117th Congress Official Positions

Save Hyde:

"The Republican Study Committee endorses the ‘Save Hyde' letter addressed to congressional leaders imploring them to defend and protect the 40-year-old Hyde amendment that has historically enjoyed popular and bipartisan support."

Austin Waiver:

"General Lloyd Austin has not been out of uniform for the requisite seven years and thus requires a waiver from the U.S. House of Representatives to serve as secretary of defense. Based on the lessons learned after the House made the unprecedented move of granting a waiver four years ago, the Republican Study Committee will oppose granting General Austin a waiver."

Election Security:

"The Republican Study Committee formally endorses the Save Democracy Act that would ensure free and fair federal elections in 2022, 2024 and the years to come. It is our duty to protect and uphold the democratic process and restore public faith in our election system."

Biden Spending Package:

"The Republican Study Committee, the largest conservative caucus on Capitol Hill, opposes Democrats' push for a liberal wish list that they are calling a ‘COVID-relief package.' At a time when we should be creating jobs, growing the economy, and reopening schools, this package will kill jobs and critically enlarge the national debt even further—not to mention there is currently over $1 trillion in unspent relief money available from previous congressional action."

Earmarks:

"Years ago, under the leadership of past Chairmen Mike Pence and Jeb Hensarling, the Republican Study Committee was a leading voice against earmarks and helped build the momentum to eventually get them banned as part of the GOP Conference Rules. Since that moment, RSC has consistently opposed their revival at every step. We reaffirm RSC's proud history in opposing this corrupting and wasteful spending practice with our support of the Budd letter, which outlines opposition to the expected return of earmarks by Speaker Pelosi and the House Democrats."

Biden Tax Increase:

"President Biden and Congressional Democrats are readying a plan to massively increase taxes on the American people. These tax increases would impose more punitive rates than Communist China, undermine our economic recovery, and harm small businesses that have struggled to stay afloat during the pandemic. Even worse, Democrats will use the tax increases to fund their radical, partisan agenda. American taxpayers will be on the hook for ‘Green New Deal' priorities and pork-barrel boondoggles earmarked for Democrat districts. Biden and Congressional Democrats' assault on American jobs and American taxpayers is simply unconscionable."

Immigration:

"In a matter of months, the Biden administration created a full-blown crisis on our southern border. Biden's immigration agenda places the interests of the American People behind the interests of illegal aliens, criminal cartels, and ultra-wealthy multinational corporations by rejecting responsible limits or controls on the number of people entering the country, even during a global pandemic. The RSC Steering Committee opposes Biden's open borders agenda and will work to block all efforts to achieve it, including by rejecting requests for funding that would facilitate any aspect of it.

"By contrast, we believe U.S. immigration policy should be designed to primarily serve the interest of American citizens, families, and workers. We embrace these principles;

  • Immigration policy should protect our national security by protecting the American people from terrorism, cartels, and other threats to their safety;
  • Immigration policy should prioritize American workers, help grow our middle class, raise wages, and enhance economic opportunity for all lawful residents;
  • Immigration policy should respect the rule of law, along with immigrants that honor our legal immigrationprocesses, rather than incentivize law breaking;
  • Immigration policy should aim to assimilate legal immigrants into the American family so they too can take pride in our values, history, and heritage.

"An immigration policy that embraces these principles would lead to a safer, more secure, more prosperous, and more united country."

Iran:

President Biden has pledged to re-enter the failed Obama Iran nuclear deal and has already begun to lift sanctions on Iran, the world's foremost State Sponsor of Terrorism. The Biden administration's decision to lift UN sanctions on international arms sales to Iran, including from Russia and China, was a dangerous mistake. We are also deeply concerned that after consulting with the U.S., South Korea announced it will release billions of dollars in assets to Iran that were originally frozen because of terrorism sanctions.

President Trump's successful maximum pressure campaign on Iran led to real results including shrinking the Iranian defense budget by 25% and putting the Iranian economy in shambles. Yet, while Iran is weaker than ever before, President Biden makes concessions up front to lift sanctions and return to a failed deal which is expiring in a few years. Sooner, rather than later, Republicans will be in the majority again. As the largest conservative caucus in Congress, we will defend former President Trump's successful maximum pressure campaign on Iran. We will fight against and work to reverse any and all sanctions relief for Iran unless and until the Iranian regime meets all twelve points laid out by former Secretary Pompeo described below:

