GOP Plots Strategy for Members’ Pivotal’ Time in Home States
House Republican leaders will hold a series of meetings this week to mobilize Members and their staffs for the August recess — a period one top GOP leadership aide described as “pivotal weeks in our effort to regain the confidence of the American people.”
Barry Jackson, chief of staff for House Minority Leader John Boehner, sent an e-mail on Monday summoning other top GOP aides to a meeting Wednesday to discuss a six-week plan developed by leadership to ensure Republicans use their time away from Washington to draw distinctions between them and their Democratic counterparts.
A special meeting of the House Republican Conference on Thursday will follow the chiefs of staff confab at the Capitol Hill Club, according to several internal e-mails obtained by Roll Call.
“Our events, meetings, and forums will continue to show that we have ideas and are prepared to lead,” Jackson wrote in the e-mail sent to Republican chiefs of staff.
Jackson predicted that Democrats would avoid “open forums” and “hide” from their constituents, giving Republicans the opportunity to highlight their alternative policy ideas.
“It is imperative that we stay on offense in closing our argument that Republicans are prepared to lead America back to prosperity and fiscal discipline,” Jackson wrote. “We will discuss the plan with you at our CoS briefing this week … including how we plan to ask Members to be engaged back home in their districts.”
Jackson said the six-week plan will include videos recorded during July offering “fresh content” throughout the work period.
Jackson also asked that chiefs provide leadership with a list of public events their Members plan to hold so they can be compiled into a comprehensive calendar.
In addition to the chiefs of staff meeting and the special conference Thursday, two America Speaking Out-focused “open houses” will be held in Minority Whip Eric Cantor’s (R-Va.) Capitol Hill conference room prior to the August recess.