There are, to be sure, plenty of potential flashpoints on the policy horizon. Budget deficits have been a key concern for the Freedom Caucus, and Meadows acknowledges that the president-elect’s talk of a $1 trillion infrastructure plan poses a challenge. But in such cases, members cannot fall back on “just saying no,” insisted Meadows. Instead, they need to “put on [their] thinking caps” and bust their humps to find “a conservative way to actually pay for the additional infrastructure without just adding to the national debt.” (The congressman is happy to talk specifics with anyone interested.)
Reforming entitlements promises to be another hot issue. On the trail, Trump vowed not to cut benefits or raise the eligibility age for either Medicare or Social Security. Even so, some key members of his Social-Security transition team, along with his newly named budget chief (Freedom Caucus co-founder Mick Mulvaney) are outspoken fans of reduced benefits and/or privatization, indicating that President Trump may be more open than candidate Trump to messing with the system. The Freedom Caucus certainly hopes so, and plans to push early and often for an overhaul. “We will introduce in the first 30 days legislation to at least get the debate started,” said Meadows.
The new chairman laughed when I suggested he’s aiming to create a kinder, gentler Freedom Caucus. His vision for the group is “a shift,” he allowed—and one that is not without risk. For starters, being reasonable and policy oriented and open to compromise is a great way to get ignored in politics. After all, what shot the caucus to fame and influence was its mad-dog style—one that its angry, fed-up supporters embraced as proof of the group’s authenticity.
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