Tea Party Caucus#Senate

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The Tea Party Caucus grew out of the Tea Party movement, a conservative populist political movement that emerged in 2009 in the United States, generally opposing excessive taxation and government intervention in the private sector while supporting stronger immigration controls.{{cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Tea-Party-movement/The-2014-midterm-elections|title=Tea Party movement|author=Michael Ray|date=2022|publisher=Encyclopedia Britannica}} On February 19, 2009,{{cite news |title=The Movement: The Rise of Tea Party Activism |first=Ben |last= McGrath |magazine=The New Yorker |date=February 1, 2010 |access-date=March 30, 2010 |url=http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/02/01/100201fa_fact_mcgrath?currentPage=all}} in a broadcast from the floor of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, CNBC Business News Network editor Rick Santelli loudly criticized the government plan to refinance mortgages as "promoting bad behavior" by "subsidizing losers' mortgages", and raised the possibility of putting together a "Chicago Tea Party in July".[https://www.cnbc.com/2009/03/02/rick-santelli-i-want-to-set-the-record-straight.html Rick Santelli: I Want to Set the Record Straight].CNBC. March 2, 2009{{cite news |date=February 23, 2009 |url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-santelli-cnbc-video,0,4962596.htmlstory |title=CNBC: Rick Santelli goes off |work=Chicago Tribune |access-date=March 2, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090316153711/http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-santelli-cnbc-video,0,4962596.htmlstory |archive-date=March 16, 2009 |df=mdy-all }} A number of the traders and brokers around him cheered on his proposal, to the apparent amusement of the hosts in the studio. It was called "the rant heard round the world".{{cite web|url=http://www.nbcnews.com/id/29306760 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160127093900/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/29306760 |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 27, 2016 |title=Answer Desk: Housing relief backlash – Answer Desk |publisher=NBC News |date=February 23, 2009 |access-date=April 27, 2010}} Santelli's remarks "set the fuse to the modern anti-Obama Tea Party movement", according to journalist Lee Fang.{{Cite book |title=The Machine: A Field Guide to the Resurgent Right |last=Fang |first=Lee |page=[https://archive.org/details/machinefieldguid0000fang/page/27 27] |date=2013 |isbn=978-1-59558-639-1 |publisher=The New Press |url=https://archive.org/details/machinefieldguid0000fang/page/27 }}

The following day after Santelli's comments from the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, 50 national conservative leaders, including Michael Johns, Amy Kremer and Jenny Beth Martin, participated in a conference call that gave birth to the national Tea Party movement.{{cite web|url=http://www.usmoneytalk.com/finance/tea-party-palins-pet-or-is-there-more-to-it-underneath-910/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140415112820/http://www.usmoneytalk.com/finance/tea-party-palins-pet-or-is-there-more-to-it-underneath-910/|url-status=usurped|archive-date=April 15, 2014|title=Tea Party: Palin's Pet, Or Is There More To It Underneath|date=April 15, 2014|access-date=November 11, 2016}}[http://www.michaelpatrickleahy.com/teapartyfounders.html "The founding Mothers and Fathers of the Tea Party movement," by Michael Patrick Leahy], retrieved September 29, 2016. In response to Santelli, websites such as ChicagoTeaParty.com, registered in August 2008 by Chicago radio producer Zack Christenson, were live within twelve hours.[https://www.cbsnews.com/news/a-growing-tea-party-movement/ A Growing "Tea Party" Movement?], Jonathan V. Last, Weekly Standard, March 4, 2009 About 10 hours after Santelli's remarks, reTeaParty.com was bought to coordinate Tea Parties scheduled for the 4th of July and within two weeks was reported to be receiving 11,000 visitors a day. However, on the contrary, many scholars are reluctant to label Santelli's remarks the "spark" of the Tea Party considering that a "Tea Party" protest had taken place 3 days before in Seattle, WashingtonTam Cho, Wendy K., James G. Gimpel, and Daron R. Shaw. "The Tea Party Movement and the Geography of Collective Action." Quarterly Journal of Political Science 7.2 (2012): 105–33. In fact, this had led many opponents of the Tea Party to define this movement as "astroturfed," but it seems as if Santelli's comments did not "fall on deaf ears" considering that, "the top 50 counties in foreclosure rates played host to over 910 Tea Party protests, about one-sixth of the total".

