House Freedom Caucus Releases List Of Hostages For Baltimore Bridge Funding

The House Freedom Caucus proves once again they're never going to let a chance to take advantage of a disaster go to waste.

The House Freedom Caucus signaled Friday that they're open to giving federal funds to rebuild the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, but they have a few significant conditions.

The conservative hardliners' caveats include: They want the Biden administration to reverse course on its pause on new export terminal permits for liquefied natural gas (LNG) and for any spending to be fully offset by cuts elsewhere. Notably, Speaker Mike Johnson had recently floated a proposal to link long-stalled Ukraine aid with easing that same energy policy. [...]

While federal funding to help rebuild the bridge has gotten bipartisan backing, the Freedom Caucus' position shows the challenges ahead as Congress mulls its response. Johnson wouldn't necessarily need those votes to pass a spending bill, assuming widespread Democratic support, but he could be wary of further angering his right flank, particularly with a pending effort to boot him from the speakership.

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