House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) is set to unveil his four-pillared “Commitment to America” agenda that will be the core of the GOP message and strategy heading into the 2022 midterm elections.
Announced earlier in the year, McCarthy’s “Commitment to America” will be officially unveiled on September 19 in Pittsburgh. The vision is similar to House Republicans’ 1994 “Contract with America,” where the GOP saw massive gains in Congress in the midterm election during former President Bill Clinton’s first term.
McCarthy’s agenda has four focal points: “an economy that’s strong,” “a nation that’s safe,” “a future that’s free,” and “a government that’s accountable.” The “Commitment to America” is a result of collaboration from all GOP House members, not just Republican leadership.
“I’ve had a piece of putting this together. You’ll have everybody from the most conservative district to the most swingiest district all pushing the same thing. So that should fire everybody up,” Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-NY) told Axios.
The agenda represents “what we want to get done in the first hundred days” and hopes to show voters that “we’re planning now so we can hit the ground running on January 3,” Garbarino said.
Under the “Commitment to America’s” economic pillar, House Republicans plan to combat record-high inflation levels, regain America’s energy independence, and strengthen our nation’s supply chain.
Specifically, House Republicans would end President Joe Biden’s radical “Build Back Better” agenda, increase production of American-made energy, and end the country’s dependence on the Chinese supply chain.
Under “A nation that’s safe,” McCarthy calls for securing the southern border, reducing crime and fentanyl influx, and defending our national security. On border security, House Republicans would, among other things, finish building the wall, reinstitute former President Donald Trump’s Remain in Mexico policy, and restrict welfare benefits that incentive illegal immigration.
The plan also promises to “permanently criminalize fentanyl analogues,” make violent crime against law enforcement a federal offense, and fully fund hiring bonuses to recruit more police officers.
The agenda also calls for “a hold on federal funds for local prosecutors and woke district attorneys who refuse to prosecute crimes.”
On national security, House Republicans plan to hold the Biden administration accountable for its “catastrophic” withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Under “A future that’s free,” House Republicans plan to pass the Parents’ Bill of Rights to increase transparency in school classrooms, modernize and personalize health care, and end Section 230 to confront big tech and protect free speech online.
The “Commitment to America’s” accountability pillar promises House Republicans would “use all tools at our disposal to pursue the truth, root out corruption and abuse of power, and provide transparency to the American people on the issues that matter most.”
Further, House Republicans would protect constitutional freedoms like free speech, religion, the Second Amendment, and the right to life. The agenda also addresses election integrity by promising to ensure “voter ID, accurate voter rolls, and observer access.”
As part of the “Commitment to America,” McCarthy is encouraging Republican members of Congress to go into their districts and hold conversations about the four-part agenda with their constituents.
McCarthy’s midterm approach is vastly different than that of Republican Senate Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY). Instead of providing voters with a pro-Republican agenda, McConnell would rather see GOP candidates run on an explicit anti-Biden and anti-Democrat platform.
For example, McConnell spoke out against Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) when he published his “11-Point Plan to Rescue America” earlier in the year.
However, some Republican members of Congress believe McConnell’s anti-Biden strategy is not enough to court voters.
“If you’re just running on anti-Biden, well, that’s not going to get you over the finish line,” Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE) told Axios.
“I have a different view. I don’t think majorities are given, I think they are earned,” McCarthy told Breitbart News. “I think you also should be very truthful to the American public about what would you do with that majority. It’s not just being in the majority for the sake of being in the majority. You’re being in the majority to make America better.”
Jordan Dixon-Hamilton is a reporter for Breitbart News. Write to him at jdixonhamilton@breitbart.com or follow him on Twitter.
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