An article in Politico stated that many Tea Party activists see the Caucus as an effort by the Republican Party to hijack the movement. Utah congressman Jason Chaffetz refused to join the Caucus, saying "Structure and formality are the exact opposite of what the Tea Party is, and if there is an attempt to put structure and formality around it, or to co-opt it by Washington, D.C., it’s going to take away from the free-flowing nature of the true tea party movement."{{cite news|last=Vogel|first=Kenneth P.|title=Tea party vs. Tea Party Caucus|url=http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0810/40528.html|access-date=September 13, 2010|newspaper=Politico|date=August 2, 2010}}

In an attempt to quell fears that Washington insiders were attempting to co-opt the Tea Party movement, Michele Bachmann stated "We're not the mouthpiece. We are not taking the Tea Party and controlling it from Washington, D.C. We are also not here to vouch for the Tea Party or to vouch for any Tea Party organizations or to vouch for any individual people or actions, or billboards or signs or anything of the Tea Party. We are the receptacle."{{cite news|title=Tea Party Caucus Tackles Racism Charge|author=Janie Lorber|url=http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/21/tea-party-caucus-tackles-racism-charge/|newspaper=NY Times|date=July 21, 2010}}{{cite news|last=Lorber|first=Janie|title=Republicans Form Caucus for Tea Party in the House|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/22/us/politics/22tea.html|access-date=September 13, 2010|newspaper=The New York Times|date=July 21, 2010}}

Additionally, Senators Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania and Marco Rubio of Florida, all Tea Party supporters, refused to join the caucus.{{cite news|title=Senate Tea Party Caucus holds first meeting without some who had embraced banner |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/27/AR2011012706966.html|access-date=February 21, 2011|newspaper=Washington Post|date=January 28, 2011|first=Philip|last=Rucker}}{{cite news|title=Why senators are avoiding the Tea Party Caucus |url=http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Elections/Tea-Party-Tally/2011/0128/Why-senators-are-avoiding-the-Tea-Party-Caucus|access-date=February 21, 2011|newspaper=Christian Science Monitor|date=January 28, 2011}} Toomey said he would be "open" to joining, and spoke at the first meeting, but did not ultimately join.{{cite news|title=Pat Toomey Supports Tea Party Caucus but won't Join it |url=http://nothingtonpost.blogspot.com/2011/01/pat-toomey-supports-but-wont-join-tea.html|access-date=February 21, 2011|newspaper=Nothington Post|date=January 31, 2011}} Johnson said that he declined to join because he wanted to "work towards a unified Republican Conference, so that's where I will put my energy."{{cite news|title=Ron Johnson: of the Tea Party, but not the Tea Party Caucus |url=http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/news/114766299.html|access-date=February 21, 2011|newspaper=JS Online|date=January 28, 2011}} Rubio criticized the caucus, saying "My fear has always been that if you start creating these little clubs or organizations in Washington run by politicians, the movement starts to lose its energy."{{cite news|title=Marco Rubio Shows Little Love For Tea Party Caucus (AUDIO)|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/07/marco-rubio-tea-party-caucus_n_819800.html|access-date=February 21, 2011|newspaper=Huffington Post|date=February 7, 2011|first=Elyse|last=Siegel}}

File:Rand Paul & Ted Cruz (7150359767).jpg Rand Paul (R) and Ted Cruz (R), both members of the Senate's informal Tea Party Caucus, address a Tea Party Express rally.]]

