NRSC Weekly Rundown: 6 Months of President Trump’s Tax Cuts, Heller Fights for NV’s Veterans, McCaskill’s Cayman Islands Hedge Fund and more!
And here’s this week’s edition of the NRSC Weekly Rundown:
#TaxCuts: Today marks the six month anniversary of the historic GOP tax cuts being signed into law by President Trump. Within the short time since its passage, over 600 businesses across the country have doled out wage increases, bonuses and other benefits as a direct impact of the legislation. The passage of the tax cuts has been a catalyst for the economy by creating new jobs and helping lower the unemployment rate to its lowest point in a half a century. This week marked the highest satisfactionwith the direction of the U.S. economy in 12 years and an 11 point spike in the economic confidence of America’s lower third of income earners. With no sign that the positive economic news is slowing down, why hasn’t a single red state Democrat admitted they regret voting against the middle-class tax cuts? Are they afraid that if they speak out in support of the GOP’s efforts to help the middle class, their party bosses’ super PACs won’t cut them checks in their uphill battles for reelection?
#NVSen: The NRSC launched a new ad in Nevada highlighting Senator Dean Heller’srecord of delivering results for Nevada’s veterans. Throughout his time in office, Heller has worked to ensure veterans get the care they earned and deserve. Heller’s actions stand in stark contrast to those of Jacky Rosen, who has failed to deliver for Nevada’s veterans time and again. His proposals to improve access to better health care for veterans were included in the VA Mission Act that President Trump signed into law earlier this year. To add insult to injury this week, Jacky Rosen was put on blast for lying about her resume, the same mistake that has sunk countless political careers. If Nevadans can’t trust Rosen to tell the truth about her resume, how can they trust her to make decisions in Washington?
#MOSen: A new report released by the Kansas City Star revealed Claire McCaskilland her husband have invested $1 million in a hedge fund in the Cayman Islands, “one of the world’s most notorious tax havens.” As a Senator, McCaskill claims to have supported cracking down on the same kind of off-shore tax havens she and her husband profit from. But a report from the Free Beacon showed McCaskill pulled her support from the Stop Tax Haven Abuse Act back in 2011, incidentally right before she and her husband invested at least a million in the Caymans. While McCaskill tries her hardest to lower her own tax bill, she’s been fighting for higher taxes on Missourians, voting against President Trump’s middle-class tax cuts. Making a bad week even worse, a nonpartisan watchdog group asked the Senate Ethics Committee to investigate McCaskill’s reporting of income from her infamous private plane. McCaskill originally claimed she chartered it out to other users when she tried to block tracking of the plane, but only reported between $0 and $201 in income from the plane. So either McCaskill is lying about chartering the plane or she’s lying about how much money she’s profiting off of it. McCaskill’s plane problems just won’t let up. Yesterday, another report surfaced showing that Claire McCaskill actually attacked her primary opponent back in 2004 for having a private plane and “lavish” lifestyle. You just can’t make up this kind of outrageous hypocrisy!
#FLSen: It’s been yet another miserable week for Bill Nelson and everyone is noticing. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report said, “there are days when I think he’s the most vulnerable incumbent,” and the Tampa Bay Times reported his half-century-long political career “lacks a defining moment.” Meanwhile, Governor Rick Scott dropped his 12th and 13th ads of the cycle and Nelson’s campaign just can’t seem to keep up. Yesterday, Nelson released a digital ad claiming he wrote a bipartisan bill that made it illegal to drill off of Florida’s coast. The only problem is that Nelson wasn’t a sponsor or even a co-sponsor of the legislation! He also recently demanded more federal funding to prevent the toxic algae bloom in Lake Okeechobee, but has been completely ineffective on the issue throughout the 30 years he’s been in Congress. On top of that, Nelson was ripped apart in the press for flip-flopping on a judicial nomination he personally recommended. Despite giving his recommendation, Nelson voted against the judge on the same day New York liberal Chuck Schumer’s super PAC donated to his struggling campaign. Why won’t Nelson tell Schumer to stay out of Florida if he’s the “independent” he claims to be?
#WVSen: Joe Manchin is in hot water for another unacceptable abuse of office. This time, the Senator used taxpayer money to fly to California for a ritzy Los Angeles fundraiser with west coast elites. While in L.A., Manchin raked in $100,000 in campaign cash, surpassing the amount he’s raised from West Virginians in the same quarter. When Manchin returned to West Virginia, he decided to bring Mylan’s top lobbyist, and his shady business partner, Larry Puccio out on the campaign trail. It seems Joe Manchin hasn’t realized parading around with a lobbyist for a fentanyl manufacturer isn’t a good idea.
