“In the midst of a global pandemic and economic crisis, the last thing Coloradans need is Trump Republican Steve House pursuing a reckless Trump agenda in Washington. As a former Army Ranger, Representative Jason Crow has always run toward the toughest fights. In Congress, Jason has brought his service-minded approach to advocating for his community every day on issues like bringing down the cost of health care, rooting out political corruption, preventing gun violence and standing up for our national security. While Steve House promotes tired and failed Trumpism, Jason Crow represents a refreshing new generation of leadership.” – DCCC Chairwoman Cheri Bustos
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To: Interested Parties
From: Brooke Goren, DCCC Regional Press Secretary
Date: June 30, 2020
Subject: The Case Against Steve House
Tonight’s primary results in Colorado’s 6th Congressional District set up a race between former Army Ranger Jason Crow’s commitment to serving Coloradans and Trump-loving Republican Steve House’s brand of partisan politics.
Struggling to generate grassroots enthusiasm, House has been forced to pour nearly a hundred thousand dollars of his personal money into his own campaign. And one look at his policy positions shows why.
Despite running to represent a district Donald Trump lost by nearly 10 points in 2016, House has gone all-in on embracing Donald Trump and his reckless agenda. With coronavirus health concerns top of mind for voters and more than half a million Coloradans out of work, House is running on doing away with the entire Affordable Care Act – including protections for 355,900 people in CO-06 with pre-existing conditions.
While House is busy using his campaign to prove his loyalty to the increasingly unpopular leader of his party, Representative Jason Crow has shown time and again that he will always put service to his country and his constituents first. A breakout star in his freshman class, the former Army Ranger kept his promise to hold President Trump accountable, protected our national security, preserved the rule of law, and served honorably as an impeachment manager. All while showing up for his community with over a dozen town halls, remarkable casework, and his “Lead Locally” initiative to address the issues facing cities and towns in the 6th District.
With his strong fundraising support and a proven track record of fighting for Coloradans, Rep. Crow has kept his promises done the work to put himself in an ideal position to be re-elected this November.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING
HEADLINE: Colorado Congressman Jason Crow Introduces Bill To Help Small Businesses Survive During Coronavirus [CBS Denver, 3/19/20]
HEADLINE: Rep. Jason Crow Fights Rising Prescription Costs With ‘Freedom From Price Gouging Act’ [CBS Denver, 10/25/19]
HEADLINE: Crow casework returns over $1 million to constituents [Colorado Politics, 12/12/19]
HEADLINE: Colorado candidate [Steve House] campaigns with doctor who shared coronavirus conspiracy theories [Denver Post, 4/7/20]
“House is interested in a job in Donald Trump’s administration” [Denver Post, 1/23/17]
HEADLINE: Jason Crow, a surprise pick for impeachment prosecutor, brings a soldier’s-eye view [Denver Post, 1/31/20]
“U.S. Rep. Jason Crow raised $440,000 for the final quarter of 2019, bolstering the freshman Democrat’s massive war chest… Crow, who isn’t accepting contributions from corporate political action committees, ended the year with $1.4 million in the bank after raising just over $1.8 million for the cycle…” [Colorado Politics, 1/14/20]
Steve House: A Trump Republican Threatening Coloradans’ Health Care
A RUBBER-STAMP RUNNING TO HELP DONALD TRUMP, NOT COLORADANS
As chairman of the Colorado Republican Party in 2016, Steve House did what the majority of voters in the 6th district refused to do – he threw his support behind then-candidate Donald Trump. Following the election, House praised Trump’s record, claiming that he had “been fulfilling the promises he made to the American people at a record-setting pace,” and even going so far as to seek a position in the Trump Administration.
While House has not shied away from his support of the President on the campaign trail, even touting the endorsement of Students for Trump, Rep. Crow has shown that he is unafraid of holding the President accountable — regardless of the political implications.
HOUSE WOULD BE A DISASTER FOR COLORADANS’ HEALTH CARE
As the country faces an unprecedented public health crisis, quality, affordable health care remains top of mind for voters – and Steve House’s out-of-touch record poses a serious liability to his already struggling campaign.
Despite the Affordable Care Act’s higher-than-ever popularity, House is running on his support for doing away with the entire law, a move that would end protections for 355,900 people in CO-06 with pre-existing conditions, leave millions of Americans without access to critical services, and raise prescription drug costs.
To make things worse, House made headlines when he campaigned with a doctor known for spreading conspiracy theories about the coronavirus. In April, House organized a virtual event with Dr. Colleen “Kelly” Victory, who referred to the virus as “a Democratic plot to steal the 2020 election” and criticized Dr. Anthony Fauci, even calling him an “idiot” who should be criminally prosecuted.
In contrast with House’s fringe views, Representative Jason Crow has made lowering health care costs a key piece of his work in Congress. Crow passed legislation through the House that would cap prescription drug costs and prevent drug companies from price gouging patients. And after promising on the campaign trail that he would protect people with pre-existing conditions, Crow voted to do just that during his first year in Congress.
A RECORD TAINTED BY SCANDAL
The last time Coloradans trusted Steve House with a leadership position, he let them down. In 2016, House made national headlines for his feud with other prominent Republicans while serving as state party chair. As the Washington Post wrote at the time, House was nearly ousted from his position over poor bookkeeping habits and his communication style. During these unprecedented times, Coloradans are looking for stable leadership.
PATH TO VICTORY
Colorado’s 6th Congressional District is a well-educated, suburban district that has trended heavily toward Democrats in the age of Donald Trump. Obama won it twice, Clinton outperformed Obama in 2016, and former Army Ranger Jason Crow won it by nearly 12 points in 2018. It’s also a diverse district that is nearly 14% Hispanic, 9% African-American, and 5% Asian-American and Pacific Islander.
As rejected Congressman Mike Coffman learned the hard way in 2018, President Trump has made the Republican brand toxic in this district. With neither Coffman’s name identification nor financial advantage, House will be hard-pressed to outrun his ties to the increasingly unpopular President.
With nearly $2 million – and not a dime of corporate PAC money – in the bank and a record of standing up for Coloradans on the issues that matter most to them, Congressman Jason Crow is in a strong position for re-election this November.
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