Washington Republicans had a holiday season filled with retirements, weak fundraising, and new members getting caught in outright lies. But their allies in drug manufacturing made out ok.
Here are four of the stories House Republicans hoped you missed over the break.
The DCCC outraised NRCC by $2.3 million in November – despite Republicans boasting about an impeachment fundraising bump
That means the DCCC has outraised the NRCC for 11 straight months of 2018 and have an $18 million cash on hand advantage.
Jeff Van Drew lied to reporters about his party switch
While trying to change his stripes, Van Drew made committee assignments a condition of his switch in a deal he cut with Minority Leader McCarthy, then begged his Democratic staffers not to quit. That directly contradicts what he told reporters.
What Van Drew told Politico:
“Rep. Jeff Van Drew (D-N.J.) said Tuesday that staffers who resigned from his office following news that he was about to switch to the GOP were told by nameless officials to quit or be blackballed from future opportunities in the Democratic Party…He said he would announce his intentions soon and he was given “no commitments” for committee assignments or other benefits to induce him to switch sides.”
Here’s what sources told the Washington Post:
“According to two former Van Drew staffers who spoke on the condition of anonymity to avoid retribution, Chief of Staff Allison Murphy told them Van Drew would continue voting for Democratic legislation. The only difference, Murphy said in those conversations, according to the ex-aides, would be that Republican leaders would place him on better committees — suggesting that Van Drew had made those assignments a condition of his switch. The assurances came as part of an effort by Murphy to keep the aides on the congressman’s staff.”
And after the NRCC spent months blasting Van Drew as a “socialist,” Van Drew made his first act as a Washington Republican pledging his “undying support” to Trump. Life sure does come at you fast.
The House Republican retirement crisis got so much worse
Republicans are retiring so quickly, the House Casualty List can’t even catch up.
Rep. Phil Roe is the first retirement of the new year. And he likely won’t be the last.
Roe brings the historic number of House Republican retirements to 26. And even Leader McCarthy is comparing the number of retirements to the 2018 cycle…when Republicans lost 40 seats (and the House Majority).
Roe was set to be a committee chair if Republicans take back the House, so we’re ABSOLUTELY SURE his retirement stems from committee chair term limits. His retirement is yet another signal that Republicans are giving up on the possibility of winning the chamber.
As drug manufacturers raise prices on 400+ drugs, House Republicans are raking in lots and lots cash for doing special interests’ bidding
Minority Leader McCarthy and the NRCC lead all of Washington in donations from the drug executives highlighted by Bloomberg Gov – outdone only by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell… the man blocking House Democrats’ bipartisan legislation to lower drug costs.
That’s bad news for Republicans given that voters already put much more faith in Democrats to lower drug prices.