Rep. Ben Klein (R-VA) announced his candidacy for chairman of the Republican Study Committee (RSC) in an interview with Breitbart News on Thursday, saying that if Republicans control the House and Donald Trump becomes president in the future, “the possibilities are endless.”
“I’m excited to continue the great tradition that the RSC has built over the past 50 years,” Klein told Breitbart News.
Klein is seeking to continue the tradition of many RSC chairs who have led the mainstream conservative caucus in the House Republican Conference, including current RSC chair Rep. Kevin Hahn (R-Okla.) and former RSC chair Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.).
The conservative Virginia lawmaker, who currently sits on the RSC steering committee, is seeking to lead the caucus after the 2024 presidential election and help President Donald Trump’s second term administration enact comprehensive policies.
He continued, “I’m focused on policy and making sure we advance strong conservative policies. That’s why I’m at the RSC. And the RSC is a guidepost. You know, it’s a guidepost for conservative policy in Congress. When Trump is elected president, I want to make sure he has a great organization that can help him advance conservative policies.”
“I’m very committed to fiscal responsibility because it’s one of the big challenges facing our country right now, and as the Budget Chairman of the Budget Task Force, we continue the process of balancing the budget and present a detailed balanced budget each year,” Klein explained. “My predecessors in this role have been Chairman Kevin Hahn, Chairman Jim Banks, Chairman Mike Johnson, and now Chairman Mike Johnson. This role will help me build a coalition behind conservative policies and prepare me for the process of moving those policies forward.”
Klain has been at the forefront of the fight to curb warrantless government surveillance, pressing Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz at a House Appropriations Committee hearing about the FBI’s purchase of Americans’ personal data.
WATCH — Rep. Ben Klein presses DOJ Inspector General Horowitz on FBI purchase of US metadata:
The Virginia congressman also grilled Attorney General Merrick Garland about the federal government’s warrantless purchase of Americans’ data.
WATCH — Rep. Ben Klein grills Attorney General Merrick Garland about the FBI’s purchase of Americans’ personal data:
House Appropriations Committee / YouTube
This controversial practice, also known as the data broker loophole, became the focus of the battle over amendments to Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).
As long as Section 702 of FISA allows intelligence agencies to spy on Americans without a warrant, I will vote no.
Contributor Congressman Ben Klein Friday, April 12, 2024
Klein said having a “robust plan” to rein in the intelligence agencies and reform spying powers would set the stage for the next fight, to reauthorize FISA, which expires in April 2025.
“This is not the first time we’ve heard about the need to restructure the intelligence community, and Donald Trump has made that point as well, so we want to make that a top priority for the RSC and make sure that we have a robust plan in place, that it’s well thought out, that we involve the intelligence community, because the RSC includes several intelligence people, and we want to make sure that we reform the intelligence community in a way that puts the people first, that protects their constitutional rights and protects the country and national security,” he explained.
Klein said he wanted to continue speaking with other RSC members to build coalitions and empower all members. With Trump as president, he said, “the possibilities are endless.”
“I’m excited to join the RSC. Over the past few years, I’ve seen how effective this group can be, and there’s no limit to what the RSC can accomplish in a Republican Congress with Donald Trump as president,” Klein said. “I’m excited and I’m anxious. I’ve already spoken to over half of the RSC’s members, and I plan to continue to sit down and have long conversations with my colleagues because I don’t want to just back them into a corner to see if I can get their support. I want to sit down and listen to them, and those conversations take time, which is why I’m starting so early. So over the next six months, I’m going to try to listen to my members as much as I talk to them.”
Sean Moran is a policy reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter. Sean Moran 3.
