Latest news with #DemocraticSenatorialCampaignCommittee
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Senate Democrats' campaign chief says 'every state's on the table' in fight for majority
Democrats will have to win some red states if they have any hope of taking control of the Senate next year, and the senator tasked with leading that effort believes President Donald Trump has given them an opening after he won those states easily months ago. 'I look at the map, and every state's on the table because of this growing backlash that President Trump's decisions have created, with his cuts to Medicaid and his unwillingness to address affordability issues,' Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., told NBC News in an interview at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee headquarters on Wednesday. Gillibrand also said she isn't ruling out taking sides in Democratic primaries as her party looks to net four Senate seats to take control of the chamber, saying that she is 'definitely not ruling out anything in any state.' 'We're going to look at every state on a case-by-case basis and make our assessment as to who's the best candidate in that state, and then make decisions based on that,' Gillibrand said. Democrats' ripest targets in 2026 are GOP Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, which Trump lost by nearly 7 percentage points in November, and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, which Trump won by 3 points. Both incumbents are battle-tested, winning contested races in their last cycles on the ballot. Former Democratic Rep. Wiley Nickel has already launched a run in North Carolina, while former House staffer Jordan Wood is running in Maine. But Democrats are still eyeing Maine Gov. Janet Mills and former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper as possible recruits. While Cooper is weighing a run, Mills has not exactly sounded enthusiastic about challenging Collins, telling the Maine Trust for Local News in April, 'I'm not planning to run for anything. Things change week to week, month to month, but at this moment I'm not planning to run for another office.' Asked if it has been difficult to recruit against Collins, who has a record of winning tough races, including victory in 2020 even as Trump lost Maine decisively, Gillibrand said negative reaction to Trump's policies is 'changing the thinking of a lot of potential candidates.' 'So I am certain we will have formidable candidates in North Carolina and Maine because of this growing backlash that President Trump has created,' Gillibrand said. Even if Democrats win those two states, and hold on to their current seats in other battlegrounds, they would still need to flip two additional Senate seats in states Trump won by double digits last year to get to a majority. That could mean targeting ruby red states like Texas, Iowa, Alaska, South Carolina and others. Democrats do not currently hold a single Senate seat in the 24 states that Trump carried in all three of his presidential runs, after several red-state losses in 2024. And Trump won each of those states by double digits last year. Gillibrand said the 'magic formula' for Democratic success involves a combination of 'deep Republican backlash' to Trump and some of his policies, like slashing social safety net programs and imposing steep tariffs, and 'extraordinarily strong candidates who represent their states well,' as well as boosts from the DSCC to help those candidates build up their campaigns. Contested Democratic primaries are already taking shape in Iowa, where GOP Sen. Joni Ernst is up for re-election, as well as in competitive states where Democrats are defending open seats, including Michigan and Minnesota. Ernst has also been in the spotlight for responding to a constituent at a town hall who suggested the House Republicans' proposed Medicaid cuts could cause people to die and saying, 'Well, we all are going to die.' Asked if such comments give Democrats a better shot at defeating Ernst next year, Gillibrand said Ernst's remarks exemplify Trump's 'very callous approach towards health care, cutting seniors, cutting people with disabilities, children, pregnant women and veterans off of their Medicaid.' Gillibrand said those cuts are creating 'a significant backlash that certainly puts a state like Iowa in play' along with 'many other red states around the country.' Democrats, meanwhile, are going to be focused on 'commonsense, kitchen table issues' of affordability and public safety, Gillibrand said. The New York Democrat argued those were winning messages for successful candidates in her home state last year, where she led a coordinated campaign with Gov. Kathy Hochul and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries to boost Democratic House candidates. Democrats flipped three GOP-held House seats in New York even as Trump made gains throughout the state. Trump ultimately lost New York but improved on his 2020 election margin by 11 points, which was the biggest swing toward Trump of any state in the country. Republicans are looking to capitalize on Trump's gains as they target Hochul in her re-election run next year, as well as other House Democrats. (Gillibrand said she is supporting Hochul for re-election as she faces a primary challenge from Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado.) Republicans are also looking to reprise attacks on Democrats over whether transgender women should be allowed to compete in female sports. One Nation, a nonprofit tied to the GOP super PAC Senate Leadership Fund, already launched an attack on the issue against Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff in Georgia. Ossoff represents one of two states, along with Michigan, that Democrats are defending that Trump also carried last year. 'Each candidate will address it as they see fit,' Gillibrand said when asked how Democrats should respond to those attacks. Gillibrand said she is 'very optimistic that Sen. Ossoff will not only win his race, but show rest of the country, you know, who he is and what Democrats stand for.' This article was originally published on
