Conservative group targeting moderate Democrats on spending bill votes

The conservative Club for Growth is rolling out new video ads in nine congressional districts on Thursday, calling on constituents of key House moderates to ask their members to oppose Democrats’ social spending package. 

The ads point to the rising inflation in the U.S. as a reason why the moderate Democrats should vote against the $1.75 trillion package.

They are targeting nine key Democrats including Reps. Stephanie Murphy (Fla.), Carolyn Bourdeaux (Ga.), Ed Case (Hawaii), Cindy Axne (Iowa), Jared Golden (Maine), Chris Pappas (N.H.), Josh Gottheimer (N.J.), Kurt Schrader (Ore.) and Abigail Spanberger (Va.).

David McIntosh, the president of the anti-tax group, said the legislation represents “out-of-control spending and new taxes.”

“Democrats have never been more disconnected from their constituents who are tired of the constant drumbeat of radical, far-left socialism. We are asking people from these key nine Congressional Districts to ask their U.S. House Members to take a stand against the out-of-control spending and new taxes,” McIntosh said in a statement.

“Prices are skyrocketing for American families, and the so-called solutions proposed by Democrats will just take a bad situation and make it worse,” he added.

The ads themselves bring attention to the rising prices in the U.S., and slam President Biden for wanting to impose more taxes.

“Prices of gas, groceries, cars, housing, going through the roof after Biden blew through trillions. Now he wants to add more taxes, drive prices even higher and spend even more,” the ad says, before telling constituents to tell their congressperson to “just vote no.”

Politico first reported on the Club for Growth ads.

The anti-tax conservative group is launching the ads on Thursday and will run for seven days. They are part of a broader $2.5 million media buy in opposition to the legislation.

The push from Club for Growth comes as negotiations for the Democrats’ social spending package  — which will be passed through budget reconciliation in the Senate to buck a potential Republican filibuster — are coming down to the wire.

Negotiations for the package have been held up due to disagreements within the Democratic Party. Moderates have called for the House to first pass the Senate-approved bipartisan infrastructure bill before taking up the reconciliation package, but progressives have said the two must be advanced together.

The House, nonetheless, is coming close to approving the framework for the reconciliation package, though when the bill will go up for a vote is still unknown. 

The latest text for the package was released on Wednesday, after lawmakers agreed to add language regarding prescription drug prices.

The Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) released its analysis of the package on Thursday, which may bring some moderates closer supporting the legislation.

Blue Dogs coalition members Murphy, Case, Golden, Gottheimer and Schrader — all of whom are being targeted by Club for Growth — penned a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Tuesday demanding the JCT or Congressional Budget Office scores the bill before advancing the legislation.

With the JCT scores now out, the lower chamber may be closer to moving it through the lower chamber.