NATIONAL HARBOR, MARYLAND – Former Rep. Dave Brat (R-VA) told Breitbart News at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) that House Speaker Mike Johnson should craft a “three-issue contract” with Americans addressing the national debt, the border crisis, and “endless wars.”
Breitbart News caught up with Brat on radio row at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center Thursday, where he shared his vision for a unified Republican front on several key issues in the House of Representatives heading into the November elections.
Former U.S. representative for Virginia’s 7th congressional district and member of Republican Party Dave Brat speaks as he attends a panel named “Education for Dummies” during the 2023 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in Maryland, United States on March 4, 2023. (Photo by Celal Gunes/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
“The last guy that was hugely effective was Newt Gingrich as Speaker because he had a ‘Contract with America.’ And so I want Mike Johnson, who’s a great person, and I want him – you can just have a three-issue contract,” Brat explained. “And it’s clear, everybody knows what they are: the endless wars – throw in China and Ukraine in that bucket – and then the debt – we’re $50 trillion in 10 years, according to CBO – and we’re going to grow at 1.5% for the next 20 years… and then the border invasion, which is just existential.”
Brat noted that Congressional Democrats are unified in their approach to issues, whereas Republicans often run as individuals with platforms that are tailored to their specific districts – a recipe for “disaster.”
“What no one knows is the Democrats are unified. The Republicans… there’s 220 congressmen and women; when we go into the room, our strategy is you just fund people and let them go run 220 different elections,” Brat explained. “That’s a disaster because you got some people running almost as liberals or Democrats in San Fran[cisco] or Illinois; I get why they want to do that. I sympathize. But then you can’t come together and run on these three issues that are existential for the country.”
“Trump’s up to his eyeballs in eight million issues, so he’s busy, so it’s incumbent on us to get our act together in the House,” he added. “The Senate, I just don’t think they got the juice right now; I’m not seeing enough folks with energy that have any courage and backbone to run on these three issues and to go out to the American people and rejuvenate this country. So, for me, it all hinges on Mike Johnson and the House.”
Brat particularly pointed to immigration gripes from New York Mayor Eric Adams (D) as a signal that some independents and Democrats are aligned with Republicans on the issue.
“Do you want a border invasion? Is that when you got the mayor of New York City saying, ‘My city is ruined,’ twice… that’s a hint that maybe you got some Democrats and independents on your side,” he said.
“You don’t need to go crazy land, just go get a few big issues where the American people are 80%, which they are,” Brat argued.
Breitbart News also caught up with Brexit Leader Nigel Farage at CPAC on Thursday, who said, “The world would be a better, safer place with” former President Donald Trump as America’s commander-in-chief.
