NRCC Weekly Rundown: GOP Stands Up for Vets, Dems Silent on Gitmo, and One Year Out

Here’s your latest NRCC Weekly Rundown:

House Republicans Fighting for Veterans

As we recognized the brave men and women who have served this country on Veterans Day this week, House Republicans have taken steps to make sure that our veterans are taken care of and receiving the care and resources they so rightfully deserve for their sacrifice.

• Congressman Ryan Costello (PA-06) penned an op-ed highlighting his Veteran Engagement Act. Introduced along with Republican Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick (PA-08), the bill is aimed at “rebuilding of the relationship between VA and the veterans it assists” and “foster[ing] a better culture within the VA regional offices.”
• The Glens Falls Post-Star recognized Congresswoman Elise Stefanik’s (NY-21) work on behalf of our vets since entering Congress, including tracking down hundreds of thousands of dollars in veterans benefits to her constituents. Her Support Our Military Caregivers Act also helps family members caring for wounded veterans.
• Congressman Rodney Davis (IL-13) stood up for veterans by speaking out about the long wait times at VA hospitals.
• After the VA St. Louis Health Care System went more than two years without a permanent director, and with many cases like this across the country, Congressman Mike Bost (IL-12) introduced legislation to fill longstanding vacancies at the VA. The bill requires the Secretary Robert McDonald to pinpoint problems and submit a plan for filling these roles in the next four months.

NRCC Launches New Digital Ad Highlighting Brad Ashford’s Support for Sanctuary Cities

Democratic Congressman Brad Ashford (NE-02) is much too far to the left for Omaha, as evidenced by his repeated backing of President Obama’s and Nancy Pelosi’s agenda in his first year. A new digital ad by the NRCC highlights one of the latest examples: Ashford’s in support of sanctuary cities, which are cities that actively do not follow immigration laws and provide a safe haven for immigrants in the country illegally who have committed other dangerous crimes.

The ad can be viewed here.

“One Year Out” Memo Signals House GOP Going on Offense in 2016

Earlier this week, a memo from NRCC Executive Director Rob Simms looked ahead to Election Day next year and says the “historic Republican majority is in a strong position going into 2016.”

The memo lists that Republican incumbents like Martha McSally (AZ-02), Mike Bost (IL-12), Tim Walberg (MI-07), Elise Stefanik (NY-21), John Katko (NY-24), and Barbara Comstock (VA-10) as being “well positioned” for reelection with strong polling and approval numbers. Meanwhile, the NRCC is going on offense in open Democrat-held seats in AZ-01, FL-02, and FL-18, as vulnerable Democrats like Rick Nolan (MN-08) and Brad Ashford (NE-02) are on notice.

To read the whole memo, click here.

Democrats Failing to Speak Out on GITMO

As President Obama threatens to close Guantanamo Bay through executive action and risk Americans’ safety by transferring detainees to U.S. soil, it is as important as ever for voters to know where candidates stand on this vital national-security issue. That’s why the lack of clear answers from Congressman Scott Peters (CA-52) and Democratic candidate Morgan Carroll (CO-06) are giving voters in their respective districts plenty to be concerned about.

Peters, who represents the San Diego area, has voted in support of closing GITMO multiple times. When the Department of Defense listed nearby Miramar, Calif., which is in his district, as a possible relocation site for prisoners earlier this year, Peters stood idly by. As the San Diego City Council prepared a resolution condemning the potential prisoner transfer to their backyard, Peters said nothing. Yet, only now as the possibility of Guantanamo detainees in southern California becomes a conceivable reality and rightfully unnerves his constituents, Peter decided to speak out and quickly drafted a letter to the president. CA-52 voters want a representative that stands up for their interests, not one who waits until it may be too late.

Carroll has also instilled little confidence in Colorado voters on this issue as well. The Centennial State has been listed as another possible site for GITMO detainees, and Carroll has repeatedly demonstrated that she’s not willing to answer the tough questions on where she stands. In one interview earlier this month, she gave a “rather succinct” response to the question of relocating prisoners and failed to reassure residents. Then, this week, she stonewalled further questions at a town hall. Forty-one Colorado sheriffs have already sent a letter to the president demanding prisoners not be sent to their state. Why won’t Carroll do the same?

Is Lon Johnson Lying on His Financial Disclosure Statement?

Democratic candidate in MI-01 Lon Johnson has some explaining to do over apparent discrepancies on his financial disclosure statement.

The gist of it is that Johnson omitted a property in Kalkaska, Mich., which is in MI-01, on his financial disclosure form. (For the record, he does include his properties in Washington, D.C., Royal Oak, Mich., and Rockwood, Mich. – all not in MI-01) Filers are only permitted to leave off properties if it is their personal residence or second homes, leading one to believe that the Kalkaska property, which he mentioned in a 2013 column, must be one of those. Yet, some sleuthing uncovered that the address of his Kalkaska property is nothing more than a plot of land or a small hunting cabin. Hard to believe that’s where Johnson calls his primary home. To make matters worse for Johnson, the spokesperson for the Michigan Democratic Party, which Johnson served as chairman of until July before running for Congress, told Bloomberg Politics in May that Johnson lives in Detroit.

This raises the question: Is he claiming Kalkaska as his main home to make it appear as if he lives in MI-01? He owes it to voters to be clear about where he calls home.

Endangered Species: Democratic House Candidates in Arkansas

How times have changed. Four years ago, Democrats held most of the seats in Arkansas’s House delegation. Three elections later and heading in to 2016, Republicans now hold all four seats in the delegation, and Democrats are struggling to find candidates willing to run.

Roll Call reports that only one Democratic candidate is running for the House in Arkansas in 2016, meaning that the three other races will not include a Democrat come next November. Even with the prospect of Hillary Clinton—the state’s former First Lady and frontrunner for the Democratic presidential nomination—on the ballot, Arkansas Democrats know the strategy of riding her coattails in bunk: The current policies of their party are too far to the left to be electable in the Natural State.

Other News and Notes

• The Maricopa Monitor’s editorial board praised Arizona Congresswoman Martha McSally’s bill to recruit military veterans for Customs and Border Patrol positions.