House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La) recently announced an influx of new funding into the Republican push to hold onto the House. Scalise has always been a prolific fundraiser, and this new influx of $12M will serve Republicans well as they try to hold onto their House majority. Let’s see how that might play out.
A Massive Fundraising Drive
Scalise is no slouch when it comes to getting money into the GOP’s coffers. The $12M is the latest addition to a potential $36 million that he’s raised for the party so far during the 2024 election cycle.
He’s not the kind of person who goes panhandling from door to door, either. According to the statistics on the funding, over $16.1 million of it was raised online.
Outpacing Everyone Regardless of Party
Funding can be difficult for a political party, but Scalise is clearly not worried about how difficult everyone else has it. His 16.1 million overshadows anything anyone has raised in either party.
The funding isn’t just for his own cause, however. Much of that money will be distributed to Republican party groups around the country to help the GOP hold onto its slim majority in the House.
2023 Wasn’t a Great Year for Scalise
Despite his prolific fundraising, Scalise didn’t have a very good 2023. In August of 2023, he was diagnosed with cancer and spent the latter half of the year in hospital, fighting the disease.
Despite this, Scalise overcame the odds and brought his unique style of fundraising to the GOP. It’s no wonder that he’s garnered so much support since he’s put in the effort.
A Razor-Thin House Majority for the GOP
This is the second year that the GOP will hold onto a razor-thin majority in the House. Right now, it stands at just one vote after Rep. Mike Gallagher (R—Wis) left the House.
However, despite this current situation, Scalise expects that margin to grow. States he hopes to flip seats include Alaska, Ohio, and potentially California.
Democrats Holding a Tenuous Grip
Scalise says that he’s been looking at a few of these areas that the Democrats are controlling and noticed that they’re not doing an excellent job of pleasing the electorate. That’s where the GOP can swoop in.
In many Democratic strongholds, there have been murmurs of discontent among the people. Scalise believes that the funding he’s raised, combined with the voters’ unhappiness, could create a perfect storm.
Looking At Hot-Button Issues
When pressed about what the Biden Administration dropped the ball on, Scalise immediately said that energy prices and border security were two of the most significant failures.
He noted that most people have become fed up with the Biden Administration’s stance on immigration and that their policies have not helped Americans anywhere but made their plight worse.
High Costs All Around
Scalise also noted skyrocketing costs everywhere as people’s salaries remained unchanged. He blamed this on the Biden Administration’s poor management of the energy sector.
He also aimed the Democrats’ financial policy, stating that rampant, uncontrolled spending by the government was causing untold levels of inflation, making life difficult for Americans.
Most People Rate the Economy Poorly
A recent Fox News poll shows that as much as 73% of Americans have rated the economy as performing poorly. However, this was a drop from the 83% polled in May, showing increasing confidence.
This value is still not good news for the Biden administration. With only nine months left to effect real change in the economy, it might be an uphill battle to win over voters.
Low Approval Rating for the President
In another statistical blow, the President’s approval rating hit 30% on his handling of the immigration crisis. This is a historic low for Joe Biden, and could spell disaster at the polls.
Scalise touched on this when he discussed the GOP’s chances of stealing a few seats from the Democrats. This low approval rating showed that the people were ready for something different.
Biden Is a Drag on Democrats
According to Scalise, Biden’s presence on the Democrat ballot is more of a liability than a benefit. There has been a lot of controversy, even among Democrat supporters, about having him for a second term.
Many Democrat voters don’t see many options within the party ranks, however. Poor handling of critical national issues has tainted the administration, but it’s not the worst of it.
Corruption Scandals Could Also Cause Issues
The recent heating up of the Hunter Biden inquiry may also cause some undue pressure on Biden and his family and could taint the Democrat’s run-up to the election.
Joe Biden is accused of using his position as vice president in the Obama administration to aid his son Hunter in business dealings. Biden claims that he did nothing wrong.
National Issues Spiraling Out of Control
In many places, the immigration debate has hit a fever pitch. The issue came to a head when a young August nursing student, Laken Riley, was killed by an undocumented immigrant who escaped from border patrol.
Around the country, people have stated that they are unhappy with the way the administration has been handling the immigration issue.
Finding the Chinks in The Armor
Scalise’s estimation of the population’s unhappiness might be overstated in an effort to show the GOP in a position of strength. Still, he’s not wrong about the number of disenchanted voters.
The electorate gets a chance to make their voices heard when the election rolls around, but many of them don’t even see a hope of recovery in the Republican candidate, former president Donald Trump.
Will The Republicans Hold the House?
Until the election is concluded, it’s not a guarantee that the GOP will keep hold of the one-vote margin they have in the house. The election is proving to be a tense contest between two candidates that the electorate doesn’t seem to like.
At the end of it all, the decision may come down to which party has the best local candidates. Many representatives have resigned or moved into new areas. Only time will tell if the GOP can make up that shortfall and overcome the Democrats in the elections.
