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It’s not the ‘Freedom Caucus.’ It’s the Billionaires’ Caucus.

by Adanjesus Marín and Michael Kink, Opinion Contributors - 06/08/17 5:00 PM ET

Since Donald Trump’s inauguration, we’ve heard a recurring question in federal policy debates: where does the “Freedom Caucus” stand?

In the debate to repeal and replace ObamaCare for instance, the “Freedom Caucus” at first opposed the new American Health Care Act. Coupled with the defection of a few moderate Republicans, this roadblock forced Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) to pull the bill before a planned floor vote. Only when caucus members changed their position did “TrumpCare” proceed—putting the health and family budgets of 23 million Americans in dire jeopardy.

{mosads}Big bills simply won’t move in the House without the OK of the “Freedom Caucus.” Given their life-and-death power, it’s worth asking: who is this self-described “Freedom Caucus,” and whose interests do they serve?

The answer is simple: the Freedom Caucus is made up of 31 ultra-conservative members of Congress whose primary purpose is to defend the interests of the super-rich.

And they deserve a new name: the Billionaires’ Caucus.

The evidence for this new nomenclature spans the key issues up for debate in Washington this summer.

On TrumpCare, the Freedom Caucus forced amendments to eliminate protections for Americans with pre-existing conditions and requirements that made sure families who pay their insurance premiums actually get a basic package of services and care. They slashed funding to state governments and jacked up premiums for seniors. But they gave the green light to billions in tax breaks for the wealthiest members of our society.

Who benefitted? Only the billionaires.

The same is true for tax policy and the budget more broadly.

President Trump has major corporations and their CEOs salivating over a proposed tax overhaul that would dramatically reduce taxes for corporations and billionaires – and actually increase taxes on working-class families. And when President Trump vowed in his budget proposal to cut safety net programs including food stamps, Medicaid, and public benefits by over $1 trillion, it was geared precisely at appeasing these legislators and their base.

The outcome of these tax and budget proposals is obvious: it would redistribute income from poor and working-class Americans up to the ultra-wealthy. On taxes and budgets, this caucus is putting points on the board — for the billionaires.

And while these “freedom-loving” legislators claim to oppose virtually all forms of government regulation, they’re quite happy to support renewed discrimination and enormous government investments in controversial immigration policies and Trump’s proposed border wall.

Aside from being a symbol of intolerance and division, Trump’s wall is really a symbol of government largesse and waste. True libertarians would oppose it on these grounds, but these legislators support it.

Similarly, their legislation to make voting harder for communities of color, young people, and low-income people is an example of big government cutting off the rights of regular people.

It’s clear that Caucus members need to deliver government policies that satisfy racialized anti-immigrant sentiments among the Republican base, in order to provide a smokescreen for their pro-billionaire tax and budget policies that hit working-class voters hard.

Nicknames in politics sometimes come from politicians themselves, but the more accurate ones come from savvy observers.

The “Freedom Caucus” is Orwellian double-speak.

From now on, let’s call them these lapdogs of the ultra-rich what they are: the Billionaires Caucus.

Adanjesús Marín is the Pennsylvania State Director of Make the Road Action. Michael Kink is the Executive Director of the Strong Economy for All Coalition. On Twitter: @MaketheRoadAct @StrongforAll

The views expressed by this author are their own and are not the views of The Hill.

Tags Donald Trump Paul Ryan