House Freedom Caucus Presses Johnson and Thune for $1 Trillion Cuts, Voter ID, and Border Codification Before January

The House Freedom Caucus board on Monday sent a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune outlining eight legislative priorities for the remaining weeks of the 119th Congress. The letter urges Republicans to complete the measures before Democrats assume control of both chambers on January 3, 2027, and states that the caucus seeks to “deny them every legislative leverage point possible.”

The letter opens by noting that “in the two months remaining in the 119th Congress, we have an enormous amount of unfinished business to preserve and protect the Republic from an incoming majority party hell-bent on radically changing it.” It lists the items “in no particular order” and concludes by requesting that members “not leave town until we accomplish these objectives,” including those departing Congress in January.

The first priority is a reconciliation package addressing debt, spending, and tax relief. The package would fund defense modernization in areas including missiles, ships, drones, and space systems “to stop Democrats from using it to leverage for expansion of the welfare state.” It would also provide family tax relief focused on healthcare, including expanded Health Savings Accounts in both contribution limits and allowable uses, and codification of short-term limited-duration insurance plans. The letter specifies that the package must include at least $1 trillion in spending reductions that more than offset the new measures and produce deficit reduction. The letter does not identify specific programs for reduction.

The second priority calls for codifying President Trump’s border security policies and banning sanctuary cities. The letter identifies two bills already reported by the House Judiciary Committee: H.R. 9773, the Permanent Trump Secure Border Act, sponsored by Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), and H.R. 7640, the Shut Down Sanctuary Policies Act of 2026, sponsored by Rep. Tom McClintock (R-CA). H.R. 9773 includes provisions reforming asylum eligibility, restricting certain parole authorities, and modifying standards for credible fear determinations. H.R. 7640 would limit state and local restrictions on cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, revise detainer procedures, and restrict certain federal funding for noncompliant jurisdictions. Both measures await floor action.

The third priority is to limit annual spending to current levels for a third consecutive year through a continuing resolution or appropriations bills that omit policy riders “that divide us or constrain the Administration’s ability to eliminate wasteful, fraudulent, and abusive government spending.” The letter also opposes “a year-end omnibus filled with poison pills.” A funding deadline falls on December 11. Reporting has indicated that full-year appropriations are unlikely to clear before that date, making a shorter-term measure more probable. The caucus further states that reauthorizations of expiring programs such as the Farm Bill and surface transportation should proceed only if fiscally responsible, reduce prices for food and consumer goods, and avoid surveillance technology mandates.

Additional items include a permitting reform bill intended to expand energy production and lower fuel and electricity prices; a stock-trading ban covering the legislative, executive, and judicial branches together with term limits; legislation requiring voter identification for federal elections; and Senate confirmation of as many remaining presidential nominees as possible. A prior House-passed stock-trading measure applied only to members of Congress, their spouses, and dependent children. A representative for Sen. Thune has stated that nominee confirmations will be a priority during the lame-duck period; public commitments on the remaining items have not been detailed.

The 119th Congress has approximately 20 scheduled voting days remaining in the House before the session ends. Republicans currently hold majorities in both chambers. The letter notes that some members had sought further action after the first reconciliation package earlier in the Congress and that the agenda subsequently stalled. The caucus posted a summary of the roadmap on social media with the statement: “Strip Democrat leverage. Deliver real wins. Do it before the clock runs out. No leaving town until it’s done — let’s finish the job!”

Neither Speaker Johnson nor Leader Thune has issued a detailed public response to the specific list as of Monday. The letter remains a set of recommendations from the caucus board.