The political nonprofit linked to House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, is back on the air, this time with television ads urging Congress to support the fiscal 2016 budget unveiled this week by the Budget Committee.
American Action Network on Wednesday announced a $500,000, 10-day television ad campaign to run nationally on Fox News Channel to bolster support for the $3.8 trillion spending plan unveiled by House Budget Chairman Tom Price, R-Ga. The group is investing an additional $50,000 in digital advertising. The overall buy is modest, and American Action Network can’t directly coordinate with Boehner. But where the group had previously focused its efforts on helping elect Republicans to the House in general elections, this ad is another sign that the speaker’s allies don’t want to cede the competition for outside influence over Congress to well funded Tea Party organizations.
However, this new television buy isn’t critical of Tea Party-affiliated Republicans. Rather, it compares the House GOP budget proposal to President Obama’s budget, saying the administration’s plan is unacceptable.
“The Obama budget and House Republican budget are a study in contrasts,” AAN President Mike Shields said in a statement. “The Obama budget never, ever balances and leads us even farther down the path to fiscal ruin. The House Republican budget balances in 10 years, repeals Obamacare and is the right prescription for America’s economy. Americans should let Congress know loud and clear that the House Republican budget is the right path to prosperity.”
The last ad campaign from American Action Network focused on rebellious House Republicans, criticizing them for opposing Boehner’s plan to fund the Department of Homeland Security. The group ran separate ads praising Republicans who supported the plan.
