With Slim Majority, Republican House Must Unify

(Digital Editor's Note: This article was published first in the April 2023 print edition of The Stand.)

The highly anticipated “red wave” projected to occur in November midterm elections turned out to be a mere trickle. The outcome was surely disappointing to many who had hoped the GOP would take conservative control of the House and rein in an out-of-control Biden administration and federal government.

With 435 total U.S. House seats, 218 are needed for either party to gain control. Leading up to November, Democrats held a slim majority of 220-212, with 3 vacancies in the House.

To secure the majority, Republicans needed to gain five districts, a feat most believed would happen easily. Most pre-election polls indicated President Joe Biden’s favorability was down, and the majority of voters believed the U.S. was on the wrong track. A massive GOP takeover appeared inevitable.

They celebrated too early, but final results did give them a slim majority of 222-213. The narrow margin still gives the party opportunity for major impact on throttling back the runaway Biden bulldozer.

After barely gaining control, the House waged a contentious battle to elect a new speaker of the House until Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) gained the gavel and launched his party forward into the 118th Congress.

The Stand spoke with Jameson Taylor about the midterm results and his thoughts about the next two years. Taylor is director of policy and legislative affairs for AFA Action.

The Stand: Explain the underwhelming Republican performance in the midterms.

Jameson Taylor: They did so poorly because they failed to make a moral and principled case for conservative, limited government. Voters want honesty and authenticity today, not fake conservatives who are always playing it safe by listening to their political consultants.

TS: What promising steps have Republicans taken?

JT: The Freedom Caucus, an informal group in the House that gives conservative members an opportunity to build alliances and speak with a unified voice, has really made its mark. 

Most significant is that they forced Speaker McCarthy to be more responsive to their demands. In doing so, they are creating more accountability and a pathway for more conservative legislation.

TS: Which Republicans offer the best hopes of leading in the right direction?

JT: Congressman Andy Biggs (R-AZ) and Chip Roy (R-TX) are really emerging as leaders in the Freedom Caucus.

TS: With such a slim majority, what must conservative leaders do over the next two years?

JT: They must work diligently to stop the Biden administration from hijacking the budget by filling it with giveaways to radical leftist nonprofits and environmental crony capitalists. They can also hold hearings on the blatantly unlawful rules and regulations the administration is putting into place.

Republicans also need to be smart. The Biden administration is doing so much wrong and illegal that Republicans don’t need to run down rabbit holes looking for problems to highlight. Start with the low hanging fruit, like the unconstitutional reinterpretation of Title IX and the unlawful expansion of Medicaid to illegal aliens and other fraudsters.

The most important thing for House Republicans to realize is that they need to stick together. Now that they have ironed out their differences, they need to work as a team. They need 218 votes to pass anything. They need 218 votes to make what will be a horrible Democratic budget, somewhat less horrible. They can’t let the perfect become the enemy of the good, they must stick together.