House Conservatives to GOP Leaders: Don’t Go Home Until Voter ID and $1 Trillion in Cuts Pass

Congress came back to Washington on Monday for the final stretch before Democrats take the majority on Jan. 3. The most organized bloc of House conservatives didn’t wait for leadership to set the agenda. The House Freedom Caucus board sent a two-page letter dated Nov. 9 to Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune with eight things it wants passed first.

The tone is blunt. “In the two months remaining in the 119th Congress, we have an enormous amount of unfinished business to preserve and protect the Republic from an incoming majority party hell-bent on radically changing it,” the letter says. “We must deny them every legislative leverage point possible.”

The to-do list

1. One more budget bill. The caucus wants another “reconciliation” package. That’s the special budget process that can pass the Senate with a simple majority instead of 60 votes, the same route Republicans used for their first big bill. It would fund defense upgrades (“missiles, boats, drones, space, etc.”) now, so Democrats can’t use that money as a bargaining chip later. It would expand health savings accounts, lock in cheaper short-term health plans, and cut at least $1 trillion in spending to “more than pay for” all of it.

2. Put Trump’s border policies into law and ban sanctuary cities. The letter points to two bills, H.R. 9773 and H.R. 7640, that it says already cleared the House Judiciary Committee and “are ready for action on the House floor.” Writing the policies into law means a future president can’t undo them with the stroke of a pen.

3. Hold spending flat for a third straight year in any stopgap or spending bill, with no strings that “constrain the Administration’s ability to eliminate wasteful, fraudulent, and abusive government spending,” and no “year-end omnibus filled with poison pills.” That matters right now: federal funding runs out Dec. 11, NPR reports, so a spending fight is coming either way.

4. An energy permitting bill to make it faster to build, with the goal of lowering fuel and electricity prices.

5. Clean up Congress: a stock-trading ban covering Congress and the executive and judicial branches, “including the President and his family,” plus term limits. On term limits, the caucus says to “ignore any outside groups, and pass the number of terms we can all agree to.”

6. No blank checks on expiring programs like the Farm Bill and highway funding. Renew them only if they’re fiscally responsible and end “surveillance technology mandates or funding.”

7. Voter ID in federal elections. One line, no wiggle room: “Pass legislation requiring voter ID in federal elections.”

8. Confirm as many of President Trump’s nominees as possible in the Senate.

“Every one of us”

The letter admits what stalled. “Some of us called for action after our first reconciliation package to continue to move to support the American people. Unfortunately, that agenda stalled, and now we will no longer have the majority in the next Congress.”

Then comes the ask that will test leadership most: “We request that we not leave town until we accomplish these objectives. Every one of us – including those leaving Congress on January 3rd – should be committed to finishing the job.” With the House majority this thin, a few members skipping votes on their way out could sink any of it.

Members piled on within minutes. “Republicans have less than 60 days to deliver real wins for the American people and strip Democrats of all leverage,” Rep. Keith Self of Texas posted. “NO EXCUSES.” Rep. Eric Burlison of Missouri: “Nobody wants to hear excuses. Let’s get it done.” Rep. Chip Roy’s office summed it up: “The agenda is clear. The promises were made. NOW IT’S TIME TO DELIVER.”

The Senate piece

Most of this list dies or lives in the Senate. Several Republican senators, including Rick Scott and Mike Lee, are already pushing leadership candidates to commit to voter-ID legislation before Tuesday’s Senate GOP leadership vote, and some want that vote delayed. The House conservatives just gave them a full list to hold leaders to, with a clock that ends Jan. 3.