By: KEVIN DERBY FROM SUNSHINE STATE NEWS
With the Independence Day holiday right around the corner, fireworks are going off in South Florida in what is expected to be one of the most competitive congressional races in the Sunshine State.
U.S. Rep. Carlos Curbelo, R-Fla, and Democrat Debbie Mucarsel-Powell both face opposition in the primaries at the end of August but the national parties are already taking aim at them.
On Monday, the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) pointed to a comment that Mucarsel-Powell made in which she said she would back U.S. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., to lead the caucus and, if Democrats take control of the chamber in November, as speaker.
“I have said from day one that I will vote for — whoever runs for leadership — I’m going to vote according to the values that are aligned with me,” Mucarsel-Powell told Politico last week. “ I have seen that Leader Pelosi has put healthcare in the forefront. She’s tackling healthcare costs, wants to reduce costs and provide more accessible healthcare. I also have seen her stand up to Dreamers. … I think that we need strong women at the table. She was the only one sitting at the table with Chuck Schumer, Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell. The only woman fighting for CHIP funding. So, the answer is yes.”
Madison Anderson of the NRCC weighed in on those comments on Monday.
“Two months ago, Debbie Mucarsel-Powell wasn’t willing to offer her full support to Nancy Pelosi. On Friday, something changed,” Anderson noted, offering a reminder that Mucarsel-Powell refused to back Pelosi at an event in May. “In May, Pelosi went down to the Sunshine State to appear with Mucarsel-Powell at a roundtable. What happened next was….awkward.
“But three days ago, she had this to say when asked if she would vote for Pelosi for speaker,” Anderson continued. “Glad we could clear that up! Debbie Mucarsel-Powell is now on the record saying that her values align with Nancy Pelosi’s values. Looking forward to reminding her of that next time she tries to call herself a moderate.”
At the end of last week, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) took aim at Curbelo for not being able to get immigration reform through the GOP controlled House and highlighted an article from Politico on the matter.
“After claiming for years that he was different from the rest of his party, Congressman Curbelo has once again been exposed as another typical Washington politician who talks big and then fails to follow through on his promises,” the DCCC noted. “The latest example, Curbelo’s failure to bring his party to the table to protect DREAMers after giving thousands in campaign contributions to anti-immigrant Republicans, lays bare a /failure [that] is now haunting him on the campaign trail in Florida’s 26th congressional district…’”
The DCCC is not alone in hitting Curbelo on the matter. On Monday, Equity Forward Action launched a new TV ad hitting Curbelo on immigration reform.
“As Representative Curbelo heads home to his district, thousands of innocent children continue to be detained in prison-like facilities. We have a simple message for Curbelo: it’s time to do your job, get to the bottom of what happened and hold the administration accountable for this inhumane and cruel policy,” said Mary Alice Carter, the executive director of Equity Forward Action. “What are members of Congress like Carlos Curbelo doing to address this crisis? They’re not passing legislation, they’re not solving the crisis, and they’re not even trying to find out how the administration planned and implemented this policy. All we hear from them is talk, when their constituents want – and deserve – action.”
