The 17 Tea Party Caucuses of the 112th Congress
What’s on the Tea Party’s agenda for the 112th Congress?
In the 2010 congressional campaign season, two organizations (Tea Party Express and the self-appointed “Tea Party HQ” Freedomworks) made official endorsements. In a third source for identification of Tea Party members of Congress, Representative Michelle Bachmann of Minnesota formed a Tea Party Caucus last year, with an updated membership list for the 112th Congress released in February of 2011.
Outside Congress, the Tea Party is a social movement with activist organizations. The activist organizations inside Congress are called caucuses, and as of this morning there are 258 congressional caucuses registered with the Committee on House Administration. Based on Tea Party campaign endorsements and membership in the Tea Party Caucus, we can inductively determine the priorities of the Tea Party in Congress by looking for caucuses led by members of the Tea Party. More than half of the leaders of the following congressional caucuses are associated with the Tea Party:
Congressional Balanced Budget Amendment Caucus, led by Rep. Mike Coffman of Colorado (Tea Party Caucus member and endorsed by Tea Party Express)
Congressional Constitution Caucus, led by Representatives Scott Garrett of New Jersey (Tea Party Express) and Rob Bishop of Utah (Tea Party Caucus & Tea Party Express)
Congressional Electromagnetic Pulse Caucus, led by Trent Franks of Arizona (Tea Party Caucus)
Congressional Flat Tax Caucus, led by Michael Burgess of Texas (Tea Party Caucus)
Congressional Job Creators Caucus, led by Reid Ribble of Wisconsin (endorsed by Freedomworks)
Congressional Media Fairness Caucus, led by Lamar Smith of Texas (Tea Party Caucus) and Michele Bachmann of Minnesota (Tea Party Caucus, Tea Party Express)
Congressional Missile Defense Caucus, led by Trent Franks of Arizona (Tea Party Caucus)
Congressional Pakistan Caucus, led by Dan Burton of Indiana (Tea Party Caucus)
Congressional Reclaim American Jobs Caucus, led by Gary Miller (Tea Party Caucus and Tea Party Express) and Lamar Smith (Tea Party Caucus)
Congressional Tibet Caucus, led by Dana Rohrabacher of California (Tea party Express)
Conservative Opportunity Society, led by Steve King of Iowa (Tea Party Caucus)
Freshman Immigration Caucus, led by Lou Barletta of Pennsylvania (Tea Party Express)
House Liberty Caucus, led by Justin Amash of Michigan (Tea Party Express, Freedomworks)
House Republican Israel Caucus, led by Leonard Lance of New Jersey (Tea Party Express), Doug Lamborn of Colorado (Tea Party Caucus, Tea Party Express) and Michael Grimm of New York (Freedomworks)
House Tea Party Caucus, led by Michele Bachmann of Minnesota (Tea Party Caucus, Tea Party Express)
House U.S. – European Union Caucus, led by Michele Bachmann of Minnesota (Tea Party Caucus, Tea Party Express)
Immigration Reform Caucus, led by Brian Bilbray of California (Tea Party Express)
How does ‘jamming’ up the legislative process serve the people or society as a whole?
It appears to serve only the self interest of those participating in that type of behavior with no regard or accountability to the impact of their behavior on others.
We seem to have forgotten one very fundamental principle and that is of compromise. Let me remind you of it’s definition “NOBODY gets everything that they want but EVERYBODY gets something that they can live with”. I urge you to embrace this ever so basic principal of democracy.
If you truly want to balance the budget then consider the following:
1.Do not raise taxes simply retract the tax breaks to the upper 2% wage earners that was granted by baby Bush. If as they say they are the job creators then why has this tax break been in effect for over 10 years and our unemployment is the highest we have seen in over 30 years, it’s obviously not working.
2. Eliminate all subsidies to the oil companies, they are posting record profits and obviously do not need our help.
3. Cut, unilaterally, all foreign aid in half. Explain that we are in crisis and when we straighten ourselves out we will reevaluate their needs and continue to support them if deemed appropriate.
4. Fight to end the wars that baby Bush got us into.
Trust me, I am not naive enough to believe that you will take anything that I say under consideration but I know that as one of “The people” I will have tried to voice my opinion even if it falls on deaf ears.
There was a time where I was open to hear the views of the tea party are and give them consideration. You have now lost my attention because it appears that the Tea Party is as detrimental and destructive to our society as the radical terrorists of the world.
Yvonne, One of the most reasoned and reasonable arguments, I’ve seen lately. If only someone would listen.
Full agreement with1, 2 and 4 and in that order of priority. No. 3 uses a totally arbitrary number (50%) without consideration of a) the amount it would be and how significantly it would impact the budget and b) what would be the impact on the foreign aid recepients and on our foreign relations.