DeMint: Tea Party a Viable Force in Congress

The election results make the tea party movement a force to be reckoned with in Congress, says Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., a major backer of the movement. Asked by the National Journal if a tea party caucus has essentially emerged in Congress, he said, “Oh yeah, I think so. We’ve got a conservative caucus already, which is called a steering committee.”

That committee will see a lot of new members “who want to advance a common-sense, limited government agenda,” DeMint says. “So whether we call it a tea party or a steering committee really doesn’t matter; we’re going to have a great new group of conservatives.”

As for DeMint’s personal goals, “I hope to continue to chair the steering committee and move the Republican Party in the Senate back to more conservative, limited government principles,” he says. “That’s the position I want right now. I found I can do a lot more outside of the elected leadership positions.”