Dem
51
GOP
49
The folks who make up the Freedom Caucus (FC) love, love, love attention. It's surely their primary motivation, at least in most cases. It may be their only motivation, at least in some cases. Currently, Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA) is the chair of the FC, but his term is up at the end of this year. There is zero chance that the group will let him keep such a desirable position, and so the jockeying has already begun.
Reportedly, the leading candidates are Dan Bishop (R-NC), Ralph Norman (R-SC), Chip Roy (R-TX), Bob Good (R-VA) and Warren Davidson (R-OH). Interesting that none of the women in the FC are under consideration... wonder why that is. Sure, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) just got booted out, but surely Lauren Boebert is as crazy as any of them, right?
In any case, because of the FC's outsized role in the House, it's actually pretty important whom the leadership devolves upon. If it's someone more tactical, like Norman, then it suggests the FCers have decided to try to actually get some of their policy goals accomplished by working with McCarthy. If it's a bomb-thrower, like Roy, then it suggests that posturing and preening will continue to be the order of the day. Of course, Greene just got tossed out for presuming to work with McCarthy, so that suggests that continued posturing and preening has majority support. In any case, it bears watching. (Z)