Senate Republicans collected more than $5.75 million in March and a total of $15 million over the first three months of 2012.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee has $19.6 million in the bank heading into April and has cleared out its debt, the committee announced Thursday.
Earlier on Thursday, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee said it had raised $7.4 million in March, bringing its total cash on hand to almost $24 million and setting a record for its first-quarter haul.
House Democrats are reserving almost $32.5 million in broadcast television airtime for the fall, a show of strength that also offers a detailed look at what Democrats see as their path back to the majority.
It's the earliest the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) has ever placed such a buy, which reserves the airtime while prices are less expensive and leaves the committee with the flexibility to decide later how to divide up the time.
"By placing early, the DCCC is saving a significant amount of money and ensuring the ads have good placement," a DCCC official said.
In all, the committee has purchased time in the media markets covering 26 incumbent Republicans, seven incumbent Democrats and three open seats.
In Pennsylvania, the DCCC has reserved more than $3.5 million in Philadelphia, allowing them to potentially target Republican Reps. Patrick Meehan (Pa.), Jim Gerlach (Pa.), Charlie Dent (Pa.), Michael Fitzpatrick (Pa.) and Jon Runyan, whose New Jersey district uses the Philadelphia media market.
House Republican doctors donned their white coats Tuesday morning to
blast the healthcare reform law as critics prepared to challenge its
individual mandate in the Supreme Court.
Most of the Republican lawmakers' complaints focused on why the bill
was bad policy, not why it was unconstitutional. In case the political
ramifications of their comments were too subtle, a banner hanging over Republican National Committee's doorway read "Happy birthday, Obamacare! We didn't forget you."
"The 2010 healthcare takeover was an attempt to provide something
good for the American people that unfortunately represents very bad
medicine," said Rep. Nan Hayworth (R-N.Y.), an ophthalmologist. "Our
motto … as doctors is 'First, do no harm.' The 2010 health law does
grievous harm: It disrespects what has made American medicine the
greatest in the world."
Hayworth went on to say that Congress
needs to "expand that opportunity to far more Americans," a reference to
Republican plans to craft replacement legislation that are currently
under discussion as House leaders seek to devise alternative solutions
ahead of the November election.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee raised more than $6.3 million last month in what it said was its best February ever.
House Democrats ended February with $16.4 million in the bank and no debt. The DCCC spent $3 million in February and has raised more than $73 million so far this cycle.
The National Republican Congressional Committee has not released its totals, which aren't due to federal officials until Tuesday. In January, the NRCC raised $4.8 million while the DCCC raised $6 million. Republicans had $17.5 million on hand, putting them about $4.5 million ahead of Democrats as of the end of January.
Senate Democrats announced earlier Monday that they had raised $5.3 million in February, marking three straight months of raising more than the month before.
The Republican National Committee and Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee both refocused their attention on healthcare Monday morning.
The DCCC announced robocalls against vulnerable House Republicans on Medicare, while the RNC put out a memo sardonically titled "Happy Birthday, ObamaCare."
Healthcare is likely to reemerge as a major issue in the coming weeks: House Republicans plan to vote again on a budget that would include Rep. Paul Ryan's (R-Wis.) plan to privatize Medicare, while President Obama's signature policy achievement will face Supreme Court scrutiny.
The RNC memo argues that the law will hurt Obama in November, and lays out a series of polls showing the law is unpopular nationally.
"As we move into the fall of 2012, what will be on the minds of voters, ObamaCare? No one bears more responsibility than Obama for his namesake law, and no one will bear more responsibility for the toll it's taking on Democrat incumbents and candidates," writes RNC political director Rick Wiley. "All this has got to give Obama a headache, and probably a tummy-ache too. Perhaps Joe Biden can find him an aspirin ... if a bureaucrat somewhere approves of it."
The DCCC's robocalls target 41 potentially vulnerable House Republicans, arguing they have repeatedly pushed to cut Medicare. "Republicans in Washington have a new budget that chooses millionaires over Medicare," says one version of the script. "House Republicans ... demand seniors who earned their Medicare benefits spend thousands more, but refuse to end tax loopholes and giveaways for millionaires. It's just not fair and it's not right. We all agree Washington needs to cut spending, but it should be done the right way, not on the backs of seniors."
How the parties describe their positions on healthcare in general — and Medicare specifically — is crucial to their electoral success, especially in states with large numbers of senior citizens such as Ohio, Pennsylvania and Florida. The next few weeks are likely to see another battle to frame the issue, as both sides seek to say the other wants to dismantle Medicare.
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