ‘21’ plan!” the group tweeted.

Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) speaks during a news conference with members of the House Freedom Caucus at the U.S. Capitol November 29, 2023 in Washington, DC.
Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) speaks during a news conference with members of the House Freedom Caucus at the U.S. Capitol November 29, 2023 in Washington, DC. Drew Angerer/Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Republicans are working with a razor-thin majority, and have little room for error in getting members on board as they look to craft legislation that they hope will tackle everything from extending tax cuts, immigration reforms, and sweeping deregulation.

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) is tasked with threading a needle in rallying the different factions of his conference as conservatives push to move forward with a plan moderates are unlikely to rally behind.

One House Freedom Caucus member responded with a GIF of a dumpster fire when asked by the Daily Beast what the path forward looks like for the sweeping reconciliation bill following discussions at the House GOP issues conference at Trump’s golf resort in Doral, Fla., this week.

The Freedom Caucus proposal includes a two-year increase to the debt ceiling, $200-300,000 in national security funding and work requirements for Medicaid and SNAP.

“The American people elected Donald Trump to include spending cuts to the federal government. That is part of the Trump agenda,” Rep. Keith Self (R-TX) said.

And Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who is not in the Freedom Caucus, took to social media to take aim at leadership for the lack of clarity on a path forward.

U.S. President Donald Trump acknowledges the crowd as House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN) (L) and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) applaud after Trump addressed the 2025 Republican Issues Conference at the Trump National Doral Miami on January 27, 2025 in Doral, Florida.
U.S. President Donald Trump acknowledges the crowd as House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN) (L) and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) applaud after Trump addressed the 2025 Republican Issues Conference at the Trump National Doral Miami on January 27, 2025 in Doral, Florida. Joe Raedle/Joe Raedle/Getty Images

“Good morning. After two days at our House Republican winter retreat, we still do not have a plan on budget reconciliation and our Speaker and his team have not offered one. Not even if we are in a one bill or two bill framework, even though President Trump (who prefers one big beautiful bill) literally told us here at the start of our conference that he now does not care if it’s one or two,” she said on X.

“Basically, just get started doing something. We have only been presented with the same policy and budget cut proposals that we have been presented with for a month now at all our meetings and at a full Saturday conference meeting earlier this month. I would say sink or swim, but our country is already sinking, so we MUST swim,” she continued.

Leadership ended their winter retreat painting a rosier picture than hardliners, touting a bottom-up approach to crafting the massive bill.

U.S. President Donald Trump shakes hands with House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) after addressing the 2025 Republican Issues Conference at the Trump National Doral Miami on January 27, 2025 in Doral, Florida.
U.S. President Donald Trump shakes hands with House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) after addressing the 2025 Republican Issues Conference at the Trump National Doral Miami on January 27, 2025 in Doral, Florida. Joe Raedle/Getty Images

“It’s been a very productive, constructive exercise here, and in the weeks, in the months leading up to this exercise we can engage in, we’ll be wrapping it up this morning in a final long session of discussion with the members here, as the whip has done such a good job, and the leader and the conference chair have done such a good job engaging everyone,” Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters on Wednesday.

“We reminded the group yesterday that 94% of House Republicans have been directly engaged in the discussions in the deliberative process to get us at this point, only 14 House Republicans have not directly engaged in one of these conference discussions, and some of them are because of their scheduled conflicts, etc, but every single member will be involved,” he added.

Johnson is angling to vote on the budget bill allowing them to move forward with the reconciliation process by the end of next month.

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