Daily Archives: May 15, 2022

To pollsters who have tracked the race, Ozs failure to separate from the field has been tied up in Barnettes rise. The largest faction in the Republican primary are the strong Trump voters, Berwood Yost, who directs the Franklin & Marshall College poll, told me. Although they might have been expected to follow Trump into Ozs column, in fact, about half are for Oz and half are for Barnette. At the May 4th debate, when one of the moderators asked Barnette to address Trumps endorsement of her opponent, Barnette hinted at a disconnect between the President and his followers, MAGA does not belong to President Trump, she said. Our values never shifted to President Trumps values. It was President Trump who shifted and aligned with our values.

Pennsylvania is at once the tipping-point state in American politicsit voted twice for Barack Obama, for Trump in 2016, and then for Biden in 2020, all by very narrow marginsand perhaps the most transformed by the political upheavals of the past decade. The rich suburbs of the four Philadelphia collar counties, not long ago the heart of the states Republican Party, have swung sharply toward the Democrats, while the post-industrial cities and towns in the states interior have evolved from slightly Republican to overwhelmingly Republican. The line of political demarcation between the western Philadelphia suburbs of Chester County and the right-wing countryside, Mastrianos home base and one part of Republican Pennsylvania that is not poor and not declining, is now among the sharpest in the country.

That line also separates the suburban areas where the Republican Party still has organizational infrastructure from those where it has to work through proxies. Barley, the Harrisburg Republican, who was the campaign manager to the last Republican governor of the state, Tom Corbett, told me that, in the collar counties, the local Republican Party is still well funded and still gets its voters to the polls. But, in more rural counties where the Republican vote is growing, Barley went on, the Party organizations are generally pretty weak, in part because of the conservative grass roots post-Tea Party antipathy for the Republican establishment, and in part because wealthy donors increasingly invest in individual campaigns rather than in the infrastructure of the Republican Party. To drum up Republican votes in rural Pennsylvania, Barley said, Youve gotta find the people who are like the organizers, right? And typically its not the Party. Its the Trump-type patriot groups.

Another change is that the purported lanes of the Republican electorate have lost some salience. Traditionally, candidate preferences among conservatives have been driven by their issue preferencesfor instance, whether they identify more strongly with socially conservative positions or economic ones. But, to whatever degree such distinctions once drove the choices of Republican voters, Brock McCleary, a Republican pollster who often works in Pennsylvania, told me, It is less so now. On the conservative side, he said, it orbits around Trump, and its not driven by the definition between very conservative and somewhat conservative or any difference along there.

In the Pennsylvania Senate race, the establishment resistance to these changes organized itself around the candidacy of David McCormick, who, as a West Pointer, the husband of Powell, and the C.E.O. of the investment behemoth Bridgewater Advisors, was perfectly positioned to organize the Party behind him, or buy what he couldnt organize. One of his prominent campaign advisers, Kristin Davison, helped the Republican millionaire Glenn Youngkin win the governorship in Virginia last year.

Recently, I caught up with the McCormick campaign at a low-ceilinged American Legion hall in Wilkes-Barre, and, for a minute or two, I could almost see it: a fire-hydrant-shaped man who had once co-captained the wrestling team at West Point, McCormick exuded optimism and energy, and organized his stump speech around reversing Bidens inflationary economic policies, liberalizing the rules around fracking, and getting tougher on China. As an airborne officer from the first Gulf War, he had some built-in loyalty among the crowd of veteransAirborne! one man shouted, just as McCormick took the stage. But, toward the end, as the businessman tried to pivot to his closing message, a woman spoke up, a little tersely, from the back of the crowd. What about election integrity? she asked. I didnt hear anything on that. McCormick, looking eager to please, stepped toward her, and said he favored voter-I.D. laws, but she looked unmoved. She called out, What about censorship? She wanted to assess him against the MAGA positions. Watching McCormick try to respond, I thought, Good preacher, wrong congregation.

