A House GOP leadership-aligned group, the American Action Network, announced the release of a new digital ad campaign Tuesday that seeks to highlight the benefits of tax reform.
The ad features apparent middle-class Americans holding signs showcasing the different benefits they are receiving from the new tax bill.
“All across the country, working families are seeing real results, from paycheck bonuses to an average tax cut of $2,000 thanks to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act,” said American Action Network Executive Director Corry Bliss.
The $2.5 million member-specific ad buy is set to air in 36 congressional districts and is part of the network’s strategy to sell tax reform in an effort keep the House Republican majority.
The American Action Network’s sister organization, the Congressional Leadership Fund, released a memo last month urging Republicans to sell the tax bill as the “key to success” in the upcoming midterm elections.
“Republicans need to communicate the benefits of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act,” the memo states. “If and when we are able to show voters that this legislation cuts middle-class taxes, we will be able to point to a huge accomplishment members can run on.”
The American Action Network was one of the leading organizations promoting tax reform last fall, spending over $29 million since August, according to a press release.
“AAN will continue to promote the benefits of pro-growth tax reform for the middle class because families deserve to know how these cuts will provide them with much-needed peace of mind,” Bliss said.
Republicans are facing an uphill battle entering this year’s midterm elections. Historically, incumbent members of the president’s party have done poorly in the first midterm elections following the inauguration of the new president.
In addition, public opinion has been split on tax reform and the Republican president remains unpopular.
A new Monmouth poll last week however, shows good signs for Republican hopes to keep their congressional majority. While public opinion remains divided on tax reform, with an evenly split 44 percent of Americans approving and disapproving of the tax bill, these numbers look far better than in December, when just 26 percent of Americans approved of the bill and 47 percent were opposed.
The Monmouth poll also showed a dramatic shift in the Democrats’ lead in the generic Congress ballot, showing the Democrats with a 2-point edge over Republicans as opposed to a 15-point advantage in December.
