WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� House leaders sent lawmakers home for after one of the in recent memory as voters decide which party to put in power in Congress for the remainder of term.
For those seeking to stay in office, particularly the newest members, it can be a tough sell.
鈥淚 only know a dysfunctional Congress,鈥� said Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, a freshman from Virginia.
The Democrat said it’s best to campaign on his own record delivering for constituents, rather than on the performance of Congress, as his party tries to wrest control from the Republicans.
鈥淚t’s virtually impossible to sell the performance of Congress to the American people because Congress is such an easy punching bag,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd this particular Congress has been ceding too much of its authority to the executive branch.鈥�
He said, 鈥淚 tell people to sell yourself and what you’ve tried to do.鈥�
Yet Republican Rep. Brandon Gill, a freshman from Texas who has emerged as one of the party’s rising figures, particularly on Trump’s hard-line immigration enforcement agenda, argued there’s plenty to show to voters back home.
鈥淲e’ve gotten a lot done,鈥� he said
鈥淐utting taxes across the board, over $100 billion for border security, repealing half the Green New Deal, the biggest mandatory spending reform in history 鈥� pretty historic stuff,鈥� he said.
鈥淓verybody always wants Congress to move faster than it does, but we鈥檝e been extremely productive.鈥�
Midterm elections often become a referendum on the party in power
Control of Congress is often an afterthought in presidential election years when the White House is at stake. But in the midterms, when lawmakers face voters as they will this fall, the races largely become a referendum on the party in power.
Republicans have history against running against them, as the president’s party often encounters losses during the midterm elections 鈥� a as George W. Bush put it, a as Barack Obama said 鈥� and a pendulum nation swings.
, who is about to embark on a cross-country trek to raise millions of dollars for his party and visit lawmakers’ home districts, remains bullish that Republicans will not only keep their House majority control 鈥� but grow their numbers.
鈥淭his week we continued to deliver for the people, and we’re going to continue that straight through the end of this year,鈥� Johnson said after a flurry of legislating before sending lawmakers home for summer.
Republicans in a single day adopted a budget resolution seeking and other priorities; advanced a $1 trillion Pentagon bill ; and approved legislation to clamp down on in Congress, all over Democratic objections.
鈥淲e’re going to run through the tape,鈥� Johnson said.
Democratic Leader , who is in line to become House speaker if his party wins control, will launch 鈥�100 Days of Action鈥� on Sunday as he works to take the majority and impose a .
鈥淚t’s not going to be easy, right?鈥� Jeffries told reporters. 鈥淣o one’s going to give it to us. We have to take it in a way that is consistent with the values of the American people.鈥�
Control of Congress sets the agenda for the nation
With its 435 seats being contested, control of the House often narrows to the tiniest slice of the country.
Fewer than 20 seats are considered genuine toss-ups, according to analysts. The rest are considered safer seats, drawn with map lines designed to favor one party over the other 鈥� including new maps still being drawn to largely in the Deep South after a landmark .
Millions of dollars are being spent that will make the difference between a return of the GOP majority eyeing more budget cuts or a new Democratic agenda that is expected to launch vast into the Trump administration.
Even as he openly pines for , Johnson believes the country needs a steady hand at the wheel as he partners with the White House on Trump鈥檚 priorities 鈥� and fend off Democratic investigations and the threat of impeachment.
鈥淲e are increasingly confident that we will hold and grow this majority in the House 鈥� and we must,鈥� he said.
Democrats under Jeffries make the case that Trump and the Republicans in charge have done nothing for Americans struggling with high costs of living. Instead, they say Trump waged war against Iran that sent gas prices soaring, slapped tariffs on goods that are spiking prices, deported longtime immigrants and slashed health care and food aid as part of Trump’s big tax cuts bill last summer.
鈥淭hey’re flailing all over the place,鈥� Jeffries said.
Jeffries vowed that Democrats 鈥渨ill hold the crooks accountable鈥� on a number of issues, including the Trump family’s business dealings.
A throwback to communism or forward-looking new ideas
Johnson raises the specter of a mid-20th-century-style if Democrats win control with a new generation of far-left progressive candidates, some backed by the Democratic Socialists of America.
鈥淲e have been saying that this is an election that鈥檚 shaping up as a contest between common sense and crazy,鈥� he said. Now, he said, it’s 鈥渃ommon sense versus communism.鈥�
Jeffries brushes past such warnings as unserious. 鈥淗ouse Democrats aren’t a cult,鈥� he said, a criticism his party often lobs at Trump’s backers in Congress. 鈥淲e’re a coalition of people, public servants, who are committed to getting things done.鈥�
One of the newest lawmakers, Rep. James Gallagher, R-Calif., said he’s just trying to focus on the issues important to constituents back home.
鈥淲e’re in a time where there’s a lot of division, unfortunately,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd I think one key is like, Hey, trying to bring people together to solve problems for Americans, right?鈥�
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