For half a decade, an unavoidable topic in political conversation has been the way Trump has transformed the Republican Party. The new entity is coarser, more pugnacious, hostile to immigration and overseas business, and open to talking trash about big corporations, if not to raising their taxes. Those changes, and the capitulation of the Republican Party to Trump, have defined conservatism ever since. But the rise of Mastriano and Barnette in the Pennsylvania elections suggests that the dominant faction in Republican politics, the Trump conservative, is no longer animated by the fights that the former President picks, or the candidates he champions, so much as by the broader conflicts between secular liberalism and religious conservatism. The energizing campaigns for grassroots conservatives in 2022 have mostly been about strengthening anti-abortion laws and stopping groomers in public schools and their abettors in the Democratic Party. The most of-the-moment conservative politicians project fearlessness. You think Ron DeSantis is good? Mastriano joked, at a rally he held last weekend. Amateur. These campaigns share the Trump style, but they are also more rooted in social conservatism than Trump himself ever was. Among the most interesting questions for Republicans in the coming months will be: How will the emphasis on social conservatism within the grass roots shift the balance of power in the Party, and how effective will Trump be at co-opting it?

Recently, there has been a flurry of Republican activity to keep the nominations from Mastrianos and Barnettes reach. The results have been mixed. Sean Hannity, who had endorsed Oz, went after Barnette on his television show, arguing that she has never been vetted and reading from past tweets of hers in which she had said Trumps moral character is questionable and had called Barack Obama a Muslim. Meanwhile, the Club for Growth, seemingly out to defeat Oz and Trump above all else, suddenly endorsed Barnette, and bought two million dollars worth of ads to support her. It was easy enough to see the evidence of panic, but near impossible to see anything like effective cordination.

A Party establishment that has gone so far to appease Trump now lacks both a way to appeal to Trump conservatives and a credible alternative vision. Mastriano is going to get every single election-denier vote, Ryan Costello, a former Republican congressman from Chester County, said. If thats your issue, hes the only candidate who has said the exact things you think and feel. Barnette, he added, held a similar position in the Senate race. But Costello, who has criticized the Partys transformation under Trump, also thought that the McCormick campaign had made a strategic mistake in courting Trumps inner circle and chasing a Trump endorsement. I would make the argument that McCormick would be in a stronger position if he had not chosen to play in the Trump sweepstakes, Costello said. He was trying to say to the Republican electorate, Hey, Im the Trump Republican, not Oz. I asked Costello, who is forty-five and had been widely discussed as a potential candidate for Senate or governor, whether there was still a path for an anti-Trump Republican. When I looked at the race, that was my thesis, Costello said. And I think it will hold true. But it was hard to ignore that Costello, as well positioned as anyone in Pennsylvanias Republican Party, had decided not to run in 2022.

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The Strange Post-Trump Politics of the Pennsylvania Republican Primaries - The New Yorker

WASHINGTON Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the minority leader, visited Ukraine on Saturday to meet with President Volodymyr Zelensky, leading the latest delegation of American lawmakers to the country as the United States deepens its commitment to Kyivs fight against the Russian invasion.

The surprise visit by Mr. McConnell, who was accompanied by three other Republican senators, comes as the Senate is working to pass a $40 billion emergency military and humanitarian aid package for Ukraine. It follows a string of other clandestine visits, including by the first lady, Jill Biden, and Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

The trip, a rare international visit for Mr. McConnell, highlights the widespread bipartisan support for Ukraine in Washington as the country tries to fend off Russias invasion, even as questions remain about the Biden administrations overall strategy toward the conflict and the scope of American assistance.

The visit was first disclosed by Mr. Zelenskys office, and Mr. McConnell later released a statement confirming it after he said the delegation had left Ukraine. The group, he said, affirmed that the United States would sustain our support until Ukraine wins this war.

It was inspiring to visit the historic capital of a beautiful country that has been forced to fight for its own survival, Mr. McConnell said. We saw firsthand the courage, unity and resolve of the Ukrainian people.

