Senate briefing highlights crowded floor calendar and GOP election outlook
Loading...
Summary
An unidentified speaker listed items that could be scheduled for Senate floor action—housing, permitting reform, farm and highway bills and Russia sanctions—said the Senate will confirm judges and urged Republicans to better communicate accomplishments ahead of competitive midterm races.
An unidentified speaker told reporters the Senate faces a crowded floor calendar that could include a housing bill, market-structure or permitting reforms, the farm bill, a highway bill and Russia sanctions. He said confirming judges is also on the Senate's near-term agenda.
Asked about the Republican environment heading into the midterm elections, the speaker said some races will be "expensive and hard fought" in states including Maine and North Carolina while Democrats are "bullish" in places such as Ohio and Alaska. He described incumbents in his conference as "seasoned veterans" who can outwork opponents but said Republicans must "up our game" to communicate their record to voters.
The speaker cited the "working families tax cuts" as a record of accomplishments for candidates to run on and said it "had over a 100 pieces of legislation included in it," which he described as addressing many issues facing working families. He urged candidates and the conference to tell that story to voters in the coming months.
On a question about Tulsi Gabbard's presence in Fulton County, the speaker said he was not aware of her role there, suggested Senator Cotton and the intelligence committee can address it, and deferred specific questions to those with direct knowledge.
