Madison Kwiecinski – Editor-in-Chief 

Mvk5945@psu.edu 

In Harrisburg on Monday November 28 Pennsylvania House Republicans announced they would be creating their own branch of the Freedom Caucus within the PA legislature. 

The newly formed group met in Harrisburg for the announcement, bringing U.S. Congressman Scott Perry on stage to speak. Perry is the Chair of the Congressional Freedom Caucus. 

“What you’re seeing behind me is an inspired group of leaders,” stated Representative Perry during the speech. “People don’t vote for Republicans to come to the state capitol and work out deals in back rooms with leftist Democrats.” 

The group self proclaims they “stand on freedom and liberties,” though it appears one of the largest qualifiers to being a member of this group is opposing party leadership. The group has stated they will be pushing for less government spending, overreach and regulation. 

State Representative Dawn Keefer will chair the Harrisburg branch of the caucus, and has stated one of their primary desires is to be consulted as a group. 

“It can’t be two or three members in a room coming up with an idea at the last minute and then calling on the caucus to hit a red or green button,” stated Keefer. 

Democrats have questioned why Republicans, who are now the minority in the PA state legislature, are trying to form a minority caucus within the minority party. The GOP had disappointing election turnout nationwide, but specifically in PA it is worth asking whether this group has enough of a support base to stand on. 

Philadelphia Democratic Representative Mary Isaacson stated, “Forming caucuses to be divisive rather than working on issues that are going to affect all Pennsylvanians is not necessarily what the voice was of the electorate November 8.” 

Additionally, Republican leadership, though it has not outright opposed the caucus, seems less than enthusiastic about having to deal with this minority group’s grab for power. PA House GOP spokesperson Jason Gottesman stated, “To the extent that any individual participates in policy formulation that aligns with our overall goals, we appreciate that ability to have that dialogue.” 

The group currently consists of twenty-three members. Dawn Keefer was selected to lead the caucus, while Representative David Rowe will serve as the caucus’ founding Vice Chairman. 

“Those freedoms which are enshrined in the constitution of both the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the United State of America have been hamstrung by an unelected and unaccountable bureaucracy and the elected officials who abdicate authority to it.” Rowe stated at the event. “As any business owner will tell you, you’ll be hard pressed to find a state more hostile to job creators and entrepreneurs than Pennsylvania.”  

The caucus overall aligns with far-right conservative ideology and is a part of a much bigger framework. The PA caucus will join the State Freedom Caucus Network, a group which was established last year in order to help conservative lawmakers across the nation have a framework in which they can come together. Pennsylvania is now the eighth state to form a Freedom Caucus.