Mr. McConnell was joined by Senators John Barrasso of Wyoming, a member of his leadership team and the Foreign Relations Committee; John Cornyn of Texas, a member of the Intelligence Committee; and Susan Collins of Maine, who sits on both the Intelligence Committee and the Appropriations Committee, which oversees government funding.

Defending the principle of sovereignty, promoting stability in Europe and imposing costs on Russias naked aggression have a direct and vital bearing on Americas national security and vital interests, Mr. McConnell said in his statement. It is squarely in our national interest to help Ukraine achieve victory in this war and to help Ukraine and other countries deter other wars of aggression before they start.

On Thursday, the Senate failed to expedite passage of the $40 billion emergency package for Ukraine as one Republican senator, Rand Paul of Kentucky, refused to agree to waive procedural hurdles and approve the measure without being granted an opportunity to add a proposal establishing an inspector general to oversee how the money is spent.

The measure is still expected to pass as soon as next week.

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McConnell and Other Republican Senators Make Secret Visit to Ukraine - The New York Times

The three Republicans running in Iowa's 3rd Congressional District argued in a live televised debate Saturday against a $40 billion aid package to Ukraine without increased oversight of those funds.

Businesswoman Nicole Hasso, retired farmer and activist Gary Leffler and state Sen. Zach Nunnall are competing for the Republican Party's nomination, and they made their cases directly to Iowans as early voting is set to launch this week. The winner of the Republican primary will take on Democratic incumbentU.S. Rep. Cindy Axne in November.

Democratic President Joe Biden has called for increased aid to Ukraine as itfights to fend off a Russian invasion. A $40 billion aid package passed the U.S. House of Representatives earlier this week, passing overwhelmingly on a 368-57 vote. All four of Iowa's representatives, including three Republicans and one Democrat,voted to approve the package.

More: A fired-up mom, a zealous farmer, a military veteran: Who will win the GOP nod for Iowa's 3rd District?

But the legislationstalled in the U.S. Senate after Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., demanded that leaders designate a federal watchdog to oversee its spending. Republican and Democratic leaders had been united in their intention to advance aid quickly.

Saturday's debate moderators asked the three candidates whether they believe there should be a limit on how much money the U.S. sends to Ukraine.

Hasso, who works in the financial services industry, answered first.

"You know, I truly believe there is at limit that the U.S. should have as far as sending aid to Ukraine," she said. "Right now, we have a supply-chain issue. And our moms are trying to feed their babies. We need oversight. What are they doing with that money? What is in this bill? What are we sending them money for? We need to have accountability."

The moderators asked Hasso if she had a dollar figure in mind for when to cut off aid. Hasso said, "This bill is enough.

"We have to take care of America first," she said. "There is nothing wrong with putting America first."

Leffler, who has also worked in financial services, answered next, criticizing Washington leaders who were, for a short time, buying Russian oil while also sending aid to Ukraine, he said. Biden has since banned the importation of Russian oil.

More: Iowa 3rd District GOP candidates say all abortions should be illegal as Supreme Court weighs Roe v. Wade

"So in essence, we were funding both sides of that conflict," Leffler said. "And that's how screwed up things get in Washington."

Like Hasso, he also appeared to suggest domestic issues should take priority.

"How can we fund what's going on there if saying the security of Ukraine is more important than our own border?" he said.

Nunn, whois a lieutenant colonel and commands the 233rd Intelligence Squadron, 132nd Wing in the Iowa Air National Guard, answered last. He did not say directly whether he would have supported the aid package, but he suggested oversight is the most important issue going forward.

"I believe there needs to be oversight of any bill that provides additional funding to Ukraine," he said. "More importantly, we have the ability to deliver real weapons right now, not billions of U.S. tax dollars to Ukraine. MiG-29s out of Poland, surface-to-air missiles from Eastern European states that's what the Ukrainians are asking for. Let's give them that and let them protect their civilian population."

This was the second televised debate featuring the three candidates. Early voting begins Wedne, and the primary election is June 7.

