House GOP's 'Freedom Force': Conservative answer to progressive 'Squad' is ready for battle

"Either we ourselves or our parents came from other countries, and they fled those countries to pursue the American dream, and right now it's under attack," says Rep.-elect Nicole Malliotakis of the group of eight House freshmen.

By Nicholas Ballasy

Published: December 4, 2020 6:08pm

Updated: December 6, 2020 9:51am

New Republican members of the House of Representatives are forming a "Freedom Force" as a conservative answer to "The Squad," the four high-visibility, progressive Democratic women elected to the House as freshmen in 2018.

Incoming House Republican freshmen Byron Donalds, Carlos Gimenez and Maria Elvira Salazar of Florida, Nicole Malliotakis of New York, Michelle Steel of California, Stephanie Bice of Oklahoma, Burgess Owens of Utah and Victoria Spartz of Indiana are the members in the "Freedom Force" so far.

"We have a 'Freedom Force' versus 'Squad,'" Owens said on Fox News.

"The Squad" members are Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan.

Steel said the "Freedom Force" will advocate for lower taxes and less regulations.

"The left is totally out of line from mainstream America," she said.

Malliotakis explained on Fox News' "Outnumbered Overtime" that their coalition will also advocate for the preservation of freedom and liberty for future generations.

"Either we ourselves or our parents came from other countries, and they fled those countries to pursue the American dream, and right now it's under attack from individuals, like those members of the socialist squad, who are looking to chip away at our freedoms and really dismantle our economy and our country, and we need to fight back," she said. "We're very passionate about that."

Omar was recently asked about the GOP freshman members forming the "Freedom Force."

"I mean it sounds ridiculous to me," she said, according to NBC News. "I think they think they're in high school. We're in Congress."

Addressing the formation of the "Freedom Force" on Twitter, Salazar wrote that she was born in Miami, a "community built by survivors," and that her parents fled "Castro's socialist nightmare."

"We can't just let the socialist left destroy the American Dream for our children!" she wrote.