The rise of the ‘crazy caucus’: All the ways the GOP could upend America now that they’ve won the House

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Mr Walsh said it’s a foregone conclusion that the new Republican majority’s first priority will be to do what he and his compatriots tried 12 years earlier, but noted that this time the “crazy caucus” will not be a vocal minority. The GOP has threatened to cut individual federal workers’ salaries before, in 2018, as part of a push to help Mr Trump “drain the swamp” of workers he deemed disloyal. Michael Steele, the former Maryland lieutenant governor and ex-Republican National Committee chairman, told The Independent such a course of action would have trouble getting buy-in from even a Republican-controlled Senate, but suggested that even an attempt to start arbitrarily slashing the salaries of civil servants who are viewed as against Mr Trump and the GOP agenda would be in-character for the new Republican majority. Asked what he meant by “overreach” other than shutdowns, impeachments and endless sham investigations, Mr Steele pointed out that a Republican-controlled Senate could effectively end Mr Biden’s presidency out of spite by refusing to confirm any Cabinet or sub-Cabinet nominees, ambassadors or other federal officials.