The National Republican Congressional Committee is launching a new campaign targeting vulnerable House Democrats over their efforts to raise the debt ceiling with no spending cuts attached — despite those lawmakers helping to push House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s bill past the finish line on Wednesday.
The NRCC is ramping up efforts in at least 35 House districts to target Democrats over their support to vote on a debt limit increase without spending cuts, an effort that was signed by all Democratic lawmakers earlier this month. The campaign specifically targets Democrats who are considered especially vulnerable in the 2024 cycle — with all but three voting in favor to advance McCarthy’s deal.
EVERY HOUSE MEMBER WHO VOTED AGAINST PASSING THE DEBT CEILING BILL
“Republicans are sharpening our knives,” the NRCC memo reads. “The NRCC will make vulnerable Democrats pay a price for doubling down on an extreme and unpopular position.”
The strategy aims to build on previous efforts to target Democrats over high levels of federal spending, using that message to make the case to voters that the party is “too dangerous” to be handed the House majority in 2024. The campaign seeks to place the blame for inflation and increased government spending on Democratic lawmakers by pointing to the party’s support of an unfettered debt ceiling hike.
The messaging refers to a discharge petition signed by all 213 Democrats earlier this month that sought to force a vote on a debt limit increase without spending cuts, even without McCarthy’s approval. The motion ultimately failed, but the NRCC is hoping to use it as campaign fodder.
“Hakeem Jeffries committed a major tactical blunder by forcing his vulnerable Members to go on the record for unchecked government spending,” the memo states. “Voters equate a ‘clean’ hike to continuing the country’s unsustainable spending trajectory. Politically, this represents a fresh opportunity to remind voters that Democrats spent trillions of dollars on wasteful projects with total Democratic control of Washington, spiking inflation and hurting their personal pocketbooks.”
The memo cites multiple polls that show an overwhelming majority of voters supporting a debt ceiling increase in exchange for government spending cuts — a position Republicans have repeatedly pushed over the last several months. That public stance gives the GOP a “powerful political cudgel,” the memo states, that can be used to grow their House majority in the 2024 elections.
The campaign is set to target 35 of the most vulnerable Democrats, even as a majority of them backed the debt limit deal negotiated between McCarthy and President Joe Biden, handing the speaker a major legislative win.
The NRCC lists targets such as Reps. Mary Peltola (AK), Josh Harder (CA), Mike Levin (CA), Yadira Caraveo (CO), Darren Soto (FL), Eric Sorensen (IL), Frank Mrvan (IN), Sharice Davids (KS), Jared Golden (ME), Hillary Scholten (MI), Dan Kildee (MI), Don Davis (NC), Wiley Nickel (NC), Jeff Jackson (NC), Chris Pappas (NH), and Gabriel Vasquez (NM).
It also includes Reps. Susie Lee (NV), Dina Titus (NV), Steven Horsford (NV), Pat Ryan (NY), Greg Landsman (OH), Marcy Kaptur (OH), Emilia Sykes (OH), Andrea Salinas (OR), Susan Wild (PA), Matt Cartwright (PA), Chris Deluzio (PA), Seth Magaziner (RI), Vicente Gonzalez (TX), Abigail Spanberger (VA), Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA), and Kim Schrier (WA).
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
However, the NRCC is also applying its attacks to Reps. Jahana Hayes (CT) and Val Hoyle (OR), who both voted against the debt limit deal. The ads will also hit against Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN), who missed the vote due to a scheduled surgery.
“Vulnerable Democrats may have surrendered their voting cards to party leaders during the debt ceiling debate,” the NRCC memo reads, “but they will hand over their voting cards to a Republican when they are defeated next fall.”