Brianne Pfannenstiel is the chief politics reporter for the Register. Reach her at bpfann@dmreg.com or 515-284-8244. Follow her on Twitter at @brianneDMR.

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Iowa's 3rd District GOP candidates say more oversight needed of US aid to Ukraine - Des Moines Register

Negotiators in the New Hampshire House and Senate will meet Monday to take up the latest Republican-proposed congressional redistricting map for the state.

The map, first released Friday, places New Hampshire's two incumbent members of Congress, Democrats Chris Pappas and Annie Kuster, in the same district.

The plan does so by moving Pappas home city of Manchester from the 1st District to the 2nd District.

The map also relocates a string of Republican-voting towns now in the 2nd District Hudson, Salem, Windham, Pelham and Atkinson to the 1st District.

Unlike previous Republican redistricting efforts this year, the latest plan bears some visual resemblance to New Hampshires current congressional map.

It keeps the southeastern part of the state in the 1st District; the western part of the state and the entire North Country would meanwhile remain part of the 2nd District.

But like other GOP-drawn maps, the overall effect would be to tilt the 1st District more Republican, and the 2nd District more Democratic.

Negotiations over this plan will be led by Rep. Barbara Griffin of Goffstown, and Sen. Jim Gray of Rochester, both Republicans.

In a joint statement issued Friday, Griffin and Gray, who chaired their chambers respective redistricting committees, called this proposal constitutional and fair.

The map that we have created honors both of those important goals, they said.

Negotiators have until Thursday afternoon to send a map to the full House and Senate for votes. May 27 is the deadline for lawmakers and Gov. Sununu to agree to a map before New Hampshires Supreme Court moves to impose one of its own.

The court ruled last week, in a case brought by Democrats, that using current maps, passed a decade ago, for 2022 elections was unconstitutional due to population changes over the past decade.

The justices also ruled that any court-drawn map would alter current maps, drawn by Republicans in 2012, as little as possible, an approach the justices termed least change.

Sununu hasnt weighed in publicly on this latest GOP plan. He has promised to veto the only map to clear both the House and Senate in March on the grounds it would guarantee political outcomes.

Republican leaders took little interest in a map Sununu later proposed. They also rejected a Democratic map that would leave current districts unchanged save for moving the Republican-voting town of Hampstead from the 1st District to the 2nd District.

Sununu has for months indicated that his support for any map is contingent on it having two competitive districts that candidates from either party could plausibly win.

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State House Republicans take another stab at redrawing lines for N.H.'s congressional districts - New Hampshire Public Radio

HENDERSONVILLE, N.C. When Representative Madison Cawthorns name comes up in this city of 14,000, where he was born and raised and it is not difficult to bump into someone who knew him from his home-schooling days, there tends to be a visceral reaction.

There are sighs from Republicans who elected him to his first term in November 2020 and met his meteoric rise in Washington with the praise and excitement reserved for a hometown hero only to be disappointed by his behavior and bad press ever since.

There are groans and looks of utter disgust from people with Democratic and independent leanings some of whom have chosen to cast a ballot in a Republican primary for the first time in hopes of removing him from office.

And there are eye-rolls and shrugs from his die-hard supporters, America First conservatives after the fashion of Donald J. Trump, who chalk up Mr. Cawthorns controversies to youthful indiscretion and instead reserve their opprobrium for the liberal media, Democrats, his Republican opponents and political groups with deep pockets.

I dont care what hes done, said Moiena Gilbert, 77, a retired certified nursing assistant who pulled up in an old Ford pickup to cast an early vote this week at Henderson Countys Board of Elections. I am going to vote for the man.

What there is not a lot of is indifference. In this southwestern corner of the state, a largely working-class and Republican stronghold set against the Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains, it seems as if nearly everyone has made up his or her mind on the young firebrand once seen as the future of the Republican Party.

