Luján: “I am confident that we will win the majority in just 9 short days.”
In case you missed it, DCCC Chair Ben Ray Luján appeared opposite NRCC Chairman Steve Stivers on NBC’s Meet the Press and Fox News Sunday. Luján discussed the upcoming midterm elections, Democrats’ message and strategy to flip the House, and the role of Congress & national leaders in the face of this week’s deadly attack at a synagogue and thwarted terror attacks across the country.
See below for key quotes.
Fox News Sunday
Full interview video available here: https://video.foxnews.com/v/5854480963001/
Luján on this week’s violence & whether Democrats will make it part of our political campaigns:
“Look, no one should be politicizing what happened this week…These senseless acts of violence that we see in Pittsburgh, the number of people that were killed while they were at a place of worship, is a clear reason why Congress must act to keep people safe… We should come together as the country, this should not be a political response, but rather a response at how we can further bring us together.”
Luján on how Democrats will flip the House:
“…I am confident that Democrats will win back the House this year. We built our strategy around our candidates, incredible men and women with records of service, many who have served our country in the US military, former CIA officers…who have committed their lives to keeping our country safe. And they are connecting with the American people with those personal stories.
“I never said this would be easy, but we made a commitment to build a battlefield that leaves no stone unturned. And that’s why I am confident that we will win the majority in just 9 short days.”
Luján on why the GOP won’t get credit for any positive economic trends:
“All across America, hardworking, middle class families are still telling us that their wages and salaries are not keeping up with the cost of living. My Republican colleagues this year do not have a voting record to run on that has actually prioritized hardworking, middle class famililes. That’s number one.
“Number two, as you look at the data Chris with what you put on the board there, while I never look at any one poll, data is on our side, momentum is on our side, the energy is clear. Early voting is up all across America, and as long as people continue to turn up and vote, we will do well.
“The other thing is, we’re making sure that the American people know about the voting records of our Republican colleagues when it comes to healthcare. Voting to take away protections for people with pre-existing conditions and moving an agenda forward that would have actually slapped an age tax on people between the ages 50 to 64, and resulted in increasing premiums, deductibles and out of pocket costs for the American people.
“That’s what we are running on, and again an agenda focused on for the people, and our candidates.”
Luján on the degree to which this election is about Trump:
“Look Chris, I think all across the country our candidates are not really talking about this president much. There’s no one that’s going to talk more about Donald Trump than Donald Trump.
“Which gives our Democratic candidates the opportunity to connect with their personal stories and talk about an agenda that is built around “For the People,” and how we are going to be able to help lower Prescription drug prices, lower healthcare cost, move a strong infrastructure package and clean up Washington D.C. with all the corruption.
“Our candidates are doing well, and it’s because of our candidates that Democrats will win the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives.”
NBC’s Meet The Press
Full interview video available here: https://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/video/full-interview-joint-congressional-chairs-we-can-come-together-1355200067605?v=railb&cid=sm_npd_nn_tw_mtp
Luján on the deadly attacks in a Pittsburgh synogogue:
“…Look, another senseless act of hate has stricken yet another community and a place of worship in the United States of America. And the Congress has a responsibility to act to keep people safe.
And it’s not too much to expect leaders to bring us together, to unite our country, to find a way to reach out to us to our greater good and make sure that we rise above all of the accusations and the hate and the finger pointing, Chuck. So I am certainly hopeful that we’ll see that out of the leader of the free world and that we’ll see that out of each and every one of us individually as well as our colleagues.”
Luján on what “coming together” looks like in Congress:
“Well, look, it’s making sure that we’re able to reach across the aisle and we can work in a bipartisan basis. What Democrats have been clear about is if we’re fortunate to win back the House, which I believe we will, that we work immediately on lowering prescription drug prices for the American people. That we work on a bipartisan infrastructure package to make investments across the country. And that we work together to clean up Washington D.C., to find ways to overturn Citizens United, to address gerrymandering, to improve and increased transparency and disclosure across the government to restore faith in our political process. Those are all areas where we can work together and reach across the aisle and find some common ground.
Chuck Todd calls out the NRCC for running ads villainizing Jewish billionaire George Soros:
CHUCK TODD: Why do you target George Soros?
REP. STEVE STIVERS: Well, you know, our independent expenditure arm is independent. But, you know, that ad is factual. And, you know, it also has nothing to do with calling for violence. That ad is a factual ad.
Luján on whether campaigns are inadvertently putting private citizens in the cross-hairs:
“ Well, look, Steve, I think on all sides we need to evaluate how people are being targeted. Even this morning Kevin McCarthy pulled down a tweet where he was targeting George Soros as well as Tom Steyer and a few other leaders like Mr. Bloomberg across the country.
I think that both committees should begin to look at how they operate into the future and what’s going on even during the rest of this election cycle. But, look, we built a strategy at the DCCC surrounding our candidates talking about their personal stories and records of service. Men and women who have served the United States in the military, C.I.A. officers, F.B.I. agents. People who have committed them — their selves to keeping our country safe. And we’re going to continue to run ads that are touting — their positive stories where our candidates are connecting with the American people.”
Luján on the NRCC’s racist ads in NY-19, OH-01 & CA-50:
“Steve, you’ve also been running racist ads in New York, in Cincinnati, Ohio and out in California. You can do something to pull those down. And I just think on all sides that everyone should monitor the tone here. Again, no more finger pointing, Steve.”