Republican Study Committee

Republican Study Committee
Republican Study Committee
Chair	August Pfluger (TX–11)
Founded	1973; 53 years ago
Ideology	Conservatism;
Political position	Right-wing
National affiliation	Republican Party
Colors	Red
Seats in the House Republican Conference	188 / 218
Seats in the House	188 / 435
Website
	rsc-pfluger.house.gov
	Politics of the United States; Political parties; Elections;

The Republican Study Committee (RSC) is a congressional caucus of conservative members of the Republican Party in the United States House of Representatives.^[3]^[4] In November 2024, Representative August Pfluger was elected as the chair of the RSC, effective as of January 2025.^[5]

Although the primary functions of the RSC vary from year to year, it has always pushed for significant cuts in non-defense spending,^[6] advocated socially conservative legislation,^[7] and supported the right to keep and bear arms.^[8] It has proposed an alternative budget every year since 1995.^[9] In 2007, in conjunction with the unveiling of its "Taxpayer Bill of Rights",^[10] it presented an alternative budget resolution that it claimed would balance the budget within five years without increasing income taxes.^[11]^[12]

Entering the 119th United States Congress, the RSC was the largest conservative caucus in Congress.^[5]

Initiatives

The RSC's legislative initiatives are detailed in the American Taxpayer Bill of Rights,^[13] unveiled in March 2007.^[14]

Taxpayers have a right to have a federal government that does not grow beyond their ability to pay for it.
Taxpayers have a right to receive back each dollar that they entrust to the government for their retirement.
Taxpayers have a right to expect the government to balance the budget without having their taxes raised.
Taxpayers have a right to a simple, fair tax code that they can understand.

History

The RSC was founded in 1973 by Paul Weyrich and other conservative activists to keep a watch on the House Republican leadership, which they saw as too moderate. Their formation mirrored the rise of the Democratic Study Group, a liberal force in the Democratic Caucus founded in 1959. The group's first chairman was Phil Crane of Illinois.

The group briefly dissolved in 1995 when Newt Gingrich abolished it and other similar groups ^[15] after the Republicans won control of the House for the first time in 40 years. It was soon resurrected as the Conservative Action Team (CATs) by Dan Burton of Indiana (the last chair of the original RSC), Sam Johnson of Texas, John Doolittle of California and Ernest Istook of Oklahoma. These four founders alternated as chairs throughout the following two Congresses until David McIntosh of Indiana became chair in 1998. The group was restored to its original RSC name when John Shadegg became chair in 2001.^[16]

Paul Teller spent over ten years as Executive Director of RSC. He was fired in December 2013 by Steve Scalise for divulging member conversations.^[17] Teller had been working with two outside groups in opposition to a budget deal forged by Paul Ryan and Patty Murray.^[18]

Chairs

Start	End	Chair(s)	District
1973	1989	Phil Crane	IL-12
1989	1993	Tom DeLay	TX-22
1993	1995	Dan Burton	IN-06
1995	1999	Dan Burton	IN-06
		John Doolittle	CA-04
		Ernest Istook	OK-05
		Sam Johnson	TX-03
1999	2000	David McIntosh	IN-02
2000	2001	Sam Johnson	TX-03
2001	2003	John Shadegg	AZ-04
2003	2005	Sue Myrick	NC-09
2005	2007	Mike Pence	IN-06
2007	2009	Jeb Hensarling	TX-05
2009	2011	Tom Price	GA-06
2011	2013	Jim Jordan	OH-04
2013	2014	Steve Scalise	LA-01
2014	2015	Rob Woodall	GA-07
2015	2017	Bill Flores	TX-17
2017	2019	Mark Walker	NC-06
2019	2021	Mike Johnson	LA-04
2021	2023	Jim Banks	IN-03
2023	2025	Kevin Hern	OK-01
2025	present	August Pfluger	TX-11

Former members

The RSC membership list is available on the group's website.^[19] It counts former vice presidents Mike Pence, Dan Quayle and Dick Cheney and former House majority leader Tom DeLay among its former members. In addition, at least two sitting senators—John Boozman (AR) and Roger Wicker (MS)—were members of the RSC while serving in the House. At least three former governors–Pence (IN), Butch Otter (ID) and Bobby Jindal (LA)—were also members.

List of former members

Political issues

On June 16, 2010, the committee issued a press release critical of the administration of U.S. president Barack Obama for negotiating an agreement with energy company BP to waive the $75 million federal limit on oil company liability for oil spills. The statement called the agreement requiring BP to set aside $20 billion to pay damage claims for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill a "Chicago-style political shakedown" by the White House.^[24]

In July 2013, the Republican Study Committee barred the Heritage Foundation employees from attending its weekly meeting in the Capitol, reversing a decades-old policy, over disagreements about the farm bill.^[25]

In June 2015, the Republican Study Committee reacted to the Supreme Court decision that legalized same-sex marriage, calling it "a loss for democratic self-government" and stating "we should work to promote the truth of marriage between a man and a woman."^[26]

In 2021, their policy positions included maintaining the Hyde Amendment, constructing a wall on the southern border, and ending perceived censorship of conservative-leaning content.^[27]

In 2026, the Republican Study Committee unveiled its framework for a second reconciliation bill (following the One Big Beautiful Bill Act in 2024) with the stated goal of making the American Dream affordable again. It argues that there are three things are pricing families out of the American Dream: housing costs, healthcare costs, and energy costs, and claim their blueprint provides solutions for all three.^[28]

Membership

Current members

Since January 25th, 2025, the Republican Study Committee no longer publishes its membership roster on its website.^[29] In May 2025, the caucus had 189 members in total.^[30] Currently, at least 25 members are also known to be part of the Freedom Caucus, which does not officially publish membership lists.

Alabama