The new leader of the House Freedom Caucus discloses the GOP's upcoming major battle.

Andy Harris, the new chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, has stated that he will prioritize two crucial matters for the rest of the year: government financing and the rules for the upcoming House GOP Conference.

Since the beginning, Harris has been a member of the Freedom Caucus, as he revealed in his first interview since being elected its chair, on Tuesday night to Planet Chronicle Digital.

"Our chairs have been successful in pushing the conservative agenda with Congress and the American people. Currently, our main challenge is controlling spending, particularly in determining the rules for the next Congress."

Harris vowed to tackle the two issues head-on.

In 2010, the Maryland Republican was elected and later appointed to lead the Freedom Caucus after Rep. Bob Good vacated the position following his June primary loss.

Harris is not known for being particularly talkative with reporters on Capitol Hill, making him a suitable candidate for a group that keeps its membership list confidential.

House GOP leaders have often viewed the Freedom Caucus as a hindrance to their efforts to pass conservative legislation through Congress.

Speaker Mike Johnson's leadership on government funding was commended by Harris prior to a Wednesday vote on a Freedom Caucus-supported plan to prevent a government shutdown.

A six-month extension of this year's federal funds, known as a continuing resolution (CR), has been proposed to provide lawmakers with more time to determine fiscal year 2025's priorities. Additionally, a measure requiring proof of citizenship in the voter registration process has been included.

"Harris stated that Speaker Johnson's leadership on the issue was excellent, and if the discussion had taken place a month earlier and someone had suggested that Speaker Johnson would bring a six-month CR to the floor, along with the SAVE Act, most people would not have believed it."

But the Democrat-controlled Senate and White House have called the legislation a nonstarter.

Even though several Republicans have publicly opposed the measure due to concerns that the speaker would not fight for the SAVE Act if it was rejected by the Senate, Harris refused to reveal how conservatives could pressure Johnson to adhere to the plan.

He stated that if it fails, they would deal with it as they encounter it.

Harris urged GOP critics to reconsider the bill before Wednesday's vote.

"Harris expressed hope that Schumer would argue against the bill, stating that it would allow illegal aliens to vote."

The Maryland Republican did not provide specific details about the changes he would like to see in the House GOP Conference rules, although it is anticipated that this topic will be a focal point during the upcoming leadership elections.

After winning the majority in the 2022 midterm elections, House Republicans agreed to changing certain conference rules to win over their critics, as agreed upon by Ex-Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif.

The motion to vacate the chair, which was previously triggered by a simple majority vote, can now be triggered by just one vote.

"I hope that the Republican majority next year, which I believe will occur, not only approves and supports the changes we implemented this term but also considers making additional adjustments. These modifications will be more evident in the upcoming two months."

Harris mentioned that there were other group members besides himself when pressed for details.

"The Freedom Caucus will decide what happens, but I, as chairman, am not responsible for all members' opinions."