Top House Democratic PAC urging members to lean into economy

A super PAC that works to help Democrats get elected to the House is calling on them to promote the economy and the party’s successes as Congress goes on recess for the next month. 

House Majority PAC said in a memo to congressional Democrats on Monday that the party must emphasize its accomplishments at the national and local level heading into the 2024 election. The memo said the PAC conducted research showing Democrats “dramatically” improve their position when they are proactive in speaking about the economy. 

“Go on offense, and build the contrast with the MAGA House Republicans immediately,” it states. 

The memo, which was first reported by Politico, references several key legislative accomplishments of the Biden administration, including the bipartisan infrastructure package, the CHIPS and Science Act and the Inflation Reduction Act. 

The chips legislation provided billions of dollars in incentives for manufacturers to build domestic semiconductor plants, while the Inflation Reduction Act made significant investments in climate programs, allowed Medicare to negotiate on some drug prices and raised taxes on large corporations, among other initiatives. 

The memo also states that “month after month” has shown President Biden’s “Bidenomics” economic policy is working.

The push to highlight economic issues comes as Biden’s approval rating, especially on the economy, remains underwater. A CNBC All-America Economic Survey earlier this month found that 37 percent of Americans approved of Biden’s handling of the economy, compared to 58 percent who disapproved. 

The PAC said Democrats need to point to continued job growth that dropped the unemployment rate to 3.6 percent last month and declining inflation as evidence of the party’s success. 

The memo also urges Democrats to target Republicans as “extremist” and threatening economic progress. It said they should note the battle over raising the debt ceiling in the spring and the potential government shutdown in September if Congress does not pass the 12 annual appropriations bills to fund the government. 

The PAC also called on Democrats to go on offense over abortion, pointing to the annual defense bill the Republican-controlled House passed that would prohibit the Department of Defense from reimbursing service members who travel to receive an abortion.