NBC News
3 days ago
- Politics
- NBC News
Senate Democrats' campaign chief says 'every state's on the table' in fight for majority
Democrats will have to win some red states if they have any hope of taking control of the Senate next year, and the senator tasked with leading that effort believes President Donald Trump has given them an opening after he won those states easily months ago. 'I look at the map, and every state's on the table because of this growing backlash that President Trump's decisions have created, with his cuts to Medicaid and his unwillingness to address affordability issues,' Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., told NBC News in an interview at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee headquarters on Wednesday. Gillibrand also said she isn't ruling out taking sides in Democratic primaries as her party looks to net four Senate seats to take control of the chamber, saying that she is 'definitely not ruling out anything in any state.' 'We're going to look at every state on a case-by-case basis and make our assessment as to who's the best candidate in that state, and then make decisions based on that,' Gillibrand said. Democrats' ripest targets in 2026 are GOP Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, which Trump lost by nearly 7 percentage points in November, and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, which Trump won by 3 points. Both incumbents are battle-tested, winning contested races in their last cycles on the ballot. Former Democratic Rep. Wiley Nickel has already launched a run in North Carolina, while former House staffer Jordan Wood is running in Maine. But Democrats are still eyeing Maine Gov. Janet Mills and former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper as possible recruits. While Cooper is weighing a run, Mills has not exactly sounded enthusiastic about challenging Collins, telling the Maine Trust for Local News in April, 'I'm not planning to run for anything. Things change week to week, month to month, but at this moment I'm not planning to run for another office.' Asked if it has been difficult to recruit against Collins, who has a record of winning tough races, including victory in 2020 even as Trump lost Maine decisively, Gillibrand said negative reaction to Trump's policies is 'changing the thinking of a lot of potential candidates.' 'So I am certain we will have formidable candidates in North Carolina and Maine because of this growing backlash that President Trump has created,' Gillibrand said. Even if Democrats win those two states, and hold on to their current seats in other battlegrounds, they would still need to flip two additional Senate seats in states Trump won by double digits last year to get to a majority. That could mean targeting ruby red states like Texas, Iowa, Alaska, South Carolina and others. Democrats do not currently hold a single Senate seat in the 24 states that Trump carried in all three of his presidential runs, after several red-state losses in 2024. And Trump won each of those states by double digits last year. Gillibrand said the 'magic formula' for Democratic success involves a combination of 'deep Republican backlash' to Trump and some of his policies, like slashing social safety net programs and imposing steep tariffs, and 'extraordinarily strong candidates who represent their states well,' as well as boosts from the DSCC to help those candidates build up their campaigns. Contested Democratic primaries are already taking shape in Iowa, where GOP Sen. Joni Ernst is up for re-election, as well as in competitive states where Democrats are defending open seats, including Michigan and Minnesota. Ernst has also been in the spotlight for responding to a constituent at a town hall who suggested the House Republicans' proposed Medicaid cuts could cause people to die and saying, 'Well, we all are going to die.' Asked if such comments give Democrats a better shot at defeating Ernst next year, Gillibrand said Ernst's remarks exemplify Trump's 'very callous approach towards health care, cutting seniors, cutting people with disabilities, children, pregnant women and veterans off of their Medicaid.' Gillibrand said those cuts are creating 'a significant backlash that certainly puts a state like Iowa in play' along with 'many other red states around the country.' Democrats, meanwhile, are going to be focused on 'commonsense, kitchen table issues' of affordability and public safety, Gillibrand said. The New York Democrat argued those were winning messages for successful candidates in her home state last year, where she led a coordinated campaign with Gov. Kathy Hochul and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries to boost Democratic House candidates. Democrats flipped three GOP-held House seats in New York even as Trump made gains throughout the state. Trump ultimately lost New York but improved on his 2020 election margin by 11 points, which was the biggest swing toward Trump of any state in the country. Republicans are looking to capitalize on Trump's gains as they target Hochul in her re-election run next year, as well as other House Democrats. (Gillibrand said she is supporting Hochul for re-election as she faces a primary challenge from Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado.) Republicans are also looking to reprise attacks on Democrats over whether transgender women should be allowed to compete in female sports. One Nation, a nonprofit tied to the GOP super PAC Senate Leadership Fund, already launched an attack on the issue against Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff in Georgia. Ossoff represents one of two states, along with Michigan, that Democrats are defending that Trump also carried last year. 'Each candidate will address it as they see fit,' Gillibrand said when asked how Democrats should respond to those attacks. Gillibrand said she is 'very optimistic that Sen. Ossoff will not only win his race, but show rest of the country, you know, who he is and what Democrats stand for.'
