The House GOP's "Commitment to America" announced on Thursday gives a nod to that earlier era led by then-Speaker Newt Gingrich, but updates it with economic, border security, and social policies designed to rouse Donald Trump's deep well of supporters.
The preamble to the Commitment to America accuses Capitol Hill Democrats of creating "crisis after crisis" – and even worse, ignoring voters' priorities and showing "contempt for their values." In short, Democrats have led America "off-track," it states.
Promising to "deliver an economy that's strong, a nation that's safe, a future that's built on freedom, and a government that's accountable," Republicans vow their agenda will get the nation "back on track."
Speaking this morning in Pennsylvania, House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy – backed by a cross-section of other GOP lawmakers – rolled out the GOP's agenda.
"We want an economy that is strong. That means you can fill up your tank. You can buy the groceries. You have enough money left over to go to Disneyland and save for a future – that the paychecks grow, they no longer shrink," the California Republican declared.
And speaking to a growing concern across America with increasing violent crime, McCarthy added: "We have a plan for a nation that's safe. That means your community will be protected, your law enforcement will be respected. Your criminals will be prosecuted. We believe in a future that's built on freedom – that your children come first."
And if Republicans take control of the House, which most polls indicate is likely, McCarthy says the first order of business will be to repeal President Joe Biden's plan to hire 87,000 new IRS agents. That – and many other concrete steps – were the focus of columnist Robert Knight earlier this week when he suggested the GOP follow the Gingrich "pattern" of three decades earlier when he engineered the "Contract with America."
Highlights
Mica Soellner, Capitol Hill reporter for The Washington Times, describes the GOP's midterm agenda as heavy on law and order, education, and the economy. For example, on public safety, says the Times, the GOP wants to recruit 200,000 more police officers nationwide and advance policies to strengthen border security.
In addition, a Republican-led "Parents' Bill of Rights" would expand school choice, provide post-pandemic resources for students, and block biological males who identify as female from competing in women's sports.
Other aspects of the Commitment to America include:
- Mandating voter ID at election polls
- Increasing access for election observers
- Ending proxy voting in Congress
- Making the U.S. energy-independent
- Shoring up the domestic supply chain
- Closing loopholes on catch-and-release border policies
- Criminalizing all illicit fentanyl
- Cracking down on prosecutors and DAs who are lax on crime
- Establishing a select committee on China issues
The pro-life distinction
With its Commitment to America statement, GOP leadership has made clear its commitments to pro-lifers as well. Carol Tobias of National Right to Life Committee tells AFN the GOP's promise to protect the lives of unborn children and their mothers highlights the difference between the two major political parties.
"That is a great distinction, putting them in strong, deep contrast to the Democrats in Congress who want abortion for all nine months of pregnancy for any reason – even as a method of birth control – and they want our tax dollars to pay for it," she explains.
Several studies over the past several years clearly indicate the majority of Americans want restrictions on abortion, especially limits for second- and third-trimester babies.
"[Terminating a child through all nine months' gestation] is just not popular with the American people," notes Tobias. "So, the Republican Party saying they want to protect unborn children and mothers hopefully is going to create more interest than there already is and help to put them in charge of Congress next year so we don't have to worry about Democrats and their radical, far-left plan."
But as Tobias cautions, the only way that will become a reality is if pro-life voters show up at the polls for in Midterm Election.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
