Washington Reporter "President Trump knows that when he needs something, the Main Street Caucus is on the line and willing to take the vote": Main Street Caucus's new leaders lay out vision for the Congress

The new leadership of the House’s Main Street Caucus has a simple message to President Donald Trump and to the voters who sent them to Washington, D.C.: we are eager to work with the White House.

Reps. Mike Flood (R., Neb.) and Laurel Lee (R., Fla.) — the Chair and newly-elected Vice Chair of the Main Street Caucus — spoke with the Washington Reporter about their new video spotlight series, their relationships with the White House, what they want to focus on during this Congress, and more.

“President Trump knows that when he needs something, the Main Street Caucus is on the line and willing to take the vote,” Flood said. Now, with Lee as his number two, his caucus is primed to take advantage of the Florida-centric nature of American politics.

“The epicenter in politics has shifted from last Congress from California to Florida, and that's one of the great things about having Laurel Lee in a leadership position,” Flood said. “She is a Floridian. She's worked with a lot of those folks at the White House who hail from the Sunshine State, so that's going to be a distinct advantage for us going forward with her leadership on that front, and it will extend to all of our members, which is something we really have been focused on, building a good relationship there.”

For Lee, Florida is front and center for what she focuses on: during her Vice Chair campaign — which was first covered by the Reporter — she handed out Florida oranges while making her case to her colleagues.

She told the Reporter that the new series is “a real opportunity to share with the broader D.C. community and with folks back home what we're working on and who our members are.”

Lee told the Reporter that one thing that “has absolutely proven true about Main Street in this Congress is that we are very closely aligned with the priorities of the Trump administration.”

“We want to ensure that we are openly communicating with the administration about their goals and priorities, things that are important to our members; when we need to we can certainly convene, and we will convene smaller groups to talk about policy issues,” she said. “We've already had many of the members of the administration come and speak to our group, which is very helpful for our members to hear about their key priorities, what they're seeing, and also get their response to some of the questions or concerns that members may have.”

Both Flood and Lee spoke about the role their colleagues played in getting them to join Main Street — and they are eager to play a similar role for others. Rep. Dusty Johnson (R., S.D.), a former Main Street Chairman, was key to getting both of them to join.

“The first thing that attracted me to the caucus was the principled conservative leadership, the values of Main Street, the types of policy priorities of Main Street, which are very much aligned with the things that I wanted to bring to Congress,” Lee explained. “These are things like supporting small businesses, economic policies that will create American prosperity, individual liberties, just core conservative values.”

“The caucus itself, though,” she added, “really stands out, because in addition to holding to those principles, they also are a group of people who are committed to responsible governing.”

“The Main Street Caucus always looks at what did the people back home send us here to do,” she said. “How can we work with our colleagues to actually accomplish an objective, to actually get a bill passed, to actually change the law in a way that is good for America? So it's really a group of governing conservatives, which, for me, was a great fit on what I thought we needed in Congress to get things done.”

Flood, who said that Rep. Stephanie Bice’s (R., Okla.) leadership in Main Street has also been informative for him, told the Reporter what the caucus wants to focus on next.

“We're going to play big in the funding discussion that's about to unfold with the CR and then ultimately, we want our [Community Project Funding],” he said. “We want our fingerprints on the budget. We don't want the Biden White House budget continued. That's a priority. We recognize how big of a deal the ACA issue is with the premium tax credit and all that stuff; from where I sit, it's gonna be even bigger than the funding discussion.”

Below is a transcript of our interview with Reps. Mike Flood and Laurel Lee, lightly edited for clarity.

Washington Reporter:

Let's start with your biggest new development: the upcoming video series, called Spotlight Series, from the Main Street Caucus. What made you want to join the crowd and get in on that space?

Rep. Mike Flood:

Well, I think one of the things that Main Street needs to do better, and we're going to be better at, is just telling our story. We are now 85 members strong. We are the people that are the workhorses in the Republican Conference. Our members are on Appropriations. They're full committee chairs, they’re chairmen and chairwomen of subcommittees, and we have a great story to tell, and we have these members who have a lot of depth and a lot of issue knowledge and a lot of passion for what they do, and by telling their stories, I think people will better understand the caliber of members that Main Street attracts.

