KENNY CODY: The GOP has a 'moderate problem'

For nearly a decade now, there has been discussion about how the Republican Party has continued to shift towards a more nationalist populist political ideology than in previous generations. In many ways, this is accurate. At the current juncture, the GOP votes against foreign aid and interventionist policy within international affairs, embrace economic nationalism and is proud of its socially conservative base. The strides made within the party since Donald Trump was elected in 2016 are progress to be proud of. However, the conservative base of the GOP is still struggling to get significant legislative wins due to the lack of fortitude from moderates who consistently let the party and the American people down time after time.

Most recently, the foreign aid bill package passed by the United States House of Representatives showed the party’s internal struggles with Republican caucus members who continue to be held captive by the military-industrial complex, the establishment GOP, and deep state politics. A series of foreign aid bills allocated 60.8 billion dollars to Ukraine, 26.4 billion to Israel, and 8 billion to Taiwan (and other Indo-Pacific countries), signifying that anti-interventionist conservatives within the caucus had been dealt another loss by establishment Republicans. 

Republicans were far more aligned to support the Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act; the other two packages passed by the House had far more debate and discourse as to why House Speaker Mike Johnson and House Democrats were propping them up. While Israel has been touted by many conservatives within the GOP as being an actual ally that provides aid to the United States, the unchecked appropriations the countries of Ukraine and Taiwan received during the passage of the package had America First conservatives up in arms. Even with 112 Republicans voting against the Ukrainian aid package specifically, the House GOP was embarrassed when the Democratic caucus started waving Ukrainian flags on the floor as the passage of the package was announced. This celebration signaled a win for not only the House Democratic Caucus but for the Biden Administration as well.

Congress members such as Congresswoman Majorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) and Congressman Tim Burchett (R-TN) voiced displeasure with not only the caucus members who voted for the package but also the GOP leadership, which overwhelmingly voted for the foreign aid allocations. Burchett signaled that the legislation would include funding for pro-Hamas non-governmental organizations, and the U.S. needed to avoid slipping into 95 billion dollars worth of further debt in his reasoning to vote against all three aid packages. Greene, who previously supported former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy during his tumultuous ouster, is now threatening Speaker Mike Johnson with a Motion to Vacate his Speaker’s chair.

Unfortunately, this continues to be a massive problem with the GOP, not only in leadership but with role players within the party’s infrastructure. With solid-red district Republican congress members continuing to vote for endless foreign aid packages and deep state overreach bills such as the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, the GOP continues to take one step forward and ten steps back. There is zero reason, electoral-wise, why Republicans such as Representative Dan Crenshaw (R-TX), Tony Gonzales (R-TX), or Steve Womack (R-AR) needed to vote for FISA or the foreign aid packages yet continue to put America last when putting their integrity on the line to prop up other countries or the U.S. surveillance state.

Moderates and their ideological approaches to legislation will be the death sentence to the GOP if America First Republicans do not step up to the plate to vote them or the members they influence out. While Rep. Crenshaw had a more closely contested primary than expected this past election, Republicans like Rep. Gonzales are headed to a run-off primary against famed social media sensation Brandon Herrera. Texas Republicans have a chance to replace a deep-red moderate with someone who embraces their positions, which is precisely the approach conservatives across the country should take to reforming the GOP into an America First party. Any ‘conservative’ like Tony Gonzales that would call Congress members like Matt Gaetz (R-FL) and Bob Good (R-VA) “neo-Nazis” for supporting his primary opponent does not deserve a spot in the conservative movement, let alone a seat in the House Republican Caucus.

True conservatives want social conservatism, fiscal responsibility, and a priority of American interest over handouts to foreign nations. To achieve these positions, Republican voters and leaders across our country have to seek to hold officeholders accountable for voting against the interests of the people they represent.