Republican Congressman Warns His Party Has 'Nothing' to Campaign On

Representative Andy Biggs says that less than a year before the next election, Republicans who currently hold a House majority have "nothing" to run on.

The GOP took the House following the 2022 midterms, promising to hold the Biden administration accountable while passing legislation to help the American people. The Democratic majority in the Senate has hindered some GOP efforts, as has focusing on impeaching President Joe Biden and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and investigating Biden's son, Hunter.

Republicans have also had to deal with some self-inflicted turmoil. A 15-round vote to install California Representative Kevin McCarthy as House Speaker ended with McCarthy being replaced by Mike Johnson less than a year later. Now, McCarthy is set to exit Congress alongside Ohio's Bill Johnson.

On December 4, Missouri Republican Blaine Luetkemeyer announced he would not seek reelection in 2024. George Santos was removed from office following an ethics scandal, and Representative Lauren Boebert is switching districts.

There are currently 220 Republicans and 213 Democrats in the House.

"None. None. None have been completed," Biggs told Newsmax host Chris Salcedo on Thursday when asked how many of the 12 GOP appropriations bills have been completed.

Newsweek reached out to Biggs via email for comment.

"This is what some of us have been saying," the congressman said. "How do you campaign on the trust of the American people when what you've done...is you failed on continuing to fund this goofy Ukraine, this outrageous Ukraine debacle that's going on? And you are going to—guess what? They're going to try and do a supplemental [bill].

"They're going to claim that they're going to reduce their spending by $60 billion, and they're going to acquiesce on a supplemental that's $105 billion. So, the net will be about $55 billion spent more than last year. We have nothing, in my opinion. We have nothing to go out there and campaign on. Chris. It's embarrassing."

Salcedo concurred, saying that the GOP held the majority throughout 2023 and "has zero accomplishments" to show for it.

Lisa Parshall, a political science professor at Daemen University, told Newsweek via email that the lack of passed legislation by the House GOP is largely its own doing.

"When you have a razor-thin majority in one chamber, no clear policy agenda and a wing of the caucus that is nihilistic, it's hard to see how that translates into real legislative accomplishment," Parshall said. "I do agree the GOP majority in the House cannot boast of accomplishments. That's what comes with an anti-government agenda.

"Politics, as the saying goes, is the art of the attainable. Lamenting that your party has not achieved anything while in the majority is telling."

Steve Bannon, a former White House chief adviser during the Trump administration, has encouraged House Republicans to stand their ground against increasing spending amid inflation still negatively affecting most Americans.

The conservative strategist and podcast host has long implored the conference to use its majority to its benefit, previously predicting that McCarthy would be ousted due to his budget agreement with the Biden administration.

Bannon told Newsweek earlier this week that Johnson now finds himself in the same predicament and must not capitulate on closing the southern border. Johnson should use the border and immigration issue as leverage against Democrats as a government shutdown looms on January 20, Bannon said.

Update 1/5/24, 3:16 p.m. ET: This story was updated with comment from Lisa Parshall.