#NDSen: Congressman Kevin Cramer’s campaign hit the airwaves with a new TV ad highlighting Heidi Heitkamp’s fervent support of failed presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. While Cramer came out as an early supporter of President Trump’scandidacy, Heitkamp was all in for Hillary, saying, “we are supporting Hillary Clinton, because she is going to be one of the greatest presidents of the United States of America that we have ever seen!” North Dakotans didn’t agree with Heitkamp’s out-of-touch support of Clinton and overwhelmingly voted for President Trump. When will Heitkamp admit she’s lost touch with North Dakota voters?
#OHSen: While in Columbus last week, Vice President Mike Pence tore into Ohio’s far-left Senator Sherrod Brown for voting against the GOP tax cuts that are allowing workers across the Buckeye State to keep more of their hard-earned paychecks. Pence blasted Brown, saying, “time and again, you deserve to know that Sherrod Brown voted no on policies that Ohio supports and needs.” In his speech, Pence praised Congressman Renacci’s work to pass the GOP tax cuts and called him “a leader who’s been standing shoulder-to-shoulder with President Trump and our entire administration every day. He’s been fighting every day for the Buckeye State.”
#MISen: Vice President Mike Pence was also in Michigan last week to visit a construction company that has been able to hire more workers and double profit sharing for employees thanks to the GOP tax cuts. While there, the Vice President slammed Debbie Stabenow for voting against the tax cuts that are helping Michigan families and businesses, saying “the proof is in our paychecks, they are bigger.”
#AZSen: Kyrsten Sinema has all but abandoned her responsibility to represent Arizonans in the state’s 9th Congressional District in the past weeks. Last month, she left a hearing about securing our porous borders and combatting the nation’s opioid crisis less than 30 minutes after it began. During her four terms in Congress, Sinema has been so busy running for higher office that she has never introduced a bill that’s become a law. Arizonans deserve more than an ineffective politician.
#MTSen: In an interview with Montana Broadcasters earlier this week, Jon Tester was caught misleading voters on nearly every issue discussed. Tester claimed to be opposed to sanctuary cities, yet he voted at least three times against legislation that would’ve cracked down on sanctuary cities and would’ve enforced tougher penalties for illegal immigrants who commit violent crimes. He chided dark money groups for pouring money into Montana, but his own campaign got caught going to extraordinary lengths to assist the liberal super PACs propping up his reelection bid. A new Politico report exposed Tester’s dark money hypocrisy, detailing multiple accounts of Tester secretly signaling his liberal supporters to come to his aid. Tester should drop the double-talk and explain to Montanans why he’s gone Washington and consistently says one thing yet does another.
#WISen: Over the weekend, Tammy Baldwin held a fundraiser with washed-up presidential candidate Martin O’Malley. O’Malley’s appearance came just one week after Baldwin hosted resistance darling Kamala Harris. Given Baldwin’s disastrous approval ratings, it’s shocking Baldwin is flying in tax-loving liberals to prop up her struggling campaign. Baldwin followed up the surrogate visits by inexplicably attempting to cozy up to President Trump, releasing a video bragging about how the President supports her “Buy America” legislation. But Wisconsin voters won’t be fooled because Baldwin has spent the last two years fighting to “resist” the President’s agenda at every turn.
#INSen: Mexico Joe Donnelly’s desperate attempt to deflect blame for his own outsourcing hypocrisy backfired badly this week. After the Senate Leadership Fund released an ad accusing Donnelly’s family business of violating the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations, Mexico Joe was quick to issue a response rebuking the ad as false. But Mexico Joe’s campaign was forced to quietly take down their rebuttal because the Donnelly family business did indeed have 5 serious workplace violations from OSHA. Try as he might, Mexico Joe will never be able to escape his record of outsourcing Hoosier jobs to Mexico.