In interviews with more than 30 voters in Mr. Cawthorns 11th Congressional District, including nearly two dozen registered Republicans, it was clear that his support had weakened, even among hard-right Trump followers who said Mr. Cawthorns immaturity and lack of focus on his constituents had led them to disregard his endorsement by the former president and give one of his rivals their vote.

Mr. Cawthorn needs to garner only 30 percent of the vote on Tuesday to avoid a runoff in a crowded field split among seven other challengers. They are led by Chuck Edwards, a state senator who has the endorsements of most members of the Legislature from his district, and Michele Woodhouse, the elected Republican chair of Mr. Cawthorns district who once was among his staunch supporters.

Whether Mr. Cawthorn can dodge a runoff has been a constant source of debate in his hometown among friends, co-workers and in Christian circles.

I think there is a lot of support for Madison they just may be afraid to tell you, said one Baptist deacon leaving the Bethany Bible Church after a Wednesday night Bible study.

Chip Worrell, 62, a charter member of the same church and a woodworker who helped erect its building, disagreed.

I dont think he is going to be re-elected, he said.

Mr. Cawthorn, 26, who was injured in a car crash at 18, has seldom been out of the headlines since making his first run for Congress in 2020, when it emerged that he had made up parts of his autobiography. He falsely claimed his injuries had kept him from attending the Naval Academy, but admitted in court that it had already rejected him. Young women at the conservative Christian college he attended before dropping out accused him of sexual harassment.

Elected in 2020 as the youngest member ever to serve in the House, he helped spread Mr. Trumps stolen-election lies and aligned himself with other incendiary far-right representatives, Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Lauren Boebert of Colorado.

But his re-election campaign has been marred by a seemingly endless series of embarrassing reports beginning when he claimed that people he looked up to in Washington had invited him to orgies and used cocaine. (The remark drew a scolding from the House Republican leader, Kevin McCarthy.)

The revelations ranged from traffic violations, like driving with a revoked license, to two incidents in which he brought a loaded gun to an airport. Politico published photos of Mr. Cawthorn in lingerie. The Washington Examiner reported his involvement in a cryptocurrency scheme and suggested it may have violated federal insider trading laws. And nude photos and videos have circulated showing him in sexually suggestive antics, in what appeared to be attempts to raise questions about Mr. Cawthorns sexuality.

Mr. Cawthorns campaign did not respond to requests for comment. Writing on Twitter, he told supporters that he and a friend had simply been joking around crassly.

I told you there would be a drip drip campaign, he wrote. Blackmail wont win. We will.

Democrats have criticized some of the attacks for stirring homophobia. Supporters in Mr. Cawthorns district see the leaks as the work of his opponents or of G.O.P. leaders like Mr. McCarthy.

But a super PAC created to oust Mr. Cawthorn, which has held itself out as a clearinghouse of damaging information about him, said the tips it has received have largely come from Mr. Cawthorns former aides and supporters.

From the very start, we have been focused on firing Cawthorn, but firing him in a way that was factual and honest, said David Wheeler, a Democrat who co-founded the group, American Muckrakers Inc., with Mr. Cawthorns 2020 Democratic opponent, Moe Davis.

In Henderson, Transylvania and Haywood counties, many voters recalled how Mr. Cawthorn won the seat replacing Mark Meadows, who became chief of staff in the Trump White House by modeling himself after Mr. Trump.

Why are these midterms so important? This years races could tip the balance of power in Congress to Republicans, hobbling President Bidens agenda for the second half of his term. They will also test former President Donald J. Trumps role as a G.O.P. kingmaker. Heres what to know:

What are the midterm elections? Midterms take place two years after a presidential election, at the midpoint of a presidential term hence the name. This year, a lot of seats are up for grabs, including all 435 House seats, 35 of the 100 Senate seats and 36 of 50 governorships.

What do the midterms mean for Biden? With slim majorities in Congress, Democrats have struggled to pass Mr. Bidens agenda. Republican control of the House or Senate would make the presidents legislative goals a near-impossibility.

