House Speaker Paul Ryan this month gave nearly $4 million to the House Republican campaign arm to be “immediately deployed” for vulnerable races in the final weeks before the election, the Washington Examiner has learned.
Ryan’s haul for the National Republican Congressional Committee is nearly $35 million, all raised in less than one year, and comes as NRCC officials have called on House GOP lawmakers to help bolster the campaign coffers for races they must win to maintain their majority.
The GOP holds a sizable majority in the House that can be taken by Democrats only if they win 30 or more seats. It’s an unlikely scenario but a risk that has increased as the poll numbers for GOP nominee Donald Trump have dropped. Some race analysts believe House Democrats could pick up seats in the double digits.
“Speaker Ryan is fully committed to helping Republican members and candidates succeed on Nov. 8,” Kevin Seifert, executive director for Ryan’s political team said. “Supporters around the country are encouraged by Ryan’s bold policy agenda, and it is clear they want to see Speaker Ryan and House Republicans maintain their majority.”
Ryan won the speaker’s gavel a year ago promising to helm the GOP’s communications effort but warning he wouldn’t hit the fundraising trail on weekends and instead would return home to Janesville, Wis.
Ryan’s fundraising schedule, while much different than that of his predecessor John Boehner, has not stopped him from raising nearly $50 million, which an aide said is “a historic sum compared to past speakers.”
Ryan handed over $3.9 million to the NRCC. Aides said the amount was not intended to send a message to other House GOP lawmakers who NRCC officials have called on for financial help.
“If that means members cut some checks from their re-election, great,” a campaign aide told the Examiner. “But we’re doing this because Paul is all in to defend our majority. He is going to run through the tape and take nothing for granted, plus, he has been really successful raising money, so he’s going to keep pumping it into the NRCC so we win more races.”