NEWS AND NOTES:
Gallup: Satisfaction With U.S. Direction Reaches 12-Year High
Thirty-eight percent of Americans are satisfied with the way things are going in the United States today, similar to last month’s 37% satisfaction rate but marking the numerical high since a 39% reading in September 2005. The satisfaction rate, which Gallup has measured at least monthly since 2001, has now topped 35% three times this year — a level reached only three times in the previous 12 years (once each in 2006, 2009 and 2016). READ
Washington Examiner: New jobless claims fall to 218,000 as overall number getting benefits declines
New claims for unemployment insurance fell 3,000 to 218,000 in the second full week of June, the Department of Labor reported Thursday. Forecasters had expected 220,000 new jobless claims — an extremely low level, but up 2,000 from the week before. Low jobless claims are a good sign. They suggest that layoffs are infrequent, and accordingly that job creation is high. READ
Business Insider: 6 months into the Trump tax law, manufacturing confidence is through the roof
American Manufacturers are experiencing record levels of confidence for their businesses, according to a recent survey conducted by the largest trade association for manufacturers. In the National Association of Manufacturers’ (NAM) quarterly outlook survey published on Wednesday, 95.1 percent of manufacturers surveyed said they have a positive outlook for their companies, a record-high in the past 20 years. READ
Wall Street Journal: U.S. Housing Starts Rebound in May
U.S. housing starts rebounded last month to the highest level since 2007, driven by a construction rebound in parts of the country that have lagged for much of the economic recovery as well as a lingering apartment boom. Housing starts rose 5% in May from the prior month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.35 million, the Commerce Department said Tuesday. Compared with a year earlier, starts were up 20.3%. READ
New York Times: Disability Applications Plunge as the Economy Strengthens
The number of Americans seeking Social Security disability benefits is plunging, a startling reversal of a decades-old trend that threatened the program’s solvency. It is the latest evidence of a stronger economy pulling people back into the job market or preventing workers from being sidelined in the first place. READ
Kansas City Star: McCaskill’s husband invested $1 million in hedge fund tied to Caymans
As a U.S. senator, Claire McCaskill supports cracking down on offshore tax havens. But the Missouri Democrat’s husband has invested $1 million in a hedge fund tied to the Cayman Islands, one of the world’s most notorious tax havens. Joseph Shepard’s investment in Matrix Capital Management has earned him between $230,000 and $2.1 million in income since he first invested in 2013, according to McCaskill’s financial disclosure forms. READ
Sunshine State News: Flip-Flop Alert: Story of the Judicial Nominee Bill Nelson Un-Recommended
There was possibly more motivation behind the senator flipping his opinion. The Democratic operation Senate Majority PAC, coincidentally on Friday, began an anti-Scott ad campaign in the state. This partisan PAC is operated by Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer. This past February Nelson noted the importance of the New York senator in his race. READ
Politico: Poll: If You’re Over 50 in Florida, Chances Are You Like Trump
In 2018, Florida hosts a contentious Senate election as well as many key House races. We polled voters aged 50 and older in Florida about their lives, President Trump and Congress to get a sense of how they might vote. 52% of 50+ voters approve of Trump. READ
Tampa Bay Times: As Bill Nelson fights for political life against Rick Scott, concerns grow among Democrats
Democrats in Washington and Florida aren’t laughing. They are increasingly nervous as Scott and Republican allies have unleashed a flood of money into TV and online ads — roughly $20 million so far, more than Nelson’s 2012 opponent spent on the entire campaign — and maintain a superior organization that spares no opportunity. READ
Las Vegas Review-Journal: Media shows bias by highlighting Hof while overlooking Rosen’s resume lie
Two weeks ago, Sen. Dean Heller’s campaign released video evidence that Rep. Jacky Rosen lied about her résumé by claiming to have a college degree she doesn’t have. Rosen is the Democrat running against Heller for U.S. Senate in one of the country’s highest profile-races. Wait, you haven’t heard about that the résumé scandal? Not surprising. That’s because the media didn’t cover it, even though Rosen’s fib is on tape. READ
KRCG: Attorney General Josh Hawley: McCaskill Is For Giving Illegal Immigrants A Free Pass
The attorney general continued to criticize the democratic senator’s stance calling it ‘inexcusable’. McCaskill vocally expressed she does not support the funding to build a wall at the U.S.-Mexico border. “The fact that Claire McCaskill will not vote to secure the border– will not support funding to secure the border, to build a wall, to enforce our laws– is absolutely inexcusable,” he said. READ
CNN: Americans are satisfied with Trump’s North Korea summit
One week after the high-profile meeting between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Americans are generally satisfied with what was accomplished in the summit between the leaders, according to a CNN poll conducted by SSRS that was released on Tuesday. Just over half — 52% — were satisfied with how the meeting went, with 36% saying they were dissatisfied. Eighty-five percent of Republicans were happy after the summit, with 52% of independents, and 28% of Democrats saying the same. READ