Free Republic

So much has been said recently about the rivalry between the House Freedom Caucus and a group called “The Tuesday Group,” a group of largely unnamed so-called “moderates” in the House. The leadership of the Tuesday Group is named, and some members willingly speak to reporters about their agenda. The group boasts of a membership of somewhere between 40 and 50 members, but only a few have outed themselves as part of the secretive backroom group. The most vocal member is one of the co-chairs named Charlie Dent, a Pennsylvanian Republican whose liberty score reveals that he votes liberal 72%...

Lou Dobbs interviews Representative Chris Collins (R) New York, regarding Obama and Democrats going after Donald Trump.

“ He’s having fun with it,” said the aide, who recalled how much the House “Trump caucus” has grown from five or six members when Collins first launched it to another meeting this week where 50 members appeared who had never been there before. (Snip) A few Democrats have also slipped Collins their resumes as well. “I think there are a handful of Democrats that are interested in working in the administration. As we’ve seen Donald Trump is being very strategic with whom those Democrats are. They’re senators in very Republican states...”

Trump-backing congressman says GOP will use budget 'reconciliation' to repeal Obamacare in first 100 days – depriving Democrats of the chance to filibuster it * Rep. Chris Collins, the first Republican to endorse President-elect Trump, says the GOP will move legislation to repeal Obamacare within Trump's first 100 days * Party would use budget procedure that would let them jam it through on a simple majority vote, depriving Senate Democrats of the filibuster * Medical device tax, 30-hour workweek for coverage, employer mandate, employee mandate all could go, gutting the plan * Says there would be a 'transition' for 2017...

Clarence, N.Y. — AMERICANS are angry. I hear it from the former factory workers who lost their jobs to other countries because of bad trade deals, the veterans who wait months to see a doctor at a Veterans Affairs hospital and the small-business owners who are struggling to stay afloat because of the Affordable Care Act’s crippling regulations. The professional politicians they trusted and supported have repeatedly sold out our country in favor of special interests and the status quo. Finally, millions of Americans are saying, “Enough is enough.” I see the failures of career politicians in the experiences of...

Donald Trump announced the formation of a U.S. House leadership committee on Thursday, further signaling his shift toward the general election. The Republican presidential front-runner's latest outreach effort to lawmakers on Capitol Hill will be led by Reps. Duncan Hunter of California and Chris Collins of New York, who have previously endorsed Trump. "Congressman Hunter and Congressman Collins are conservative stalwarts," Trump said. "I am honored to have the support of these two well-respected members of Congress who share my vision of securing our borders, strengthening our military, treating our veterans with the respect and care they deserve and putting...

Today Donald J. Trump is announcing that Duncan Hunter and Chris Collins will serve as co-chairs of his campaign's U.S. House Leadership Committee. Congressmen Hunter and Collins will lead outreach efforts to their fellows Members of Congress in support of Mr. Trump's message to Make America Great Again. Mr. Trump stated, "Congressman Hunter and Congressman Collins are conservative stalwarts. I am honored to have the support of these two well respected Members of Congress who share my vision of securing our borders, strengthening our military, treating our veterans with the respect and care they deserve and putting Americans first again."

Collins told FOX News on Wednesday that he has no doubt that New York state is in play with Donald Trump as the Republican nominee for president. Western New York has been under attack, if you will, with a loss of jobs, jobs that have been stolen and shifted to China. Our industry base has been devastated. Our population in the city of Buffalo is one of the poorest in the nation just after Detroit It comes back to his slogan, Make America Great Again. It resonates in New York. I have no doubt the state of New York is...

After winning his third consecutive GOP primary contest Tuesday in Nevada, Donald Trump has landed his first congressional endorsements, the latest sign members of the Republican political establishment are coming to terms with the New York businessman securing the GOP presidential nomination. Rep. Chris Collins, R-New York, a wealthy former businessman from upstate New York, said in a statement this morning that Trump "understands the importance of American exceptionalism, and has the unique qualifications to make America great again." Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-California, told Politico this morning that he will support Trump's bid for the GOP nomination for president, a...

