Biggs elected to lead conservative House Freedom Caucus

Arizona Congressman Andy Biggs will take over next month as the chairman of the House Freedom Caucus.

The caucus of conservative U.S. House members elected Biggs to replace North Carolina’s Mark Meadows, who will step down from the position on Oct. 1, The Hill reported on Tuesday. He will be the third chairman of the Freedom Caucus, after Meadows and Ohio’s Jim Jordan.

Biggs, a Gilbert Republican who is in his second term representing the East Valley-based 5th Congressional District, said he’s grateful for the trust of colleagues who chose him to lead the Freedom Caucus.

“The Freedom Caucus has revolutionized Capitol Hill because our members endeavor to keep our promises to the American people. Freedom Caucus members have shown that they will stand for principle over politics—every time,” Biggs said in a written statement. 

We will stand with @POTUS @realDonaldTrump as he keeps his promises to the American people. And we will never forget the people who sent us to Congress to work on their behalf.

— Rep Andy Biggs (@RepAndyBiggsAZ) September 10, 2019

Biggs vowed that the Freedom Caucus “will stand with President Trump as he keeps his promises to the American people.”

“We must fight against increased government spending and for a balanced budget. We must fight for border security and the elimination of all loopholes that incentivize illegal entry into this nation. We must work to lower health care costs and improve access and quality for all Americans,” he said.

Biggs also said he’s thankful to former Congressman Matt Salmon, his predecessor, who was a founding member of the Freedom Caucus in 2015. Salmon now works as a lobbyist for Arizona State University.

Biggs is one of four Arizonans who are currently part of the Freedom Caucus. Paul Gosar, Debbie Lesko and David Schweikert are also members. 

The Freedom Caucus frequently feuded with Republican House Speakers John Boehner and Paul Ryan, often seeking to push leadership to the right and trying to block policies its members viewed as insufficiently conservative. As The Hill noted, its influence has waned since the Democratic takeover of the House in last year’s elections.