Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) officially took over as chairman of the House Freedom Caucus on Tuesday, taking the reins of the firebrand conservative group as Democrats ramp up their impeachment inquiry into President Trump
Donald John TrumpTrump campaign files for new recount in Georgia GOP senator congratulates Biden, says Trump should accept results FDA grants emergency approval to coronavirus antibody treatment given to Trump MORE.
Biggs is the third GOP lawmaker to fill the position since the group was established in 2015, following in the footsteps of Rep. Jim Jordan
James (Jim) Daniel JordanCheney, top GOP lawmakers ask Trump campaign for proof of election fraud New RSC chairman sees 'Trumpism' as future Sunday shows preview: Biden team gears up for transition, Trump legal battles continue and pandemic rages on MORE (R-Ohio) and, most recently, Rep. Mark Meadows
Mark Randall MeadowsOvernight Defense: Pentagon set for tighter virus restrictions as top officials tests positive | Military sees 11th COVID-19 death | House Democrats back Senate language on Confederate base names Trump administration revives talk of action on birthright citizenship House Democrats back slower timeline for changing Confederate base names MORE (R-N.C.) — two of Trump’s biggest defenders and closest allies in the lower chamber.
The Arizona Republican, who has been vocal in his opposition to Democrats’ decision to move forward with their impeachment inquiry, said it’s an “interesting and historic time” to assume his new role. He said he’s looking for the group to “provide a voice to Americans who have felt for a long time that their voices were not being heard” by being proactive in laying out conservative ideas, reforms and policy proposals. He added that he believes Democrats are attempting to stifle Republican voices with their shift toward impeachment.
“Well, I think you look at what is impeachment really is — it’s in this instance an attempt to overthrow the will of the very people I just was talking about,” Biggs, who sits on the House Judiciary Committee, told The Hill in an interview.
“These people who elected Donald Trump to go in and be a disrupter — they elected Donald Trump to go in and be a voice from the outside. And so in some ways the inside the beltway power structure is still going to attack President Trump, so we're going to certainly be cognizant of that,” he added.
The president praised the group’s decision to elect Biggs as chairman of the Freedom Caucus, which has managed to maintain the ear of the president on key policy areas such as immigration despite Republicans having lost the majority in the House during the midterms.
Trump on Monday praised both Meadows and Biggs.
“My great friend, @RepMarkMeadows, has been an EXCELLENT Chairman of the House @FreedomCaucus, which has been a tremendous success. I am looking forward to close collaboration with his successor (starting Tuesday) and Strong Leader, @RepAndyBiggsAZ!” he tweeted.
Biggs said another priority he has for the group is to help the GOP get back into the majority in 2020, working alongside other leaders in the group to recruit candidates they feel can further the conservative movement.
“We are actively recruiting candidates to run we're going to support candidates, we want to help take back the house for Republicans in 2020. We think the agenda that President Trump laid out, and the party platform is solid,” he continued.
“We believe that there are things that should have been done that were not done. And we ended up losing the House, but the reality is, we're going to continue fighting that fight. Because you see, what happens when you have a group of radicals that really want to do something as quite frankly, is unsustainable, is impeaching the president, United States,” he added.
