House Minority Leader, Republican Senator Kevin McCarthy, unveiled the legislative roadmap that the Republican Party will follow should they win the majority in the November midterm elections.
The GOP's' Commitment to America' outlined four major goals: the economy, security, individual liberty and government accountability. McCarthy is pushing to set a policy agenda that will persuade voters ahead of the midterms, when the Republican Party is favored to flip the House but within striking distance of the Democratic Party. The congressman himself explained:
McCarthy's proposal was reminiscent of the 'Contract with America' by former House Republican Speaker Newt Gingrich, a program released in 1994. That was the year when the Republican Party won control of the House after decades of Democratic dominance in a victory that became known as the 'Republican Revolution.' The new project for the November elections contains four general objectives: to create "a strong economy", "a secure nation", "a future based on freedom" and "a responsible government.”
The Republican agenda: inflation, crime and the battle against the woke agenda
In the video, McCarthy, the Republican minority leader, presented the plan as a solution to inflation and a way to reduce crime, among other problems, that he attributes to the Democratic majority in Washington.
Violent crime is at historic highs in our streets and neighborhoods. The border has become a national security crisis, with fentanyl killing our fellow citizens. Rising inflation has depressed wages and pushed us into recession. And our children have been left behind thanks to school closures and blockades.
Part of the Republican Party's economic agenda is based on tax cuts and reduced government spending. It also presents cultural issues such as the fight against the radical woke agenda. NPR notes that among other plans, they propose to draft legislation to prevent transsexuals from participating in women's sports or control over abortion promising to "protect the lives of unborn children and their mothers.” The Republican agenda also opposes any legislation restricting gun rights, pledging to safeguard the Second Amendment.
Message to Hispanics
The Republican Party's message included a specific appeal to the Hispanic population, an important voting force heading into the mid-term elections. Of the more than 331 million inhabitants of the United States, 62 million are Hispanic.
In 2008, the Hispanic vote comprised 9% of the total vote, and 11% in 2016. In 2000, fewer than 20 million Hispanics were eligible to vote, while in 2016 this number surpassed 27 million, a 70% growth in less than two decades. There were 29.1 million Hispanics eligible to vote in the 2018 midterms. In the last presidential election (2020), the number was over 32 million. An analysis by The Hispanic Council reflects that the Hispanic community registered a record number of participation.
After decades of low turnout, the Hispanic vote is known as 'the sleeping giant. In 2020, for the first time, the Hispanic community was the largest minority group in the election. They represented 13.3% of the vote, proving to be increasingly crucial in some key states of the country. This midterm, the Hispanic vote could be decisive in returning the House to the Republican Party.
