NRCC Weekly Rundown: NRCC announces Young Guns, DCCC gives up on 5 races, things get worse for Hillary, and more!
And here’s this week’s edition of the NRCC Weekly Rundown:
National: The NRCC announced the latest round of “On the Radar” candidates in this year’s Young Guns program.
National: New polling shows Hillary Clinton’s campaign continuing to crater. The latest blow to Clinton’s flailing candidacy is a pair of national polls showing Hillary losing general election matchups to the entire GOP field and wrecking the plans of House Democrats who hoped her coattails could bring them a majority.
National: The DCCC pulled their One Term Wonders website after the NRCC pointed out that it showed they have given up on 5 of their self-identified top 16 targets from a year ago.
CA-07: Rep. Ami Bera received his latest piece of bad news when he lost the backing of The Northern California Carpenters Regional Council to Republican Scott Jones.
CA-52: Rep. Scott Peters called on Republicans to “allow Obama to present his budget before Congress.” The NRCC reminded Peters that any member of Congress can introduce a budget, and looked forward to Peters introducing Obama’s, which never balances and raises the cost of gas by 25 cents per gallon.
ME-02: Emily Cain dropped off the radar after President Obama unveiled his liberal fantasy of a budget. The NRCC asked Cain if she was supporting this trainwreck of a budget that includes a new 25 cent per gallon gas tax.
MI-08: Dog pampering, tax delinquent actress Melissa Gilbert was caught advising prospective donors that their donations to her campaign were tax deductible. If nothing else, this may help explain how Gilbert came to owe $472,000 in back taxes.
NY-11: A new poll showed that Rep. Dan Donovan’s Staten Island seat is safe in the 2016 election. The poll showed Donovan with a 49-18 approval rating, while former New York Senator Hillary Clinton’s favorability was upside down at 39-57.
PA-06: The filing deadline in Pennsylvania came and went this week, and the DCCC was left waiving the white flag in their quixotic quest to find a serious challenger to Rep. Ryan Costello. Democrats were left with Mike Parrish and his $27,711.59 cash on hand, and Lindy Li, who recently left Nathan Gonzalez, of Rothenberg & Gonzalez, feeling “speechless and confused” after an interview.
VA-10: DC Ritz-Carlton resident LuAnn Bennett has positions on lots of issues…except those that involve the United States House of Representatives. After her Twitter rants about various topics that the legislative body she hopes to join has nothing to do with, the NRCC asked if she had any thoughts on various questions that she would actually vote on if elected.
NEWS AND NOTES:
DCCC Gives Up on Multiple House Races
An archived version of the DCCC’s “One-Term Wonders” website shows that two additional Republican-held districts that the committee intended to target in 2016 are not among the districts being challenged by its “Red to Blue” program candidates. This indicates that the DCCC has given up on winning a total of five House races in 2016. READ
Stefanik co-sponsors legislation to prevent ‘drawdown’ of military
U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-Willsboro, is among 19 original co-sponsors of legislation Reps. Chris Gibson, R-Kinderhook, and Mike Turner, R-Ohio, introduced Feb. 11 to prevent President Obama’s administration plans to reduce the number of military land forces. “The American people are right to be uneasy about our nation’s security,” Stefanik said in a press release READ
Congressman Donovan, Schumer Decry Obama’s Proposed Anti-Terror Cuts
Congressman Dan Donovan opposes President Barack Obama’s budget plan for 2017 that calls for reduced spending on homeland security, calling it “irresponsible.” “The President’s budget proposal takes a sledgehammer to the programs that protect New York City and other top terror targets,” Donovan said in a statement on Wednesday. READ
McSally appointed chair of border subcommittee
U.S. Rep. Martha McSally has been named as the chairwoman of the Border and Maritime Security Subcommittee. McSally’s experience in Congress and her “firsthand experience on the border make her a natural fit to succeed in this vital role,” said the Homeland Security chairman, U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul. READ
Rep Coffman: Fixing the Veterans Administration
In a hearing last week, VA Secretary Robert McDonald said, “The VA can’t fire its way to excellence.” He’s wrong. He should start by holding people accountable and firing those responsible for the problems…Yet when McDonald was asked his opinion about a proposed bill that would allow VA to take back bonuses when fraud or any other criminal misconduct was committed, he responded that he would not support the legislation. In other words, McDonald does not even want the tools necessary to clean up the corruption in the VA. READ
Knight introduces bill to prevent any future mining in Soledad Canyon
Congressman Steve Knight, R-Palmdale, introduced a bill Friday that would withdraw the mineral rights in Soledad Canyon, effectively preventing Cemex or any other company from mining there in the future. “Preventing Cemex from breaking ground on this mine has been my top priority since before I took office,” said Knight, in a statement Friday. “We have strong momentum on this issue, and I am confident that this bill would grant consistency, safety, and peace of mind to the people of the Santa Clarita Valley.” READ
Donovan to head subcommittee on emergency preparedness
Rep. Daniel Donovan was named on Tuesday as the chairman of the House Emergency Preparedness, Response and Communications Subcommittee of the Homeland Security Committee. “I’m humbled by Chairman McCaul’s confidence in me,” Donovan said in a statement. “Staten Island and South Brooklyn have seen first-hand our government’s triumphs and failures in disaster prevention and response. Now, you’ll have a hometown voice leading the subcommittee responsible the work that’s so important to our community.” READ