GOP Members Pony Up for NRCC’s Battleground’ Effort

By Jackie Kucinich

Posted July 27, 2010 at 11:16am

Correction Appended

House Republicans tapped into their campaign coffers on Tuesday and gave the National Republican Congressional Committee more than $1 million for their “Battleground” fundraising effort.

During a closed-door meeting of the GOP Conference, Conference Chairman Mike Pence (Ind.) gave $134,000, while Chief Deputy Minority Whip Kevin McCarthy (Calif.) gave $100,000, as did Reps. Chris Lee (N.Y.), Jim Gerlach (Pa.) and Jeff Fortenberry (Neb.), according to GOP sources inside the meeting. Alabama Rep. Mike Rogers gave $50,000.

“I’m all in,” Pence said, according to sources. “I will not rest.”

NRCC Chairman Pete Sessions (Texas) said, “We are ready to lead.”

But Rep. Ed Royce (Calif) reinforced that Members need to continue to give generously to the campaign committee.

The NRCC hopes to raise $20 million for the Battleground program, which will fund the effort to regain seats in the November midterm elections.

“They’ve got the presidency, the House and the Senate and yet our Members are outraising the Democrats,” said Royce, who co-chairs the Battleground program. “Each and every one of you needs to step up. We need to continue to dominate this political story.”

While the NRCC has outraised the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee each month since April, House Democrats continue to hold a wide lead over Republicans in overall cash on hand.

The DCCC finished June with a little less than $33.8 million in the bank compared with the NRCC’s roughly $17 million.