Republicans in Washington are coming to grips with the increasing likelihood that Donald Trumpwill be their presidential nominee. It's a scenario few would have taken seriously last summer, when Trump jumped into the race against what Republicans believed was their strongest presidential field in decades. But the real estate mogul has nearly vanquished them all, winning three out of the first four contests by double-digit margins while leaving his closest remaining rivals -- Sens. Marco Rubio (Fla.) and Ted Cruz (Texas) -- in the dust. With surveys putting him ahead in most of the states set to vote in next...

Donald Trump finally has official supporters in Congress. Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) told POLITICO on Wednesday that he will support Trump for the Republican nomination, making him one of the first members of Congress to express public support for the Manhattan businessman who is the prohibitive front-runner after his victory in Tuesday's Nevada caucuses. Also on Wednesday, Rep. Chris Collins (R-N.Y.) told The Buffalo News that he is backing Trump, saying he has the "guts and fortitude" to get jobs back from China and to take on foreign threats such as the Islamic State and North Korea. In an interview...

Donald Trump finally has official supporters in Congress. Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) told POLITICO on Wednesday that he will support Trump for the Republican nomination, making him one of the first members of Congress to express public support for the Manhattan businessman who is the prohibitive front-runner after his victory in Tuesday's Nevada caucuses. Also on Wednesday, Rep. Chris Collins (R-N.Y.) told The Buffalo News that he is backing Trump, saying he has the "guts and fortitude" to get jobs back from China and to take on foreign threats such as the Islamic State and North Korea. In an interview...

Detective Bryan Yant was the face of incompetence at the Metropolitan Police Department: a poster child for wrongful shooting deaths and million-dollar payouts, a driving force behind sweeping reforms to the agency’s deadly force policies. In other cities, an officer who kills an unarmed man under suspicious circumstances and is accused of lying to cover his tracks might be prosecuted. In Las Vegas, Yant kept his job. And he’s taken on a role that will make him more influential at Metro. The officer, in­famous for the 2010 killing of Trevon Cole, a small-time marijuana dealer, is doling out advice in...

The following Republicans voted Tuesday to raise the government's borrowing limit: John Boehner, R-Ohio. Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va. Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy,R-Calif. Chief Deputy Whip Pete Roskam, R-Ill. Ken Calvert, R-Calif. Dave Camp, R-Mich. Michael Grimm, R-N.Y. Richard Hanna, R-N.Y. Doc Hastings, R-Wash. Darrell Issa, R-Calif. Devin Nunes, R-Calif. Hal Rogers, R-Ky. Dave Reichert, R-Wash. Chris Collins, R-N.Y. Howard Coble, R-N.C. Charlie Dent, R-Pa. Mike Fitzpatrick, R-Pa. Pete King, R-N.Y. Frank LoBiondo, R-N.J. Buck McKeon, R-Calif. Patrick Meehan, R-Pa. Gary Miller, R-Calif. Ed Royce, R-Calif. John Runyan, R-N.J. John Shimkus, R-Ill. Chris Smith, R-N.J. David Valadao, R-Calif. Frank Wolf,...

Niagara Ceramics, the dinnerware manufacturer that was created after the closing of Buffalo China nine years ago, is shutting down, throwing 110 workers out of their jobs. The company announced the shutdown of its sprawling factory at 75 Hayes Place on Monday in a filing with the state Labor Department. Company officials, in the filing, cited “economic” reasons for the closing, which they said was effective immediately. Robert L. Lupica, the former Buffalo China executive and president of Niagara Ceramics, could not be reached to comment. Lupica was part of an investment group headed by Rep. Chris Collins, R-Clarence, that...

Chris Collins NEW YORK Republicans are eyeing a dynamic but little- known upstate businessman and elected official to run for governor next year if Rudy Giuliani declines, The Post has learned. GOP leaders say Erie County Executive Chris Collins, a wealthy, charismatic, conservative-oriented entrepreneur and government reformer is interested. Collins, who won a surprising landslide victory in the heavily Democratic county in 2007, would make a great candidate, they say. "He recently came to see me, and I came away sure he was interested in running for governor," former US Sen. Alfonse D'Amato told The Post. "I think he'd be...