Vulnerable GOP lawmakers have toned down tax rhetoric since January: Reuters

GOP incumbents in competitive reelection races are spending less time talking about the new tax law than they were at the beginning of the year, according to an analysis Reuters published Monday.

The news outlet examined the digital ads, news releases and social media postings of 14 vulnerable Republicans and found that the number of tax messages made by the lawmakers declined by 44 percent from January to April.

The analysis comes as many Republicans and outside conservative groups have argued that it’s important for GOP lawmakers to explain the benefits of the tax law to their constituents ahead of the November midterms elections.

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The tax law, which cuts rates for individuals and corporations, is the Republicans’ biggest legislative accomplishment since President Trump took office.

Polls have shown that support levels for the tax law increased immediately after its passage but have since stagnated. Additionally, several polls have found that few people have noticed bigger paychecks, even though the IRS issued guidance adjusting tax withholding in light of the new law.

National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman Jesse Hunt told Reuters that the downtick in tax messages has to do with lawmakers moving on to other issues. He added that “candidates and members need to make sure that they stay focused on what is our signature achievement in this Congress.”

Several of the lawmakers included in Reuters’s analysis also told the news outlet that they continue to talk about the tax cuts at events with voters.

The lawmakers in the Reuters analysis are Sen. Dean Heller (R-Nev.) and Reps. Don Bacon (R-Neb.), Rod Blum (R-Iowa), Barbara Comstock (R-Va.), Jason Lewis (R-Minn.), Keith Rothfus (R-Pa.), Claudia Tenney (R-N.Y.), Steve Knight (R-Calif.), Carlos Curbelo (R-Fla.), Jeff Denham (R-Calif.), Peter Roskam (R-Ill.), John Faso (R-N.Y.), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) and Mike Coffman (R-Colo.).