Group aligned with House GOP leadership targeting nine Democrats on spending vote

A group aligned with House GOP leadership is targeting nine Democrats in a $2 million ad buy ahead of a vote on the party’s social spending package, urging them to oppose the legislation.

The American Action Network (AAN) will run television and digital ads targeting Democratic Reps. Dan Kildee (Mich.), Ed Perlmutter (Colo.), Josh Harder (Calif.), Chris Pappas (N.H.), Tom Malinowski (N.J.), Stephanie Murphy (Fla.), Andy Kim (N.J.), Elaine Luria (Va.) and Abigail Spanberger (Va.), urging them to vote against the social spending package.

The group cites the increases in taxes and spending as reasons why the lawmakers should vote against the legislation.

All nine Democrats being targeted by the group are also considered “vulnerable Democrats” by the National Republican Congressional Committee for the 2022 midterms. The party’s fundraising arm says it is targeting those lawmakers and 61 others ahead of next year’s elections.

The push from AAN comes as congressional Democrats are looking to put the finishing touches on their behemoth $1.75 trillion social spending package, dubbed the Build Back Better Act, and send it to President Biden’s desk.

Many in the party were pulling for the House to approve the package earlier this month, alongside the bipartisan infrastructure bill, but that possibility was rejected due to internal clashes within the Democratic Party.

A coalition of moderates refused to hold a vote on the bill unless they had a score from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), which was not yet completed.

Lawmakers and top administration officials, however, are now pulling for the House to approve the legislation this week through budget reconciliation, which would buck a potential filibuster by only requiring a simple majority vote for passage.

Approval of the package would deliver a significant win for Democrats and Biden especially, who has seen slumping poll numbers in recent weeks due in part to rising prices nationwide and COVID-19 issues lingering as the holidays approach.