What are the races to watch? Only a handful of seats will determine if Democrats maintain control of the House over Republicans, and a single state could shift power in the 50-50 Senate. Here are 10 races to watch in the Houseand Senate, as well as several key governors contests.

When are the key races taking place? The primary gauntletis already underway. Closely watched racesin Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Georgia will be held in May, with more taking place through the summer. Primaries run until September before the general election on Nov. 8.

Go deeper. What is redistrictingand how does it affect the midterm elections? How does polling work? How do you register to vote? Weve got more answers to your pressing midterm questions here.

Many compared his brashness to Mr. Trumps and brushed away the photos of him partying or goofing off as the digressions of a young man. Some believed them to be fake.

If I was a young kid with a cellphone, I wouldnt have a job either, said David Roberts, 33, an engineer and unaffiliated voter in Hendersonville who planned to cast a ballot for Mr. Cawthorn on Tuesday. I am not voting for him to be my best friend or date my daughter.

Less easily brushed away were Mr. Cawthorns attempts to bring guns through airport security and his traffic violations, which many saw as irresponsible considering the crash that left him in a wheelchair. Disgrace, immature and embarrassment were common refrains.

Hes broken the law. He hasnt really done anything for this district that I can think of, said Scott Tekavec, 59, a maintenance technician who said he did not usually vote Republican but decided to cast a ballot for Mr. Edwards as an expression of his disdain for Mr. Cawthorn.

Perhaps the most frequently cited objections to Mr. Cawthorn, however, were his track record of missing important votes in Congress and reports that he had moved into a newly-drawn conservative district nearby before deciding to run for re-election to his seat in the 11th District.

He isnt doing his job, Lynn Cagle, 47, a truck driver in Haywood County, said of Mr. Cawthorn as he left a senior center after voting for Mr. Edwards.

Mr. Cawthorns opponents lack his ability to draw attention, but they see an opening nonetheless. At a Hendersonville rally, Ms. Woodhouse presented herself as a true America First conservative and Mr. Cawthorn as unelectable.

And Rodd Honeycutt, a retired Army colonel, said he had voted for Mr. Cawthorn in 2020 but felt the need to challenge him this year over his lack of leadership.

There is a trend line of missteps and indiscipline, Mr. Honeycutt said, adding: Its really a distraction right now when we should be focused on kitchen-table issues like the cost of gas, or inflation, or what is going on with the war in Ukraine.

At Bethany Bible Church, Christine Tuttle, 61, a bookkeeper, and her daughter, Lizzie, 20, said they remembered Mr. Cawthorn as respected, outgoing and popular among the home-school families.

They said their image of him was tainted when young women came forward with accusations that he had forcibly kissed them.

Mrs. Tuttle said she still voted for him in 2020. He had so much promise, she said.

She and her daughter said they would not be voting for Mr. Cawthorn this time. But they said they knew plenty of people who would.

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In Madison Cawthorns District, Strong Opinions of Him, For and Against - The New York Times

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EXCLUSIVE: Top House Republicans have put together a future-forward plan to push law enforcement friendly legislation, in anticipation that the GOP will become the majority party in Congress after the November midterm elections.

Last year, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., established the American Security Task Force, which is headed by House Committee on Homeland Security ranking member John Katko, R-N.Y. Katko met with law enforcement on the front lines of the crime and border crises over the last year as part of the task force, and developed solutions that Republicans plan to implement when back in power.

The final list of four priorities, exclusively shared with Fox News Digital, include ensuring resourcing and funding for law enforcement, addressing and tackling recruitment issues, taking action to stop violence against officers and penalizing "progressive" prosecutors.

NATIONAL POLICE WEEK IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHOW COPS WE HAVE THEIR BACKS

"These pillars we came up with are trying to attack the defunding issue, but also the retention issue, and the disrespect to law enforcement issue, which is really terrible and targeted," Katko said.

Another key component of the plan is to stop more liberal district attorneys and other "soft-on-crime" prosecutors, which the GOP plans to do by stripping away federal funding.