Rep. Laurel Lee:

That's exactly right. We have some of the most talented members anywhere in Congress as part of Main Street, and the Spotlight Series will give them an opportunity to go a little more in depth and share their substantive background before they came to Congress and also the things that they're working on now. I think it's a real opportunity to share with the broader D.C. community and with folks back home what we're working on and who our members are.

Washington Reporter:

We saw towards the end of the election last year, President Trump joined a lot of podcasts like Joe Rogan. Are there any podcasts that you both have as your go-to listens, or people that you see as ones you want to imitate in this space?

Rep. Mike Flood:

Well, I've been doing podcasts since I was 15. It's called radio, and I have my own set of radio stations. I like to say podcasts are radio shows with no listeners.

Washington Reporter:

Yours will have listeners, however.

Rep. Mike Flood:

I actually don't listen to podcasts, because I'm usually listening to the radio when I'm in Nebraska, but I recently did The Daily on the New York Times, and I was amazed at how many people from across the country commented on that regarding my town hall. Our Spotlight Series is an effort to take advantage of that crowd that's interested in hearing more from our members. And hopefully it's attractive and I think it's great for the members’ constituents to see them interacting with their colleagues in a leadership role at the caucus. I'm excited for the members and their constituents to see them in action.

Rep. Laurel Lee:

I do listen to podcasts. Most mornings I listen to Potomac Watch, a podcast by The Wall Street Journal, that generally does a good job going over some of the issues that we are confronting in Washington, and it's a great way to get news while you are driving to meetings, doing something else, traveling on a plane. I find that they're a really efficient way to hear news coverage. It's one of the things that we're looking forward to doing more of on Main Street is to provide that content for people who do use podcasts as just one more thing to help them learn about what we're doing.

Washington Reporter:

As you look at the members of Main Street, your members’ voting records are some of the most, if not the most, aligned with the agenda of the White House. When the White House is frustrated at Republicans in the House in particular, it's never at people who are in the Main Street Caucus. How do you see your new leadership duo working with the Trump administration on executing both their priorities and your priorities for the rest of this Congress?

Rep. Laurel Lee:

That is one of the things that has absolutely proven true about Main Street in this Congress, is that we are very closely aligned with the priorities of the Trump administration and the things that they want to see Congress working on. We want to ensure that we are openly communicating with the administration about their goals and priorities, things that are important to our members; when we need to we can certainly convene, and we will convene smaller groups to talk about policy issues. Those relationships are very positive for us, and we want to make sure that we're working together. I know that's something that we'll be doing in the coming months. We've already had many of the members of the administration come and speak to our group, which is very helpful for our members to hear about their key priorities, what they're seeing, and also get their response to some of the questions or concerns that members may have.

Rep. Mike Flood:

If you think about it, the epicenter in politics has shifted from last Congress from California to Florida, and that's one of the great things about having Laurel Lee in a leadership position. She is a Floridian. She's worked with a lot of those folks at the White House who hail from the Sunshine State, so that's going to be a distinct advantage for us going forward with her leadership on that front, and it will extend to all of our members, which is something we really have been focused on, building a good relationship there. President Trump knows that when he needs something, the Main Street Caucus is on the line and willing to take the vote.

Washington Reporter:

Congresswoman, you obviously just joined as Vice Chair, but you joined the Main Street Caucus after you were elected. What made you want to join it, and what made you want to run for Vice Chair?

Rep. Laurel Lee:

The first thing that attracted me to the caucus was the principled conservative leadership, the values of Main Street, the types of policy priorities of Main Street, which are very much aligned with the things that I wanted to bring to Congress. These are things like supporting small businesses, economic policies that will create American prosperity, individual liberties, just core conservative values. The caucus itself, though, really stands out, because in addition to holding to those principles, they also are a group of people who are committed to responsible governing. The Main Street Caucus always looks at what did the people back home send us here to do. How can we work with our colleagues to actually accomplish an objective, to actually get a bill passed, to actually change the law in a way that is good for America? So it's really a group of governing conservatives, which, for me, was a great fit on what I thought we needed in Congress to get things done.

