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Republicans are hoping a new agenda, to be enacted should they take control of Congress in November, will motivate the party faithful and independents to actually vote. “Commitment to America,” a multi-point plan of action, was recently released by Hosue Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.)
The platform was developed through a nationwide town hall-style process, with input from Republicans nationwide, including party leaders at the highest levels to everyday voters. The plan took over a year to develop and was modeled after Newt Gingrich’s “Contract with America” which brought Republicans to power in 1994 for the first time in 50 years.
“Commitment to America” includes four categories—“An Economy That’s Strong,” “A Nation That’s Safe,” “A Future That’s Built on Freedom,” and “A Government That’s Accountable.”
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It features policies to protect unborn life and support for women choosing to keep their babies, reduce crime, curb inflation, secure the U.S.–Mexico border and minimize illegal immigration, and ensure that only biological women are able to participate in women’s sports, among other objectives. A “Parents’ Bill of Rights” in the plan is important “because you will have a say in your kids’ education,” McCarthy said.
The first piece of legislation to reach the House floor would “repeal 87,000 IRS agents,” he said to an approving audience, alluding to one of the measures in the Inflation Reduction Act that Biden signed in August.
The “Commitment to America” is designed to be a blueprint for governing in 2023. Although Democrats currently have a majority in the House, Republicans feel confident that they’ll regain control of the chamber when midterm election results are announced on Nov. 8.
Elections are being held for every seat in the House. At least 212 districts lean Republican while 192 favor Democrats, the Cook Political Report announced on Sept. 21. The organization rates 31 districts as toss-ups. But some analysts are saying Democrats will see a much larger defeat. Republicans, say pollsters, typically turn out 5 points ahead of where they poll which could swing an additional 30 seats in their direction.
“Democrats control Washington. They control the House, the Senate, and the White House, and they control the committees and the agencies,” McCarthy said. “They have no plan to fix all the problems they created, so you know what, we’ve created a ‘Commitment to America.’
“We want an economy that is strong. That means you can fill up your tank. You can buy the groceries. You have enough money left over to go to Disneyland and save for a future—that the paychecks grow, they no longer shrink.
“We have a plan for a nation that’s safe. That means your community will be protected. Your law enforcement will be respected. Your criminals will be prosecuted. We believe in a future that’s built on freedom—that your children come first.”
McCarthy, Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.), House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), and Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) promised strict oversight into China’s role in the COVID-19 pandemic, COVID-19 vaccinations, the illegal immigration crisis, and the flood of fentanyl into the United States.
“That’s the essence of this campaign. That’s the essence of our ‘Commitment to America.’ It’s about fixing those issues and protecting your freedom,” says Jim Jordan (R-Ohio).
Democrats responded with a phrase coined by President Joe Biden and often repeated in the media –extreme MAGA.
In a Twitter post, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-Calif.) spokesman Henry Connelly bashed McCarthy’s blueprint for “doubling down on an extreme MAGA agenda.”
Before the plan can be implemented, Republicans must win in November—a feat that Jordan believes will happen.
“From my background in sports, I learned a long time ago that you should never be overconfident. Yet it’s important to confidently campaign with a message that says what we will do if we win,” he says. “We’ll see on Nov. 8, but I believe we’re going to win, and then we’ll start delivering on our commitment.”
–Wire services