  1. Declare to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) a full account of the prior military dimensions of its nuclear program and permanently and verifiably abandon such work in perpetuity.
  2. Stop enrichment and never pursue plutonium reprocessing, including closing its heavy water reactor.
  3. Provide the IAEA with unqualified access to all sites throughout the entire country.
  4. End its proliferation of ballistic missiles and halt further launching or development of nuclear-capable missile systems.
  5. Release all US citizens as well as citizens of US partners and allies.
  6. End support for terrorism, including Hezbollah, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
  7. Respect the sovereignty of the Iraqi government and permit the disarming, demobilization and reintegration of Iranian backed militias.
  8. End its military support for the Houthi terrorists and work towards a peaceful, new political settlement in Yemen.
  9. Withdraw all forces under Iran's command throughout the entirety of Syria.
  10. End support for the Taliban and other terrorists in Afghanistan and the region and cease harboring senior al-Qaeda leaders.
  11. End the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' Quds Force's support for terrorists around the world.
  12. End its threatening behavior against its neighbors including its threats to destroy Israel and its firing of missiles at Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, and threats to international shipping and destructive cyberattacks.

RSC FY 22 Budget:

The RSC Steering Committee is proud to support the annual RSC budget for Fiscal Year 2022 entitled "Reclaiming our Fiscal Future," produced by our Budget & Spending Task Force. At a time when House Democrats have no plans to produce a budget and are advocating for more and more reckless tax and spending policies, RSC once again is demonstrating what true leadership looks like. This budget will serve as a blueprint for House Republicans to tackle our massive debt burden when we take back the majority.

Debt Limit:

Congress has demonstrated a total lack of fiscal restraint, which is contributing to the rise of inflation impacting every American today, while further endangering our long-term fiscal future. Now, Democrats want to increase the Debt Limit to double down on their reckless Socialist spending agenda. We will oppose any effort to increase the Debt Limit without reforms. Specifically, we demand that any measure increasing the Debt Limit:

· Be paired with an equal or greater amount of spending reductions;

· Include a long-term spending and revenue control measure; and

· Not be attached to a larger spending package, such as a CR, Omnibus, or reconciliation package.

Given the worsening fiscal outlook for the federal government, it is more important than ever for conservatives to reclaim the debt limit as a tool to highlight and force action on our nation's spending problem.

Fake Infrastructure Package:

The Republican Study Committee is opposed to all the radical attempts by Congressional Democrats and the Biden Administration to fundamentally alter the country. This includes a blank check debt limit increase, a CR that helps facilitate the Biden open borders agenda, and certainly their socialist wish list reconciliation bill. It has become clearer by the day that the infrastructure bill, that could potentially be voted on next week, is a lynchpin for this agenda. The Republican Study Committee reaffirms our opposition to this bill and urges our colleagues to actively oppose it.

FY2023 Budget:

The RSC Steering Committee is proud to support the annual RSC Budget for Fiscal Year 2023 entitled "Blueprint to Save America" produced by our Budget & Spending Task Force. This budget would:

  • Balance the budget within seven years;
  • Provide our defense budget with 5% real growth to help us face an increasingly dangerous global environment, especially to counter China;
  • Reduce tax and regulatory burdens on Americans;
  • Secure our border, reject the left's woke agenda, empower work, personalize health care, protect the 2nd amendment, secure religious liberty;
  • Save the lives of the unborn as the most pro-life budget ever produced; and
  • Protect and strengthen Medicare and Social Security, thus saving them from impending insolvency.

The RSC's Budget stands in stark contrast to the Biden Administration's reckless spending that has wreaked havoc on the American people and produced record debt and inflation. Meanwhile, Congressional Democrats have refused to produce a budget to undo this train wreck. The RSC is prepared to lead by providing a blueprint for Republicans for once we win back the majority.

Heartbeat Protection Act

"The Republican Study Committee (RSC) has always fought against the radical abortion agenda of Congressional Democrats and their allies. This Congress, the RSC drew a line in the sand opposing their latest attempts to eliminate the long standing, previously bipartisan Hyde amendment and other current-law, pro-life appropriations provisions, which prevent taxpayer funded abortions. The RSC also led the charge against Democrats' latest radical efforts to institute taxpayer funded, abortion on demand in all 50 states up to the moment a baby is born.

In stark and resolute contrast to their radical agenda, the RSC is proud to formally endorse the Heartbeat Protection Act, introduced by Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA), which would defend babies from being aborted once their fetal heartbeat has been detected. Furthermore, the RSC urges our Leadership to bring this bill to the floor for a vote by the whole House next year when Republicans return to the majority.

This piece of legislation is just one important next step of many that should be taken as we look ahead to a post-Roe America. The RSC will continue to celebrate every opportunity to protect life, share science-backed truth of the humanity of unborn babies, and support unborn babies, mothers, and families in our communities as we fight for a culture of life in the U.S."