Vox: Republicans control 33 governors’ mansions. Democrats want to put a dent in that in 2018.

“This year’s midterms will be a pivotal test for Democrats. With an increasingly embattled Republican Party and an energized Democratic base, the political winds are looking favorable for them. Still, Inslee and others at the DGA recognize they have a lot of work to do to flip the seats.”

DNC Daily Message Guidance – January 5, 2017

1. Jobs Numbers
2. Russia Investigation
3. Children’s Health Insurance Program
4. DREAM Act
5. Republican Tax Plan
   

Jobs Numbers

• 2017 was the slowest year of job growth since the recovery began in 2010. The President and Republicans in Congress have weakened our economic security by passing a tax plan that serves big corporations and the top 1% at the expense of working families.
• Trump has failed to fulfill his promises to raise wages and stop companies from sending jobs overseas. His own businesses continue to contradict his own ‘Hire American’ slogan by bringing in foreign workers at his properties even though many Americans are eager for the jobs.
• President Obama and Democratic leaders stabilized the U.S. economy after the Great Recession by lifting up working families. And we will keep fighting Trump’s attacks on the middle class so we don’t see another economic disaster like we did at the end of the last Republican administration.

Russia Investigation

• New reporting over the last 24 hours has given us the fullest picture yet of Trump’s year-long effort to impede and even shut down the Russia investigation.

o    The report details Trump’s disturbing attempts to keep Attorney General Jeff Sessions from recusing himself from the Russia investigation – a disturbing, transparent attempt to maintain control over the inquiry.

o    The report also makes it clearer than ever that Trump fired former FBI Director James Comey for the sole purpose of impeding and possibly ending the Russia probe.

o    The report also suggests that Special Counsel Mueller has corroborated details from the critical memos Comey wrote to document his conversations with Trump.

• Trump and his allies are nervous about the results of the Mueller investigation, and they have resorted in desperation to throwing out wild conspiracy theories and calling for a Special Counsel to “investigate the investigation.”
• Reporting has debunked one of their most repeated claims: that the FBI investigation into potential collusion between Trump and Russia was instigated by the “Dossier.”

o    We now know that this is false, as new reporting indicates that U.S. authorities were first tipped off to potential collusion when Trump campaign aide George Papadopoulos – who has since pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI – told a foreign ally that Russia had dirt on Hillary Clinton, and that foreign ally passed the information on to U.S. officials.

• Efforts by the White House and its GOP allies to tarnish Mueller’s investigation are a transparent attempt to give cover to Trump as the investigation accelerates and gets closer to the Oval Office.

o    Mueller’s reputation for independence and impartiality is second to none. He was appointed to multiple senior Justice Department positions by Republican presidents, and Republican members of Congress heaped praise on him when he was first appointed Special Counsel.

Children’s Health Insurance Program

• The nearly 9 million children whose lives and health depend on CHIP need so much more than the short-term funding that Congress passed last month. The continuing resolution passed last month only including enough money for CHIP to last through March.

• Congressional Republicans need to do the right thing and pass a long-term solution that won’t jeopardize the health care coverage of millions of kids and pregnant mothers.
• Republicans have made their priorities clear: they would rather deliver a financial windfall to President Trump and his family than fund the Children’s Health Insurance program, which provides health care to nearly 9 million children across the country.

DREAM Act

• More than 13,000 DREAMers have already lost their DACA status since Trump ended the program in September. He’s forcing thousands of immigrants—who only know this country as their home—back into the shadows.

o    Each day without the DREAM Act, more than 120 young immigrants will lose their DACA protection, risk deportation, and become vulnerable to losing their jobs, drivers licenses, and ability to support their families. That is 850 people each week.

o    This is tearing families apart and making our communities less safe.

• It’s time for Republicans to put politics aside, pass the DREAM Act, and give DREAMers the opportunity to continue making invaluable contributions to America. It’s the smart thing to do for our economy, and it’s the right thing to do for our country.
• Trump’s decision to end DACA without a legislative solution will significantly harm our nation’s economy and nearly 800,000 DREAMers who live, study, and work here. Congress needs to right the ship and mitigate the damage that’s already been done.

o    DREAMers contribute to our economy, their communities, and pay taxes, working as teachers, first responders, and service members.

• Democrats believe our diversity is our greatest strength.  We will always fight for hardworking families and a smart, sensible immigration system.

o    Congressional Democrats stand ready to pass the DREAM Act.  Republicans need to act quickly and do what’s right for our country.

Republican Tax Plan

• The GOP has officially sold out the American people and betrayed working families in order to line the pockets of the wealthiest. Billionaires and corporations win, and the American people lose.
• The Trump Tax will raise taxes on more than half of Americans, while giving more than 80% of the benefits to the top 1% over the next decade.

o    Republicans have tried to claim that their tax bill is focused on helping middle-class families in 2018, but in reality more than half of the benefits will go to the richest 10% of Americans this year–and it only gets worse from there.

• Republicans are already looking forward to using the skyrocketing deficits the Trump Tax creates as an excuse to slash funding for Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, education, and other critical programs that Americans rely on.
• Polling tells us that voters strongly disapproved of the Trump Tax 2 to 1, yet the GOP saw fit to ignore the voice of their constituents and fork over billions to their super wealthy friends.

Democratic National Committee, 430 S Capitol St SE, Washington, DC 20003, USA