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
‘Well, we all are going to die': GOP senator's stark mic drop to town hall over Medicaid cuts
Republican Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa had a grim message for her constituents furious over proposed cuts to Medicaid that could end health coverage for millions of Americans. Over a chorus of groans from the crowd at a town hall in Butler County on Friday morning, Ernst said her Republican colleagues were making 'corrections' to the federal healthcare program to stop 'overpayments' and prevent 'illegals' from receiving benefits. 'People are going to die,' one person shouted out. 'Well, we're all going to die,' Ernst snarkily replied. When she was greeted with a mixture of stunned groans and shout-backs, the senator exasperatedly added: 'For heaven's sakes, folks.' Democratic officials and advocacy groups pounced on the moment, accusing Ernst of airing what the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee called a 'stunningly callous' remark that points to a wider failure among Republican members of Congress to face criticism over threats to a program that supports millions of lower-income Americans. 'Joni Ernst said the quiet part out loud: Republicans don't give a shit about whether their own constituents live or die as long as the richest few get richer,' according to Democratic National Committee chair Ken Martin. 'And that's precisely why they're ramming through a budget bill that would rip away health care and food from millions of Americans, including kids and seniors,' he added. 'Ernst and the Republican Party are putting American lives at risk to give a massive tax handout to billionaires while working families struggle to put food on the table and get basic medical care. This isn't just what Joni Ernst believes — it's what the entire Republican Party stands for.' Donald Trump's 'Big, Beautiful Bill' — which contains $4 trillion in tax cuts that would largely benefit America's wealthiest household — also adds strict work requirements and other changes to Medicaid eligibility. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that proposed cuts and the expiration of funding for federal health insurance programs could strip coverage for more than 13.7 million Americans by 2034. More than 78 million people are enrolled in Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program, including more than 600,000 people in Ernst's home state. 'While Democrats fear monger against strengthening the integrity of Medicaid, Senator Ernst is focused on improving the lives of all Iowans,' a spokesperson for the senator told The Independent. 'There's only two certainties in life: death and taxes, and she's working to ease the burden of both by fighting to keep more of Iowans' hard-earned tax dollars in their own pockets and ensuring their benefits are protected from waste, fraud, and abuse,' the statement added. Republicans have long opposed offering health coverage to younger, lower-income adults and families, arguing that Medicaid and other programs incentivize Americans to avoid working. GOP lawmakers insist their new proposal won't directly cut benefits for low-income and disabled people, but Democrats and advocacy groups argue the bill threatens coverage from people who could fall between the cracks if they can't meet new requirements. Adult Medicaid recipients would need to prove they're working or engaging in 'community service' for at least 80 hours per month to maintain eligibility. Other requirements include verifying addresses, proving lawful immigration status and screening every six months. Speaking over uproar at her town hall, Ernst said the GOP proposal will 'focus on those that are the most vulnerable. 'OK, but no, what you don't want to do is listen to me when I say we're going to focus on those that are the most vulnerable,' she said. 'Those that meet the eligibility requirements for Medicaid, we will protect. We will protect them.' She said the federal government should 'leave those dollars for those that are eligible for Medicaid.' Democratic Rep. Greg Casar called Ernst's remarks 'outrageous.' 'Most might not say it this directly, but this is what any member of Congress who votes to slash Medicaid really means,' he said.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Senate Democrats preview Medicaid messaging in new ad
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee rolled out a new ad hitting Senate Republicans over President Trump's legislative agenda as the upper chamber prepares to take up the bill. The 60-second digital ad, titled 'Devastating,' warns the legislation would result in cuts to Medicaid. The spot includes local news clips from across the country detailing the effects of potential cuts. The House passed Trump's legislative agenda, also known as his 'big, beautiful bill' by a single vote last week, sending it to the Senate for consideration. Republican senators have vowed to rewrite the legislation, but there are already signs of division between the party's moderate and conservative flanks in the upper chamber over various pieces of the bill, including potential cuts to Medicaid. Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Thom Tillis (R-S.C.), who are both facing competitive reelection battles, and Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) are at odds with conservative Sens. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.) and Mike Lee (R-Utah) over the potential cuts to Medicaid. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), a conservative, has also warned against the potential cuts to Medicaid. The final package needs 51 votes to pass through the Senate before it must pass through the House again. Identical legislation must get through both chambers before Trump can sign it into law. Democrats have sought to make potential cuts to programs like Medicaid an attack line against Republicans going into next year's midterm elections. However, Republicans have pushed back against that line, billing the legislation as a major tax cut across the board. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
28-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Senate Democrats preview Medicaid messaging in new ad
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee rolled out a new ad hitting Senate Republicans over President Trump's legislative agenda as the upper chamber prepares to take up the bill. The 60-second digital ad, titled 'Devastating,' warns the legislation would result in cuts to Medicaid. The spot includes local news clips from across the country detailing the effects of potential cuts. The House passed Trump's legislative agenda, also known as his 'big, beautiful bill' by a single vote last week, sending it to the Senate for consideration. Republican senators have vowed to rewrite the legislation, but there are already signs of division between the party's moderate and conservative flanks in the upper chamber over various pieces of the bill, including potential cuts to Medicaid. Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Thom Tillis (R-S.C.), who are both facing competitive reelection battles, as well as Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), are at odds with conservative Sens. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.) and Mike Lee (R-Utah) over the potential cuts to Medicaid. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), a conservative, has also warned against the potential cuts to Medicaid. The final package needs 51 votes to pass through the Senate before it must pass through the House again. Identical legislation must get through both chambers before Trump can sign it into law. Democrats have sought to make potential cuts to programs like Medicaid an attack line against Republicans going into next year's midterm elections. However, Republicans have pushed back against that line, billing the legislation as a major tax cut across the board.
