FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL — Rep. Randy Fine, R-Fla., is joining the House Freedom Caucus, a pugnacious group of conservative deficit hawks.
“I found in my first year in Congress that there are two types of Republicans: those who want to save America and those who want to manage our decline politely,” Fine told The Daily Signal. “They were unquestionably the group whose values were most in line with mine.”
Fine said the caucus’s emphasis on limiting federal spending, reining in government, and confronting the political left drew him to the caucus chaired by Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md.
The caucus was founded in 2015 by a group of House conservatives, including it’s first chairman, Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, to advance conservative priorities in Congress.
“Trying to manage the budget, trying to get the government under control, trying to stand up to the left—they seemed to be the group whose values were most in line with mine,” he added.
“Other caucuses are focused on amnesty or expanding Medicaid, and that is not something I want to be doing,” Fine said. “I spent my first nine months really feeling like a man on an island. When you’re not part of these caucuses, you don’t have a smaller team to work with. The Freedom Caucus feels like a team that focuses on the right things.”
Fine described joining the caucus as “one of the best things” he has done since entering Congress, saying it provides a platform to advance what he views as the most urgent national priorities: mass deportations, limiting the size of the federal government, and opposing what he called the “Islamification of America.”
“I think the number one thing we could be doing to make America more affordable again is mass deportations,” Fine said. “It’s not just about political values or reducing crime, it’s about making housing more affordable, reducing health care costs, shrinking the size of our education system, and making insurance affordable.”
“That also helps with the values coming into our country that aren’t consistent with America,” he added. “Number two is stopping the Islamification of America, which I think is a real threat.”
In late 2025, Reps. Chip Roy and Keith Self, both Republicans from Texas and members of the House Freedom Caucus, launched the Sharia Free America Caucus to advocate against what they describe as the Islamization of the United States. The caucus has since grown to more than 30 members.
Fine said the Freedom Caucus is working on those issues alongside the Sharia Free America Caucus.
Beyond immigration and cultural concerns, Fine emphasized fiscal policy as a core priority shared by caucus members.
“Third is just the size and scope of government,” he said. “If we do not solve the budget crisis, the country will collapse, and we’ve got to solve that problem.”
Fine concluded by crediting the Freedom Caucus with helping elevate the political careers of its members.
“I think it should be a sign,” Fine said. “Most of the Freedom Caucus members who are leaving aren’t leaving politics, they’re leaving because they’re moving up in the world. And I think that’s a credit to the Freedom Caucus.”
