Meadows to be replaced by Biggs as Freedom Caucus leader

Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) will step down as chairman of the House Freedom Caucus on Oct. 1 and will be replaced by Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), who was officially elected as the new chairman on Tuesday. 

Meadows, one of President Trump’s close allies, was a heavy influence on House legislation as leader of the conservative group during Trump’s first term, and he is expected to remain on its board moving forward.

“I’ve been honored and humbled to serve as chairman of the Freedom Caucus for the last two and a half years, and I can’t think of a better person to pass the torch to than Andy Biggs,” Meadows said in a statement.

“Rep. Biggs is an outstanding public servant, a strong conservative, and a steady voice with the right experience to build on the tremendous strides our caucus has made since 2015 in fighting for open, limited, and accountable government. He’ll be a phenomenal leader for our group,” Meadows added.

The Freedom Caucus was repeatedly a thorn in the side of House Speakers John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) when Republicans held majorities in the Senate. 

The group pushed for limits on spending that regularly made it difficult for GOP leaders to reach spending deals to fund the government. 

The influence of the group has diminished since Democrats took over the House majority, however. 

“I’m grateful for the trust of my colleagues in selecting me to serve as the next chairman of the House Freedom Caucus,” Biggs said in a statement. “The Freedom Caucus has revolutionized Capitol Hill because our members endeavor to keep our promises to the American people.” 

Biggs has been a strong ally for the administration, advocating for Trump’s border wall and criticizing Democrats over impeachment.

Meadows, one of the founding members of the caucus, was previously elected to serve a second term in January.

The group of firebrand conservative lawmakers was established in 2015 and now has more than 30 members.

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), who served as House Freedom Caucus chairman from 2015 through 2017, is slated to stay on as chairman emeritus.