The GOPAC Newsletter

News of Interest

WG Economy

Washington Races To Get Up To Speed On AI

WG Economy | David Winston

June 14, 2023

Artificial intelligence is the hot topic these days and starting to get
lawmakers' attention. Following up on ChatGPT founder Sam Altman's
testimony in May, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is hosting three
educational sessions for Senators on AI, with this week's first
Senators-only session featuring an MIT professor. A bipartisan "dear
colleague" letter announcing the sessions stated that "the Senate must
deepen our expertise in this pressing topic... We must take the time to
learn from the leading minds in IA, across sectors, and consider both the
benefits and risks of this technology." With a market cap expected to
increase twenty-fold by 2030, it is no wonder that companies want to get in
on AI, and lawmakers are quickly trying to get up to speed as there are
increasing calls for regulation.

[1]WG Economy, June 14, 2023.pdf

Republicans Get a Surprise Win

Newsweek | Nick Reynolds

June 14, 2023

Republicans were celebrating a surprise win in a special election for a
coastal Maine statehouse seat on Tuesday night, after wresting control from
Democrats in the traditionally blue-leaning district.

Abden Simmons, a fisherman, defeated former Democratic State Rep. Wendy
Pieh by nearly five points in a special election for Maine House District
45, handing Republicans their first win in the region in years.

The victory is inconsequential in Republican efforts to regain control fo
the purplish state. Democrats currently enjoy a 14-seat majority in the
Maine House of Representatives, while the party also maintains control of
both the governor's mansion and the state senate. However, the win
represents something of a spiritual victory for Maine Republicans in a
district that has long favored Democrats. [2]Read more

Republicans face tough bid to oust Baldwin

in Wisconsin Senate race

The Hill | Al Weaver and Julia Manchester

June 14, 2023

Republicans are facing an uphill climb in the Wisconsin Senate race after
Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.) decided against a bid next year, hurting their
chances to unseat Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.).

Gallagher was considered a top Republican pick to challenge the incumbent
Baldwin, who is seeking a third term next year, and his decision not to run
has some in the party worried about their prospects in what is expected to
be a tough election.

Despite the state becoming more of a battleground state in recent years,
Baldwin has been an extraordinarily tough opponent for the GOP, having won
reelection by more than 10 points only two years after former President
Trump carried the state. [3]Read more

Stove wars: Republican-controlled House takes up bills to protect gas
stoves

WANE | Matthew Daly, Associated Press

June 14, 2023

Venturing back into the nation's culture wars, the Republican-controlled
House is taking up legislation that GOP lawmakers say would protect gas
stoves from overzealous government regulators.

A bill approved Tuesday would prohibit use of federal funds to regulate gas
stoves as a hazardous product, while a separate bill set for a vote
Wednesday would block an Energy Department rule setting stricter energy
efficiency standards for stovetops and ovens.

Both bills were set for approval last week, but action was postponed after
House conservatives staged a mini-revolt in retaliation for Speaker Kevin
McCarthy's leadership on a measure to raise the debt ceiling. Led by
outspoken members of the House Freedom Caucus, 11 Republicans broke with
their party on an otherwise routine procedural vote that threw the House
schedule into disarray for a full week. [4]Read more

Few Americans know Sen. Tim Scott, but some Democrats see him as a tough
general election opponent

Donald Trump still leads the Republican field in the polls, but Democrats
are eyeing the rest of the candidates.

NBC News | Peter Nicholas and Alex Seitz-Wald

June 13, 2023

Much of the country has never heard of Tim Scot, the junior senator from
South Carolina and a presidential candidate who, at this point, is a long
shot for the Republican nomination.

But Democratic strategists know Scott - and some worry he might pose a real
threat to beat President Joe Biden in a general election if he makes it
that far.

Former President Donald Trump leads - by large margins - in every
Republican primary poll, but Democrats watching him appear in another
courtroom are handicapping the prospects of the rest of the field.

Democrats worry that as a Black man, Scott, who was elected to the Senate
in 2012, would peel away voters who are crucial to Biden's re-election.
That, at age 57, Scott's mere presence on the debate stage would call
attention to the inconvenient fact that Biden is the oldest president ever.
And that with an upbeat message, Scott might appeal to an electorate
disenchanted with the sour state of American politics. [5]Read more

As Republican 2024 primary ramps up, experts say Iowa has 'never been more
important'

Trump could seal his momentum -- or be bested by a challenger like DeSantis

ABC News | Tal Axelrod

June 13, 2023

The packed and growing GOP primary field is filled with big names, like
former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. But to Iowa
voter Kim Schmitt, the race feels wide open.

"There's a lot of good people out there. We could talk all day about what
we have now -- like, 11 people running?" she said at former Vice President
Mike Pence's campaign launch in Des Moines last week. "That's why we have
the caucuses, so we can meet and hear each person, and Iowa will have that
a few times, to meet and hear each candidate generally."

Other Iowans echoed similar openness to ABC News in recent days,
underscoring how the state's crucial nominating contest early next year --
and the press-the-flesh campaigning style Iowans expect and encourage --
could loom even larger than in cycles past. Political observers said
virtually every GOP candidate has much to gain or lose. [6]Read more

Michigan GOP to change 2024 nomination

process, may boost Trump

Reuters | Nathan Layne

June 10, 2023

Republicans in Michigan approved a proposal on Saturday to select more than
two-thirds of their state delegates for the party's 2024 presidential
nomination via caucus meetings, a change that could help party front-runner
Donald Trump.

The plan, which Michigan's Republican state committee approved during a
meeting in Grand Rapids, would mark a departure from the battleground state
party's traditional process of allocating all presidential delegates based
on a primary open to the public.

The change would be significant because 70% of delegates would be decided
at caucus meetings, where the party's most active members will likely exert
the most sway. That could serve as an advantage for Trump given his
popularity among political party officials, some Republicans and political
experts said. [7]Read more

WG Discussion Points

What's Next After The Debt Ceiling?

WG Discussion Points | David Winston

June 9, 2023

Now that the debt ceiling has been resolved, there are questions about
what's next on the economic agenda. Through the agreement, Republicans made
progress on fiscal responsibility and are looking for more ways to rein in
government spending. Based on what we heard during the debt ceiling debate,
Democrats have moved quickly into a fight over the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs
Act (TCJA) and defining the bill as a driver of the debt. If Republicans
thought they had until 2025 to start defending their signature tax bill,
they should think again.

[8]WG Discussion Points, June 9, 2023.pdf[9]

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