New far-right Freedom Caucus chair could make or break key House votes: report

12 December 2023

When Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Florida) triggered a "motion to vacate" in early October, far-right Rep. Bob Good (R-Virginia) was among the Republicans who voted to oust Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-California) as House speaker. Now, Good is chairing the House Freedom Caucus — and according to Axios' Juliegrace Brufke, he is "expected to play a leading role in negotiations on key pieces of legislation."

The Freedom Caucus' decision to make Good its leader comes at a time when Republicans' small single-digit House majority is growing even smaller.

Former Rep. George Santos (R-New York), facing federal criminal charges, was recently ousted from the U.S. House of Representatives — and a forthcoming special election could go Democratic, as Santos represented Democrat-friendly areas of Queens and Long Island. Meanwhile, McCarthy has resigned from Congress and will be gone by the end of 2023.

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"While some divides have been evident," Brufke reports, "the HFC is projected to continue playing a leading role in influencing policy decisions, particularly with the House GOP's razor-thin majority."

The 58-year-old Good has a history of attacking other Republicans for not being far enough to the right.

In 2020, Good gave former Rep. Denver Riggleman an aggressive primary challenge in Virginia's 5th Congressional District — and won. The contrast between Good and Riggleman wasn't hard to miss: While Riggleman favors the libertarian part of the right and is a critic of former President Donald Trump, Good is an ultra-MAGA culture warrior known for his intense opposition to gay rights and abortion.

After his GOP primary victory over Riggleman, Good defeated Democrat Cameron Webb in 2020's general election. Good was reelected in 2022, defeating Democratic Joshua Throneburg by 15 percent.

Virginia, once deep red, has evolved into a swing state and has arguably become the Democratic Party's best state in the South, but Good is in one of Virginia's most conservative districts.

Brufke notes that the House Freedom Caucus has "garnered a reputation for being a thorn in leadership's side."

"It played a key role in former Speaker John Boehner's (R-Ohio) decision to step down, and a number of the members voted to oust former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.)," Brufke explains. "The group has had a major impact on the legislative agenda, as some GOP moderates argue that leadership bends too much to the will of the Freedom Caucus."

Axios' full report is available at this link.

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