The GOPAC Newsletter

News of Interest

Top Republicans question McCarthy over release of January 6 footage as
speaker vows deliberate approach

CNN Politics | Melanie Zanona, Manu Raju, & Alayna Treene

February 28, 2023

Speaker Kevin McCarthy faced questions from his leadership team Monday
night over his plans to publicly release security footage from January 6,
2021, multiple sources told CNN - a progress that he said could take some
time to disseminate widely even as Fox News host Tucker Carlson has had an
early glimpse.

While GOP leaders are supportive of the move to release the footage - which
was one of the many concessions McCarthy made in his bid to become speaker
- some lawmakers in the closed-door leadership meeting asked whether
sensitive security protocols or certain evacuation routes would be exposed
by taking that step.

Others questioned how long the footage is going to be dragged out in the
press, with some lawmakers concerned about the optics of appearing to try
to downplay a deadly insurrection in the US Capitol. [1]Read more

Democrats push to end security exemption on Capitol Hill as Republicans
demand the right to carry guns

House Democrats are calling on President Joe Biden to name a new architect
of the Capitol who will force members of Congress to go through security
screenings.

NBC News | Ryan Nobles & Haley Talbot

February 28, 2023

Staff Sgt. Aquilino Gonell recently retired from the U.S. Capitol Police
after he was injured in the Jan. 6 attack. But he remains worried about
one, seemingly small, security gap on Capitol Hill that could lead to a big
problem.

Members of Congress and, often, the people they enter the Capitol with are
not screened by security when they enter the Capitol complex.

"Oh, it is disturbing," Gonell said. "The protocol is for them to pass
around security."

Staff members of the House Administration Committee confirmed that members
and their guests are not required to be screened. Capitol Police declined
to comment. [2]Read more

Biden to warn Republicans are endangering Obamacare and Medicaid

The Washington Post| John Wagner & Mariana Alfaro

February 28, 2023

Today, during a trip to Virginia Beach, President Biden plans a pivot in
his attack on House Republicans as they remain in a standoff over raising
the debt ceiling. Biden will argue that spending cuts demanded by
Republicans in exchange for raising the limit would do severe damage to the
Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, and Medicaid - two programs
that Democrats have used to significantly expand health-care coverage. The
new focus follows weeks of arguing that Republicans are jeopardizing Social
Security and Medicare, a pair of popular entitlement programs.

In Washington, the Supreme Court is hearing oral arguments in a pair of
challenges to Biden's student debt forgiveness program. A House committee
will hold a prime-time hearing on China. And voters are going to the polls
in Chicago to select a mayor. [3]Read more

Thompson won't seek re-election after party switch

87-year-old lawmaker decides against seeking another four-year term

New Jersey Globe| David Wildstein

February 27, 2023

Just two weeks after announcing that he was switching parties and running
for re-election as a Democrat, State Sen. Sam Thompson (R-Old Bridge) has
changed his mind and will instead retire at the end of his term and not be
a candidate for re-election in 2023.

"I have decided I'm not going to run for re-election," Thompson told the
New Jersey Globe. My priority should be my wife. She's 91, and she's had
two falls in the last year and has trouble getting around. We are
celebrating our 66th anniversary on Thursday. I owe her my full attention."

The 87-year-old Middlesex County lawmaker changed his party affiliation
after Republicans asked him to retire and signaled that they planned to
replace him on their ticket with Owen Henry, the three-term mayor of Old
Bridge. [4]Read more

Democrats launch new campaign to tie vulnerable New York Republicans to
George Santos

CNN | Melanie Zanona

February 27, 2023

The House Democrats' campaign arm is launching a new effort to link
vulnerable New York republicans to Rep. George Santos, with Democrats
betting that the freshman congressman will be a major liability for the GOP
in key swing districts next year.

Beginning on Monday, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is
rolling out a five-figure billboard campaign targeting five freshman
Republicans who took donations from Santos: New York Reps. Nick LaLota,
Anthony D'Esposito, Mike Lawler, Marc Molinaro, and Brandon Williams, all
of whom helped Republicans win a narrow majority last fall by winning seats
that President Joe Biden had carried.

Molinaro and D'Esposito both returned the money from Santos after a number
of his financial issues came to light, but the billboards in their
districts ask why the lawmakers took campaign cash from "a fraudster" in
the first place. The other three billboards, which feature a picture of
Snatos and the lawmaker, ask whether the members will return the campaign
donations. [5]Read more

Republican Party of Virginia announces Stephen Imholt as nominee for 9th
Senate District seat

ABC8 News| Delaney Murray

February 26, 2023

The Republican Party of Virginia has officially named their nominee who
will run for the vacant seat in the Virginia 9th Senate District after a
Party Canvass.

On Friday, Feb. 26, the Republican Party of Virginia held a Party Canvass
to select the Republican nominee to fill the vacant seat in the Virginia
9th Senate District. This seat was recently vacated by Congresswoman-Elect
Jennifer McClellan after she was elected to serve in the United States
Congress. [6]Read more

WG Discussion Points

Republicans Must Heed 2022 Lessons To Win In 2024

WG Discussion Points | David Winston

February 24, 2023

With the last election in the rearview mirror, Republicans are turning
their sights to 2024 as presidential candidates are firing up campaigns and
traveling to primary states. For Republicans to be successful in 2024, they
need to take a serious look at missed opportunities in the 2022 election,
as the difficulties are not going to be solved by tactics nor by any
individual candidate at the top of the ticket. As we've been highlighting
in our 2022 post-election report, the biggest problem area for Republicans
was independents who voted for Democrats by 2, undercutting a 3-point
Republican party ID advantage and hopes for a Red Wave. [7]Read more

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