The Tea Party Caucus is often viewed as taking conservative positions, and advocating for both social and fiscal conservatism.{{cite book |last1=Skocpol |first1=Theda |last2=Williamson |first2=Vanessa |date=2012 |title=The Tea Party and the Remaking of Republican Conservatism |url=https://archive.org/details/teapartyremaking0000skoc |url-access=registration |publisher=Oxford University Press |page=272 |isbn=9780199975549}} Analysis of voting patterns confirm that Caucus members are more conservative than other House Republicans, especially on fiscal matters.{{cite journal |last1=Gervais |first1 = Bryan |last2=Morris |first2=Irwin |date=2012 |title = Reading the Tea Leaves: Understanding Tea Party Caucus Membership in the U.S. House of Representatives |journal=Political Science & Politics |volume=45 |issue=2 |pages=6|doi = 10.1017/S1049096511002058 |s2cid = 154605233 }} Voting trends to the right of the median Republican, and Tea Party Caucus members represent more conservative, southern and affluent districts.{{cite thesis |last=Phillips |first=Stephen |type=Ph.D. |date=2014 |title=Tea Time: A Comparative Analysis of the Tea Party Caucus and House Republican Conference in the One Hundred Twelfth Congress |pages=77}} Supporters of the Tea Party movement itself are largely economic driven.{{cite journal |last1=Cho |first1=Wendy |last2=Gimpel |first2=James |last3=Shaw |first3=Daron |date=2012 |title=The Tea Party Movement and the Geography of Collective Action |journal=Quarterly Journal of Political Science |volume=7 |issue=2 |pages=29|doi=10.1561/100.00011051 }}{{cite journal |last1=Aldrich |first1=John |last2=Bishop |first2=Bradford |last3=Hatch |first3=Rebecca |last4=Hillygus |first4=D. Sunshine |last5=Rohde |first5=David |date=2014 |title=Blame, Responsibility, and the Tea Party in the 2010 Midterm Elections |journal=Political Behavior |volume=36 |issue=3 |pages=21|doi=10.1007/s11109-013-9242-4 |s2cid=62824988 }}{{cite book |last1=Parker |first1=Christopher |last2=Barreto |first2=Matt |date=2014 |title=Change They Can't Believe In: The Tea Party and Reactionary Politics in America |publisher=Princeton University Press |page=400 |isbn=9780691163611}}

Despite the Caucus members differing degrees of economic and social conservatism, they generally work to promote positions within the House of Representatives that are to the right-of those of the House Republican Conference.{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/27/politics/tea-party-greatest-hits/|title=5 years later, here's how the tea party changed politics|publisher=CNN|date=February 28, 2014|access-date=July 22, 2015}} Caucus members are an important swing vote on spending bills and as a result have gained influence in Congress out of proportion to their numbers.{{cite news|url=https://www.usnews.com/opinion/blogs/susan-milligan/2013/10/21/john-boehner-was-right-to-end-the-government-shutdown-without-the-tea-party|title=History Will Be Kind to John Boehner|work=U.S. News & World Report|date=October 21, 2013|access-date=July 22, 2015}}{{cite news|url=http://www.politico.com/story/2013/11/tea-party-debate-government-shutdown-house-republicans-100181.html|title=Tea partiers debate new shutdown|publisher=Politico|date=November 20, 2013|access-date=July 22, 2015}} They are frequently sought after to broker compromises amongst the Republican leadership, generally lending a more right-wing character to U.S. politics.{{cite news|url=https://thehill.com/opinion/juan-williams/236522-juan-williams-tea-party-could-burn-its-own-base-on-medicare/|title=Juan Williams: Tea Party could burn its own base on Medicare|work=The Hill|date=March 23, 2015|access-date=July 22, 2015}} Since the advent of the Tea Party Caucus in 2010, party-line voting has increased for both Democrats and Republicans.{{cite thesis |last=DeMont |first=Nicole |type=Ph.D. |date=2014 |title=Don't Tread on Me: Analyzing the Effects of the Tea Party on Voting Patterns of House Democrats |pages=32}}

According to OpenSecrets, the top contributors to the Tea Party Caucus members are health professionals, retirees, the real estate industry and oil and gas interests. The Center said the contributions to Caucus members from these groups, plus those from Republican and conservative groups, are on average higher than those of House members in general and also those of other Republicans. The average Tea Party Caucus member received more than $25,000 from the oil and gas industry, compared to about $13,000 for the average House member and $21,500 for the average House Republican.{{cite web|last=Drake|first=Bruce|url=http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/08/01/the-new-house-tea-party-caucus-where-its-members-get-campaign-c/|title=The New House Tea Party Caucus: Where Its Members Get Campaign Cash|publisher=Politics Daily|date=August 1, 2010|access-date=August 5, 2010}}

