House Republicans are so determined to have members fulfill their fundraising quotas this year that they have enlisted two of their own to act as the NRCCs repo team.
With the blessing of Pete Sessions (Texas) chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee Reps. Kevin Brady (Texas) and Tom Cole (Okla.) have assembled a 14-member whip team whose only mission is to collect dues from members who have failed to meet their fundraising goals or else.
Its a brutal exercise in peer pressure" said Cole. This is a critical point for us."
Cole said the stakes are too high to let any outstanding debts slide since for first time in several years Republicans have great opportunities to pick up seats in a host of House races.
But with the wider field comes the greater need for cash and there Cole said the GOP still has a problem.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee on Tuesday reported raising $9.77 million in March while the NRCC raised $8 million.
The DCCC ended March with $26 million in cash on hand compared with $10 million that the NRCC had at the end of last month.
If we dont have the money its fully on the shoulders of the members" Cole said.
Cole said each member of the whip team would be given a list of members who are not meeting their fundraising obligations. If they are not able to collect the funds Cole said he and Brady would step in for batting cleanup."
We are basically backing them into a corner and badgering them" Cole said adding that if he and Brady cant convince the offending member then leadership would step in. Minority Leader John A. Boehner loves hearing excuses why people cant perform."
While little can be done to punish members who do not give to the committee Sessions told Roll Call that the slight would not be soon forgotten.
We want everybody to be all in" he said and those that are not will be duly noted."
Last year Boehner and other leaders repeatedly asked members during closed-door meetings to pony up outstanding financial commitments; at one meeting members with unpaid balances were handed envelopes and encouraged to fill it with the money they still owed the committee.
At the Republican retreat in January Rep. Jeb Hensarling (Texas) called on members who had fulfilled their obligations to the NRCC and gave them shirts printed with the words I Want It Back." He then told those Republicans who had not fulfilled their dues requirement that if they paid up that day he would match their contributions and give them the credit for the extra funds.
Republican leaders focus on member dues appears to be paying off.
While in the first 12 months of the cycle the NRCC collected about one-third of the Democrats $16.3 million in transfers from member campaign committees Republicans won the transfer war in January and February.
In that period Republican members transferred $2.3 million to the NRCC while the DCCC received $700000 in transfers.
And while several members who have yet to pay their NRCC assessment" a combination of member dues and fundraising requirements for the partys March dinner only a few have given nothing to the fundraising committee.
Reps. Henry E. Brown Jr. (S.C.) Brian Bilbray (Calif.) and Phil Roe (Tenn.) have not donated to the NRCC yet this cycle and Elton Gallegly (Calif.) Timothy V. Johnson (Ill.) and Peter Hoekstra (Mich.) also appear to have not contributed. Parker Griffith (Ala.) who switched to the GOP in December is also not recorded as having donated to his new party yet according to a review of the latest fundraising reports to the Federal Election Commission.
Amanda Wilson a spokeswoman for Roe said the freshman lawmaker has been working hard to raise money for the committee and plans to fulfill his fundraising commitment.
He is on a solid pace with this effort to help ensure that the NRCC has the resources to help Republicans get elected and reclaim the majority" she wrote in an e-mail.
Hoekstras office declined to comment however the lawmaker is currently running for governor of his home state.
Brown who announced earlier this year he would retire from the House is running for Berkeley County Supervisor in his home state.
Steve Danon Bilbrays chief of staff said Bilbray has been focusing on raising money for his re-election since his seat remains a Democratic target in 2010.
Cole indicated like bill collectors in the real world no excuses would be taken.
We will approach every member multiples times until they pay their dues" he said. We need every member to participate."
House Republicans are so determined to have members fulfill their fundraising quotas this year that they have enlisted two of their own to act as the NRCCs repo team.
With the blessing of Pete Sessions (Texas) chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee Reps. Kevin Brady (Texas) and Tom Cole (Okla.) have assembled a 14-member whip team whose only mission is to collect dues from members who have failed to meet their fundraising goals or else.
Its a brutal exercise in peer pressure" said Cole. This is a critical point for us."
Cole said the stakes are too high to let any outstanding debts slide since for first time in several years Republicans have great opportunities to pick up seats in a host of House races.
But with the wider field comes the greater need for cash and there Cole said the GOP still has a problem.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee on Tuesday reported raising $9.77 million in March while the NRCC raised $8 million.
The DCCC ended March with $26 million in cash on hand compared with $10 million that the NRCC had at the end of last month.
If we dont have the money its fully on the shoulders of the members" Cole said.
Cole said each member of the whip team would be given a list of members who are not meeting their fundraising obligations. If they are not able to collect the funds Cole said he and Brady would step in for batting cleanup."
We are basically backing them into a corner and badgering them" Cole said adding that if he and Brady cant convince the offending member then leadership would step in. Minority Leader John A. Boehner loves hearing excuses why people cant perform."
While little can be done to punish members who do not give to the committee Sessions told Roll Call that the slight would not be soon forgotten.
We want everybody to be all in" he said and those that are not will be duly noted."
Last year Boehner and other leaders repeatedly asked members during closed-door meetings to pony up outstanding financial commitments; at one meeting members with unpaid balances were handed envelopes and encouraged to fill it with the money they still owed the committee.
At the Republican retreat in January Rep. Jeb Hensarling (Texas) called on members who had fulfilled their obligations to the NRCC and gave them shirts printed with the words I Want It Back." He then told those Republicans who had not fulfilled their dues requirement that if they paid up that day he would match their contributions and give them the credit for the extra funds.
Republican leaders focus on member dues appears to be paying off.
While in the first 12 months of the cycle the NRCC collected about one-third of the Democrats $16.3 million in transfers from member campaign committees Republicans won the transfer war in January and February.
In that period Republican members transferred $2.3 million to the NRCC while the DCCC received $700000 in transfers.
And while several members who have yet to pay their NRCC assessment" a combination of member dues and fundraising requirements for the partys March dinner only a few have given nothing to the fundraising committee.
Reps. Henry E. Brown Jr. (S.C.) Brian Bilbray (Calif.) and Phil Roe (Tenn.) have not donated to the NRCC yet this cycle and Elton Gallegly (Calif.) Timothy V. Johnson (Ill.) and Peter Hoekstra (Mich.) also appear to have not contributed. Parker Griffith (Ala.) who switched to the GOP in December is also not recorded as having donated to his new party yet according to a review of the latest fundraising reports to the Federal Election Commission.
Amanda Wilson a spokeswoman for Roe said the freshman lawmaker has been working hard to raise money for the committee and plans to fulfill his fundraising commitment.
He is on a solid pace with this effort to help ensure that the NRCC has the resources to help Republicans get elected and reclaim the majority" she wrote in an e-mail.
Hoekstras office declined to comment however the lawmaker is currently running for governor of his home state.
Brown who announced earlier this year he would retire from the House is running for Berkeley County Supervisor in his home state.
Steve Danon Bilbrays chief of staff said Bilbray has been focusing on raising money for his re-election since his seat remains a Democratic target in 2010.
Cole indicated like bill collectors in the real world no excuses would be taken.
We will approach every member multiples times until they pay their dues" he said. We need every member to participate."
