TRUMP BUDGET—LIKE REPUBLICANS’ RECORDS—CUTS MEDICARE, SOCIAL SECURITY. A new White House budget proposal includes significant cuts to key benefits including Medicare, Medicaid, children’s health insurance, Social Security’s disability benefits, nutrition assistance, and more. After voting for a corporate tax giveaway that threatens to add $2 trillion to the deficit over the next decades, vulnerable Republicans are doing everything in their power — even if it means refusing to hold a Senate hearing — to avoid talking about this “damaging” proposal.
ERNST CALLED THESE PROGRAMS “OUT-OF-CONTROL” SPENDING. Senator Joni Ermst was caught on tape – again – targeting funds for Medicare, Social Security and Medicaid as “out-of-control” even after her vote for the deficit-busting corporate tax giveaway. She also admitted “all” her Republican colleagues agree with her. Listen here.
GOP SENATORS SILENT AS PRESIDENT RAIDS BILLIONS FROM MILITARY PROJECTS, NATIONAL GUARD (AGAIN). Vulnerable Republican incumbents have yet to speak out after the Trump administration announced yesterday that it will be raiding nearly $4 billion in defense funding, from funds “intended to build fighter jets, ships, vehicles and National Guard equipment.” After the past diversion of military funding, Senators Thom Tillis, Cory Gardner, Martha McSally, Joni Ernst, David Perdue, John Cornyn, Lindsey Graham, and Mitch McConnell all voted to uphold the president’s national emergency declaration to divert military project funding, including millions from projects in many of their own states.
SENATOR COLLINS’ “INDEFENSIBLE” EXCUSE CONTINUES TO BACKFIRE. We’ve all heard it by now: Senator Collins “indefensible” excuse for acquitting Trump. Now, even as Trump has said and shown he hasn’t learned any lessons and is more emboldened to do whatever he wants, Senator Collins is refusing to explain what she meant. Watch:
“NASTY” GOP BATTLE HEATS UP IN GEORGIA, THREATENING BOTH SENATE SEATS. Republican efforts to hold onto the Georgia Senate seat had another series of setbacks this week. First, a front-page story on Temporary Senator Kelly Loeffler’s “super-swampy” ethical conflicts, then a series of brutal reports detailing the “raging intraparty fight” that is turning the state into one of Republicans’ “biggest vulnerabilities” in 2020. Now, as fears grow that an ugly special election could “undercut his ability to secure an outright win” too.
JOHN JAMES’ DISAPPEARING ACT. After months of ducking questions from Michigan reporters, there’s only one question on Michigan’s mind: “Where in the hell is John James?” Tuesday marked the 250th day (and counting) that James has not spoken with a local Michigan TV station. People are noticing James’ absence from the Michigan airwaves, and his presence at “out-of-state fundraisers with President Trump and Mitch McConnell.”
MJ HEGAR LAUNCHES FIRST AD IN TEXAS. MJ Hegar launched her first TV ad, highlighting her experience of a combat helicopter pilot who will stand up for Texas values, including ending family separation, taking aggressive action to address climate change, and fighting for quality affordable health care. Watch it here:
IN THE STATES
AL – Birmingham Times: Sen. Doug Jones On How He Plans to Win Alabama Again
CO – Colorado Public Radio: Trump Campaign To Co-Host Fundraiser With Cory Gardner Ahead Of Colorado Springs Rally
CO – Colorado Politics: Carpenters union endorses Democrat John Hickenlooper in Colorado’s US Senate race
CO – Denver Post: National abortion rights group NARAL backs Hickenlooper for U.S. Senate
KY – DSCC Endorses Amy Mcgrath In Kentucky Senate Race.
MI – Detroit News: DeVos family pumps $800,000 into super PAC targeting Peters
NC – Charlotte Observer: Our endorsement for the U.S. Senate Democratic primary in North Carolina
NC – Charlotte Observer: Democratic Senate candidates denounce ‘meddling’ by group they say is tied to GOP
TX – Texas Tribune: MJ Hegar says her military experience makes her the fighter Democrats need to take on John Cornyn
TX – Austin American-Statesman: Endorsement: Hegar in Dem primary for U.S. Senate
TWEET OF THE WEEK
Lauren Passalacqua
Stewart Boss
Helen Kalla
Izzi Levy
Regina Anderson
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