The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) indicated they would target vulnerable House Democrats in energy-rich districts for voting against the GOP-led energy package.
The memo states, “Vulnerable House Democrats representing districts with jobs tied to domestic energy production made a critical mistake opposing H.R. 1,” noting that the vote is “likely the beginning of the end of their reelection campaign.”
Reps. Mary Peltola (D-AK), Yadira Caraveo (D-CO), and Gabe Vasquez (D-MN) are singled out in the memo, indicating that the NRCC would be going after the three lawmakers during their reelection campaigns for opposing the legislation.
The memo explained:
For example, in Peltola’s Alaska, in 2019 oil & gas production supported more than 47,300 total jobs, contributed $3.1 billion to state & local taxes, and is the “single most important economic engine in the state.”
In Colorado where Caraveo represents regions critical to the state’s oil & gas production, one in eight jobs in the state are supported by the energy industry & in 2019 contributed $46.1 billion to the state’s GDP.
Gabe Vasquez’s vote against HR 1 was a slap in the face to the 61,720 energy jobs in NM-02 where taxes from oil and gas production fund a large portion of the public school system and 25% of state and local budgets.
It is noted in the memo that some of the provisions within H.R. 1, the Lower Energy Costs Act, saw high approval from registered voters and independents, such as the development of domestic sources for energy instead of relying on other countries and supporting policies that would speed up government review of energy infrastructure project applications to allow them to be built faster.
“When Members put an extreme anti-energy ideology over the practical concerns of their districts, the ad scripts write themselves.” the memo added.
Jacob Bliss is a reporter for Breitbart News. Write to him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter @JacobMBliss.