{{update|section|reason=Is this Caucus still in existence, and if so, who are its members in the 114th Congress?|date=March 2015}}

The Caucus chair was Michele Bachmann of Minnesota between 2010 and her retirement in 2015. Tim Huelskamp was elected as the Caucus' second chair in January 2015, but was defeated in the 2016 Republican primary by Roger Marshall. Of a possible 435 Representatives, as of January 6, 2013, the committee had 48 members, all Republicans.{{cite web|url=http://teapartycaucus-bachmann.house.gov/membership |title=Members of the Tea Party Caucus |publisher=Bachmann.house.gov |access-date=January 4, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121212040121/https://teapartycaucus-bachmann.house.gov/membership |archive-date=December 12, 2012 }} At its height, the Caucus had 60 members in 2011.

Several members of the Tea Party Caucus were part of the Republican leadership. Tom Price served as chairman of the Republican Policy Committee, making him the seventh ranking Republican in the House, John R. Carter was the Secretary of the House Republican Conference, ranking him the ninth ranking Republican, and Pete Sessions was the number six Republican as the chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee. Other former members of the Tea Party Caucus held committee chairmanships such as Lamar S. Smith, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee.

File:Tea party membership 112 congress.svg

Arizona

• David Schweikert{{cite web|url=http://www.politico.com/story/2013/04/the-tea-party-caucus-returns-90664_Page2.html |title=The Tea Party Caucus returns – Tarini Parti |publisher=Politico.Com |date=April 25, 2013 |access-date=August 10, 2014}}

California

• Tom McClintock

Colorado

• Doug Lamborn

Florida

• Gus Bilirakis

Louisiana

• Steve Scalise

Michigan

• Tim Walberg

Missouri

• Blaine Luetkemeyer

Nebraska

• Adrian Smith

South Carolina

• Jeff Duncan
• Joe Wilson

Texas

• Michael C. Burgess
• John Carter

• Rob Bishop, Utah (retired in 2020)
• Phil Roe, Tennessee (retired in 2020)
• Kenny Marchant, Texas (retired in 2020)
• Ted Yoho, Florida (retired in 2020)
• Steve King, Iowa (defeated in 2020 primary by Randy Feenstra)
• Joe Barton, Texas (retired in 2018)
• Diane Black, Tennessee (ran for Governor in 2018, lost in primary)
• Ander Crenshaw, Florida (retired in 2016)
• Stephen Fincher, Tennessee (retired in 2016)
• Marlin Stutzman, Indiana{{cite web|last=Kristian |first=Bonnie |url=http://www.yaliberty.org/posts/first-ever-senate-tea-party-caucus-convenes-today-yals-jeff-frazee-to-speak |title=First-Ever Senate Tea Party Caucus Convenes TODAY; YAL's Jeff Frazee to Speak | Young Americans for Liberty |publisher=Yaliberty.org |access-date=August 10, 2014}} (retired in 2016)
• Michele Bachmann, Minnesota (retired in 2014; ran for Republican nomination during 2012 presidential election)
• Paul Broun, Georgia (ran for U.S. Senate in 2014, lost in primary)
• Bill Cassidy, Louisiana (ran for U.S. Senate in 2014, won in runoff)
• Howard Coble, North Carolina
• Mike Coffman, Colorado
• John Culberson, Texas
• Blake Farenthold, Texas (resigned in 2018)
• John Fleming, Louisiana (ran for U.S. Senate in 2016, lost in jungle primary)
• Phil Gingrey, Georgia (ran for U.S. Senate in 2014, lost in primary)
• Louie Gohmert, Texas (ran for Texas Attorney General in 2022, lost in primary)
• Vicky Hartzler, Missouri (ran for U.S. Senate in 2022, lost in primary)
• Tim Huelskamp, Kansas (lost 2016 Republican primary to Roger Marshall)
• Lynn Jenkins, Kansas (retired in 2018)
• David McKinley, West Virginia (Lost Renomination)
• Gary Miller, California
• Randy Neugebauer, Texas (retired in 2016)
• Steve Pearce, New Mexico
• Ted Poe, Texas (retired in 2018)
• Steven Palazzo, (Lost Renomination in 2022)
• Dennis A. Ross, Florida (retired)
• Pete Sessions, Texas
• Lamar S. Smith, Texas (retired in 2018)
• Ed Royce, California (retired in 2018)
• Tom Price, Georgia (nominated and confirmed in 2017 as Secretary of Health and Human Services)
• Mick Mulvaney South Carolina (Director of Office of Management & Budget (OMB), confirmed February 16, 2017.)
• Lynn Westmoreland, Georgia (retired in 2016)

