Libertarian Mulvaney in as U.S. budget director

House Libertarians encourage young Libertarians to fight on for majority voice in Congress - WatchdogWire - Katherine Rodriguez:

August 2, 2013 - "United States Congressmen Justin Amash, Mick Mulvaney, Raul Labrador, and Thomas Massie rallied an excited crowd of young Libertarians to fight for a majority in Congress Thursday night.
"The panel moderated by Next Generation TV host Michelle Fields, took place at George Mason University’s Arlington campus on the second night of the 2013 Young Americans for Liberty Conference....
"South Carolina Rep. Mick Mulvaney mentioned how the Republican Party has has had difficulty reaching out to those younger voters, but urged libertarians to use that opportunity to grow the party.
”'Individual liberty means a lot more to them than folks of my generation, Mulvaney said, 'This [is] our opportunity to reach out to younger people and grow the party - you are the swing voters.'"

Read more: http://watchdogwire.com/blog/2013/08/02/house-libertarians-encourage-young-libertarians-to-fight-on-for-majority-voice-in-congress/


Tea party gains voice as budget chief squeaks through | Ap | phillytrib.com - Andrew Taylor, Associated Press:

"February 17, 2017 - The Senate on Thursday confirmed President Donald Trump’s pick to run the White House budget office, giving the Republicans’ tea party wing a voice in the Cabinet.
"U.S. Rep. Mick Mulvaney (R-S.C.) squeaked through on a 51-49 vote in the Republican-controlled Senate.
"U.S. Sen. John McCain ... opposed Mulvaney for the nominee’s past House votes supporting cuts to Pentagon spending.... Democrats opposed Mulvaney over his support for curbing the growth of Medicare and Social Security and other issues"

Read more: http://www.phillytrib.com/ap/tea-party-gains-voice-as-budget-chief-squeaks-through/article_2b78b2de-7db4-557a-b895-ce8e893d231f.html

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9 Republicans form House Freedom Caucus

Will House Freedom Caucus Really Adhere to the Constitution? - Jack Kenny, New American:

January 28, 2015 -"A new congressional caucus, started by nine Republicans, promises to defend freedom in a hostile environment: the Congress of the United States.

"'We support open, accountable and limited government, the Constitution and the rule of law, and policies that promote the liberty, safety and prosperity of all Americans,' says the mission statement of the House Freedom Caucus, announced this week by its nine founding members as a group that will work to push the Republican majority in the House in a more conservative direction. The group intends to be an alternative to the 172-member Republican Study Committee, regarded for decades to be the conservative voice among House Republicans.

"The Freedom Caucus intends to be much smaller. Membership will be by invitation only and the goal is to attract around 30 members. Since the Republicans have 246 representatives in the House, 29 dissenting members will be enough to keep the Republican leadership from gaining the 218 votes needed to pass legislation without help from Democrats — which could drive away some Republican votes.

"Members of the new caucus are Scott Garrett of New Jersey, Jim Jordan of Ohio, John Fleming of Louisiana, Matt Salmon of Arizona, Justin Amash of Michigan, Raúl Labrador of Idaho, Mick Mulvaney of South Carolina, Ron DeSantis of Florida, and Mark Meadows of North Carolina.

"'We seek to ensure that the members of the House honor promises made to their constituents, to make the congressional leadership put the interests of the American people above inside-the-Beltway interests, and to advance positive reforms that reflect limited government principles,' DeSantis said."

Read more: http://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/congress/item/20001-will-house-freedom-caucus-really-adhere-to-the-constitution
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U.S. House chairmanships go to libertarians' foes

The Hawks Strike Back: Libertarians Routed in GOP Committee Races - David Wiegel, Bloomberg Politics:

November 19, 2014 - "There is no more acrimonious relationship in the House GOP conference than the one between Michigan Representative Justin Amash and California Representative Devin Nunes. After Amash nearly succeeded in passing a bill that would have de-funded the NSA's metadata collection program, Nunes basically called him a traitor. 'This is a guy willing to work with San Francisco Democrats to protect baitfish,' he told Politico, 'and at the same time he’s Al-Qaeda’s best friend in the Congress'....

"On Tuesday, Nunes was elected to chair the House Intelligence Committee. 'Over the past four years, Devin has been instrumental in ensuring that our intelligence professionals have the resources they need to keep America safe,' said Speaker John Boehner in a statement.

"Amash didn't respond to a request for comment, but there was more bad news for the libertarian wing of the GOP on Tuesday. In a true upset, Texas Representative Bill Flores overcame South Carolina Representative Mick Mulvaney to take over the conservative Republican Study Committee. According to Lachlan Markay's reporting, Mulvaney was done in by hawkish conservatives who had organized for months against the elevation of a more libertarian-minded member. In a July letter, 25 hawks stated 'that any candidate for Chairman of the Republican Study Committee be thoroughly vetted to have demonstrated a clear, principled and unequivocal voting record in support of our national security.'

"That functionally meant Mulvaney. He was one of a loud but small minority of Republicans who argued that defense cuts needed to be part of a fiscally responsible budget. Kentucky Senator Rand Paul campaigned for him. Last week, Mulvaney was spotted in the hotel where Paul had gathered supporters to talk about his progress so far and the possibility of a 2016 White House run."

Read more:
http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2014-11-19/the-hawks-strike-back-libertarians-routed-in-gop-committee-races

Liberty Caucus only voice against 3rd Iraq war

House Liberty Caucus Republicans Stand Strong Against Third Iraq War - Thomas R. Eddlem, New American:

September 13, 2014 - "Members of the U.S. House of Representatives' Liberty Caucus have become the sole congressional voice openly speaking out against President Obama's proposed third war in Iraq.

"In a Facebook posting after Obama’s September 10 speech, Michigan Representative Justin Amash strongly condemned the president's violation of Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution's reservation of the war powers to Congress: 'The president boldly claimed, contrary to the Constitution, that he alone can order our Armed Forces into a protracted war. And he left unanswered the basic questions responsible Americans and their representatives must ask before going to war. Whom, specifically, will the mission target and what, specifically, is the threat to our homeland?'...

"The anti-war Left has faded into insignificance since the election of a president from the Democratic Party, but the anti-war Right has become more vocal and numerous since its halcyon days of the lone calls by Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) against war in Iraq in past decades.... Amash does not stand alone in his opposition to the war, as Ron Paul once did. Other members of the Liberty Caucus have openly questioned Obama's policy of arming the Free Syrian Army, the same organization that first kidnapped U.S. journalist Steven Sotloff and later sold him to the ISIS terrorists who beheaded him. 'I disagree with the president,' fellow Liberty Caucus member Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) told the Washington Post on the day after Obama's speech.... Fellow House Liberty Caucus member Mick Mulvaney (R-S.C.) likewise counseled a cooler debate in Congress on MSNBC's Morning Joe before any war starts....

"Against this contingent of liberty-loving congressmen is the leadership of both parties in Washington.... The media propaganda effort toward war has even swayed the rhetoric of Amash's closest allies in the U.S. Senate. Leading Senate Tea Party/liberty senators such as Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) have backed the war, but unlike Boehner have insisted that the president follow the U.S. Constitution in pursuing his bombing campaign."

Read more: http://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/congress/item/19113-house-liberty-caucus-republicans-stand-strong-against-third-iraq-war
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