Freedom Caucus outlines eight priorities during lame-duck session

The conservative House Freedom Caucus sent a letter to Republican leadership Monday morning laying out eight legislative priorities before the party loses control of Congress.The letter, addressed to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), calls for the passage of a third reconciliation bill, a permitting reform bill, to freeze federal spending at current levels via a funding patch or regular appropriations, and to codify President Donald Trump’s border policies, among other demands.Members of the HFC have long been pushing to codify Trump’s border policies, which include banning sanctuary cities, arguing that a future Democratic administration could unwind the immigration enforcement agenda the president has implemented since the start of his second term. “Republicans have less than 60 days to deliver real wins for the American people and strip Democrats of all leverage,” Rep. Keith Self (R-TX) wrote on X. “We must stay in Washington until the job is DONE.”It is unlikely Congress will pass all its annual spending bills before the Dec. 11 deadline, making a funding patch more likely. However, it is unclear how long the conservative group would want a continuing resolution to be.A source familiar with the board’s thinking told the Washington Examiner that HFC could push for a two-year funding patch to prevent a Democratic Congress from increasing spending, saying a longer-term extension would be ideal.The House Freedom Caucus Board similarly only wants Congress to reauthorize programs set to expire, such as the Farm Bill and Surface Transportation, “if they are fiscally responsible and reduce the prices of food and consumer goods, like vehicles, while protecting the privacy rights of Americans by ending surveillance technology mandates or funding.”“These bills should not include any policy riders that undo or delay deficit reduction provisions secured during this Congress,” the HFC board wrote.The letter also pushes for congressional reform, including a congressional stock trading ban that extends to the executive and judicial branches, as well as term limits. A bipartisan stock trading ban that passed the House chamber earlier this year only prohibited members of Congress, their spouses, and dependent children from buying publicly traded stocks while in office.HFC is also pressing Johnson and Thune to pass voter identification requirements for federal elections, and calling on the Senate to “confirm as many Presidential nominees as possible in the Senate.”HOUSE REPUBLICANS RETURN TO CAPITOL HILL WITH LIMITED TIME LEFT IN POWERThe 119th Congress has only 20 voting days scheduled as of now before the end of the session. The 120th Congress is set to begin on Jan. 3, 2027, when Democrats will take control of both chambers after huge victories in the 2026 midterm elections.The limited time frame will make passage of high-ticket legislation difficult, as Democrats have little incentive to cross the aisle to help Republicans without concessions, and Republicans grapple with their steep losses and where the party should go.