Washington Reporter:

Congressman Flood, you now run the show here. You were elected in a very high profile special election. You joined the Main Street Caucus. What made you say ‘all right, I was the Speaker of the Nebraska unicameral. I want to keep running a caucus when I get to D.C.’?

Rep. Mike Flood:

Well, I was really cautious when I got to Congress, and I didn't join for a long time, only because I wanted to get the lay of the land. I, like almost every member, joined RSC. I enjoy going to those lunches, but there are so many different caucuses and things you can get involved in. I knew that the way my personality works, if I'm going to get into something, then I'm really going to be into it. So I did a lot of homework. And quite frankly, I saw the leadership of Dusty Johnson and of Stephanie Bice, and when things were going on the floor, I saw them engaged in trying to fix problems and working in the back rooms to try and make the place work. That's the kind of leadership that I appreciate and value, and I wanted to be associated with it. And the more I saw Dusty work on the whole McCarthy situation when he was ousted, as a member of Main Street, that's when I really developed a relationship with Main Street, because there were all these things and I didn't know what was going on. I was a brand new member of Congress, and here we just kicked out the Speaker, and nobody knew what was going on. But Dusty seemed to know, and he seemed to have a pretty good handle on what was going on, so I really valued my Main Street membership at that point, and thought this is a organization that I want to grow in.

Washington Reporter:

What do you plan to do going into the midterms to get new people, either who are already in Congress now who are not in Main Street, or who are running for office, to get them to join it like you both did once they're elected next year?

Rep. Mike Flood:

Well, that's actually a great question. The key to legislators joining starts with their stomach. You've got to have good food. Number two, you've got to have good programming, and you've got to be efficient with their time, because there are so many things you can go to and you don't need to get pulled into something that's longer than it needs to be. Since I've been Vice Chair, I really focused on those three operational things. And we have seen a tremendous growth; we just had three people who are signing up right now. We're up to 85 people with more who want to come; we were at 50 just two years ago; our caucus is resonating with people.

Rep. Laurel Lee:

Part of new members is just making that individual ask. I know that is what brought me to my first Main Street meeting. And what I find is that when members attend, when they see the quality of the conversation, when they see the quality of the speaker and they find people sitting around that table every week who are actually adding value and insight to the problems that we're working on, they realize ‘this hour is worth my time.’ These are people that I want to collaborate with. When we do have new members in 2027, I think making that outreach, inviting them to come and join us is important; we have a pretty high rate of new members from people who are willing to come check it out.

Washington Reporter:

Who asked you both to join when you had joined Congress?

Rep. Mike Flood:

Dusty.

Rep. Laurel Lee:

It was Dusty for me as well.

Washington Reporter:

You're launching this video series, but what other big things are on the horizon for the Main Street Caucus between now and January 2027?

Rep. Mike Flood:

We're going to play big in the funding discussion that's about to unfold with the CR and then ultimately, we want our CPFs. We want our fingerprints on the budget. We don't want the Biden White House budget continued. That's a priority. We recognize how big of a deal the ACA issue is with the premium tax credit and all that stuff; from where I sit, it's gonna be even bigger than the funding discussion, and then in the next year, election year, we’re going to have some really important issues. There will be some big issues that take up a lot of time in 2026 and we want to be effective and successful on those issues.

Washington Reporter:

And what are your priorities in the new role?

Rep. Laurel Lee:

We want to get Main Street members what they need in Congress and make sure that they are hearing from administration representatives, making sure that we’re having a conversation about what’s on the horizon, the bills that are coming to the floor; the things that they need to know to be ready for the week. We want to maximize their experience as members. It is also important to think about 2026: what are the policy goals of our group? How do we get them across the finish line? And how do we communicate them back to the public so that they understand what we’re working on? Personally with my office, we will be focusing a lot on tech policy and criminal justice policy.

Washington Reporter:

Thanks to you both so much for chatting today.