Stefanik will meet with House Freedom Caucus to smooth concerns in her campaign for conference chair – Times Union

WASHINGTON U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik is scheduled to meet on Monday with the House Freedom Caucus, a group of conservative Republicans, as she looks to dismantle opposition to her becoming the next GOP conference chair.

Three congressional sources confirmed the meeting to the Times Union on Thursday. News of the gathering comes as a few Republicans have expressed reservations about the more moderate voting record of Stefanik, R-Schuylerville, as compared to that of incumbent GOP conference Chairwoman Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyoming.

But in addition to her policy views, Freedom Caucus members want the meeting to ensure they won't be ignored, a source familiar with the situation said. The far-right caucus has had fights with Cheney and has felt sidelined by GOP leadership at other times.

Cheney was not a good listener," said the source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. "People just want to make sure Stefanik is a good listener.

CNN reported multiple members of the Freedom Caucus voiced deep reservations on a Wednesday night call about Stefanik as the consensus choice for Republican conference chair even as they conceded she has the votes to succeed Cheney. A House member on the call told CNN the Freedom Caucus has concerns about Stefanik's moderate voting record and her uneven stance on a wide range of issues the group prioritizes, including immigration and LGBTQ rights.

Another source described the Monday meeting to the Times Union as Stefanik's move to "reassure them of her conservative bona fides" and "shore up support."

Stefanik spoke on the podcast of former Trump ally Steve Bannon Thursday to spread a message of GOP unity as she seeks the role, which would catapult her to the number three House Republican position.

"This is also about being one team," Stefanik said. "And Im committed to being a voice and sending a clear message that we are one team, and that means working with the president and working with all of our excellent Republican members of Congress.

Drawing a contrast with Cheney, Stefanik said she would "run with support from the president [Trump] and his coalition of voters."

Cheney is in hot water with the caucus because of her outspoken criticism of Trump and her party's false claims that Trump's 2020 election loss stemmed from widespread fraud. Cheney was one of 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump after the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, and she voted in favor of certifying the 2020 election results.

"We Republicans need to stand for genuinely conservative principles, and steer away from the dangerous and anti-democratic Trump cult of personality," Cheney wrote in an op-ed in the Washington Post Wednesday.

Stefanik voted in the opposite way on both matters and has advanced her own debunked claims about the election.

But while Stefanik is the pro-Trump candidate of the two, Cheney, the daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney, has the stronger conservative record.

A respected conservative group that focuses on taxing and spending issues called Club for Growth announced its opposition to Stefanik's candidacy on Wednesday. Stefanik voted against the 2017 Republican tax law because it enacted a cap on state and local tax deductions, she said at the time.

"Elise Stefanik is NOT a good spokesperson for the House Republican Conference," the group tweeted. "She is a liberal with a 35% CFGF lifetime rating, 4th worst in the House GOP. House Republicans should find a conservative to lead messaging and win back the House Majority."

The conservative group Heritage Action scored her at 56 percent in their last rating, while it rated Cheney at a score of 82. Heritage Action did not respond to a request for comment Thursday.

Perhaps a nod to these issues, Stefanik sent out a fundraising email to her supporters Thursday night that repeatedly used the word "conservative" and was signed by Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds.

"As a conservative governor, I am proud to support leaders in Congress who stand up for their principles and our conservative movement," Reynolds said. "She is one of those leaders who will never back down and I believe she is the future of our Republican party and the conservative movement."

Multiple congressional aides told the Times Union that their boss's choice for GOP conference chair will not be about Stefanik's voting record, as much as her ability to fundraise, form a coalition and stay on message.

Stefanik has received the backing of the top two House Republican leaders and Trump. Six other House Republicans sent public statements of support for Stefanik to the Times Union.

Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., who also voted to impeach Trump, is standing by Cheney.

"She stands for truth-telling and integrity, and she isnt afraid to stand for what matters. On Nov. 3 ... Joe Biden was elected president of the United States. On Jan. 6 ... our democracy was attacked by an angry mob who had been fed lies and conspiracies about a stolen election," Kinzinger's spokeswomanMaura Gillespie said. "These are the facts and its important that leaders take responsibility in sharing that truth."

Stefanik is widely believed to have enough support to secure the role of GOP conference chair in a vote that could come as soon as next week.

Cheney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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Stefanik will meet with House Freedom Caucus to smooth concerns in her campaign for conference chair - Times Union