The Senate has an informal Tea Party Caucus, founded in 2011.{{cite news|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/16/tea-party-caucus-takes-sh_n_809758.html |title=Tea Party Caucus Takes Shape In Senate |work=The Huffington Post |date=January 16, 2011 |access-date=July 22, 2015}}{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/27/AR2011012706966.html |title=Senate Tea Party Caucus holds first meeting without some who had embraced banner |newspaper=Washington Post |date=January 28, 2011 |access-date=July 22, 2015}}

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Idaho

• Jim Risch

Kansas

• Jerry Moran

Kentucky

• Mitch McConnell
• Rand Paul

South Carolina

• Tim Scott{{cite web|url=http://www.teapartyexpress.org/6911/senate-tea-party-caucus-brings-conservatives-together-to-defund-obamacare |title=TSenate Tea Party Caucus Brings Conservatives Together to Defund Obamacare |publisher=Tea Party Express |date=July 30, 2013 |access-date=July 22, 2015}}

Texas

• John Cornyn
• Ted Cruz

Utah

• Mike Lee

Wisconsin

• Ron Johnson

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• Jim DeMint (resigned from the Senate)
• Jeff Sessions (appointed as Attorney General of the United States)
• Mike Enzi (retired from the Senate)
• Pat Toomey (retired from the Senate)
• Roy Blunt (retired from the Senate)
• Marco Rubio{{cite web|url=http://www.teapartyexpress.org/6911/senate-tea-party-caucus-brings-conservatives-together-to-defund-obamacare |title=Senate Tea Party Caucus Brings Conservatives Together to Defund Obamacare |date=July 24, 2013 |publisher=Tea Party Express |access-date=August 10, 2014}} (appointed as United States Secretary of State)

• Americans for Prosperity
• Americans for Tax Reform{{cite web|url=http://www.atr.org/u-s-senate-tea-party-caucus-a5800 |title=U.S. Senate Tea Party Caucus | Americans for Tax Reform |publisher=Atr.org |date=January 27, 2011 |access-date=August 10, 2014}}
• Campaign for Liberty
• FreedomWorks{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/2011/01/28/133293535/Senate-Tea-Party-Caucus-Holds-First-Meeting |title=Activists Invited To First Senate Tea Party Caucus |publisher=NPR |date=January 28, 2011 |access-date=August 10, 2014}}
• National Taxpayers Union
• Republican Jewish Coalition
• Republican Liberty Caucus
• Tea Party Express
• TheTeaParty.net
• U.S. Chamber of Commerce{{cite web|url=http://www.politico.com/story/2013/04/the-tea-party-caucus-returns-90664.html |title=The Tea Party Caucus returns – Tarini Parti |publisher=Politico.Com |date=April 25, 2013 |access-date=August 10, 2014}}
• Virginia Federation of Tea Party Patriots{{cite web|url=https://irehr.org/issue-areas/tea-party-nationalism/tea-party-news-and-analysis/item/355-mapping-the-tea-party-caucus-in-the-112th-congress |title=Mapping the Tea Party Caucus in the 112th Congress |publisher=Irehr.org |access-date=August 10, 2014}}
• Young Americans for Liberty
• 60 Plus Association

• Freedom Caucus
• House Republican Conference
• Libertarian Republican
• Libertarian conservatism
• Liberty Caucus
• Republican Study Committee
• Republican Main Street Partnership
• Trumpism

{{Reflist|group="note"}}

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• [https://web.archive.org/web/20141205195335/http://teapartycaucus-bachmann.house.gov/ Official Website] (archived by Internet Archive Wayback Machine on December 5, 2014)

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