Rep. Katko participated in the Back the Blue Bike Tour and visited the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial. (Office of Rep. John Katko)

"These progressives prosecutors are just not prosecuting cases. They're adding to the attrition rates, adding to the danger, they're adding to the animus against police officers. They're adding to the air of lawlessness for bad guys who think they can act with impunity because there are no consequences."

"A lot of them get federal dollarsWe are not going to fund progressive prosecutors' ability to become apologists for criminals anymore. We're just not going to do it," continued Katko.

The Republicans' framework is designed to ensure that law enforcement will receive necessary funding without excessive federal government "red tape" or interference. In addition, the lawmakers reference a survey that noted retirements of police officers were up by 45% in 2021 and departments were finding it difficult to fill empty positions. Their solution is to have Congress direct federal grants for recruitment use.

Rep. John Rutherford, R-Fla., a former sheriff who has over 40 years of experience in law enforcement, led the police officer pillar of the task force and helped organized listening sessions in New York City, Syracuse, Austin, Portland, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Northeast Florida and Eastern Indiana in order to come up with the GOP framework.

Katko said traveling to all the different task force events revealed the "bleak" state of law enforcement across the country, that is worse than any other point throughout his over two decades working with law enforcement.

"It really was jaw dropping never have I seen law enforcement in such a bad state. From a morale standpoint. From a statistical standpoint. And the picture seems quite bleak going forward," said Katko.

"Law enforcement are very, very supportive of what we want to do," Katko told Fox News Digital, noting that the Republicans didn't just look at statistics they went to "law enforcement representatives, unions, front line people, not to bulls--- politicians" to come up with their plan.

John Katko and Kevin McCarthy address the press during a congressional border delegation visit to El Paso, Texas, on March 15, 2021. (Justin Hamel/AFP)

Large police organization, Major Cities Chiefs Association (MCCA), endorsed the GOP plan.

"The MCCA thanks Leader McCarthy, Rep. Katko, Rep. Rutherford, and the entireAmerican Security Task Forcefor developing this framework that supports law enforcement. The MCCA participated in several of the roundtables that helped inform this work, and it is heartening to see our feedback incorporated into the final product. The legislation that this framework leads to will help address the numerous challenges facing our brave law enforcement officers," MCCA Executive Director Laura Cooper told Fox News Digital.

The lawmakers are unveiling their plan ahead of National Police Week 2022, which is aimed at honoring law enforcement and their contributions to society and recognizing valor and sacrifices of officers. The week full of events begins officially on Sunday.

LAW ENFORCEMENT SKEPTICAL OF BIDEN'S 'ILL-TIMED' PIVOT TO EXECUTIVE ORDERS ON POLICE REFORM: 'NOT SUSTAINABLE'

"The Democratic Party across this country caused these problems. And the American people are not stupid, they're not going to buy what the administration's laying out," said Katko.

"If the administration was truly sincere and really wanted to fix this problem, they'd call leadership in the Republican Party and sit down with them. They haven't, I haven't received one phone call from anybody in the Biden administration, and they know I'm the head of this task force. They're not interested in trying to find solutions, they're interested in trying to find political solutions. And that's really unfortunate," Katko told Fox News Digital.

Katko says he expects to get support from a "healthy number" of Democrats heading into the midterms because polling indicates Americans are supportive of law enforcement funding.

A few House Democrats on Thursday led by Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., held a bipartisan press conference expressing displeasure with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., for refusing to put their pro-law enforcement bill on the floor.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., delivered remarks on the Senate floor Thursday to kick off Police Week.

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"Yesterday, we observed the beginning of ceremonies honoring National Police Week. Soon we will mark Peace Officers Memorial Day. Tens of thousands of law enforcement personnel from across the country will gather here in our nations capital to honor the service and sacrifice of their fallen brothers and sisters," said McConnell.

"Americas law enforcement personnel are always there when we need them most. The least Congress can do is have their backs."

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Republican leadership unveils 'back the blue' legislative priorities in anticipation of midterms red wave - Fox News