It's a reference to the discharge petition introduced by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) last week to extend the Bush-era tax levels for the middle class but allow rates to rise for the wealthy. The petition will need 218 signatures to get to the House floor for a vote, and Democrats will be unable to achieve that majority without help from a few dozen Republicans.
The call goes on to charge that the targeted lawmaker is "holding the middle class hostage to get more reckless, budget-busting tax cuts for millionaires."
It directs the listener to go to GOPHostageTakers.com, a site launched by the DCCC last week that includes a petition for visitors to sign to "to tell Speaker Boehner
John Andrew BoehnerA warning to Ryan’s successor: The Speakership is no cakewalk With Ryan out, let’s blow up the process for selecting the next Speaker Race for Republican Speaker rare chance to unify party for election MORE and House Republicans to allow a vote on middle class tax cuts," and lists 40 House Republicans that it says are taking the middle class "hostage."
When launched last Wednesday, the site set a goal of 250,000 signatures on the petition; the DCCC says it has already received more than 400,000 signatures, and the site now lists a goal of 500,000.
The robocalls, which are only going to the districts of 35 of the 40 "hostage-takers," are a slight escalation of an effort launched last week by the DCCC to hammer Republicans on the tax issue, at a time when negotiations surrounding the fiscal cliff are heating up on Capitol Hill.
The committee also sent press releases to reporters in the districts of the 40 targeted Republicans highlighting the discharge petition. The effort is an indication Democrats believe the issue of tax cuts for the middle class will be a potent one going into the upcoming election cycle.
The targeted lawmakers are as follows:
CA-10 Jeff Denham
CA-25 Buck McKeon
CA-31 Gary Miller
CO-06 Mike Coffman
FL-02 Steve Southerland
FL-10 Dan Webster
FL-13 Bill Young
FL-27 Ileana Ros-Lehtinen
IA-03 Tom Latham
IA-04 Steve King
KS-02 Lynn Jenkins
KS-03 Kevin Yoder
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LA-04 John Fleming
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MI-01 Dan Benishek
Daniel (Dan) Joseph BenishekRepublican groups launch final ad blitz in key House battlegrounds Tea Party class reassesses record Michigan Republican to retire MORE
NE-02 Lee Terry
NJ-02 Frank LoBiondo
NJ-03 Jon Runyan
NJ-05 Scott Garrett
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NV-03 Joe Heck
NY-19 Chris Gibson
NY-22 Richard Hanna
NY-23 Tom Reed
OH-06 Bill Johnson
OH-07 Bob Gibbs
OH-16 Jim Renacci
OK-04 Tom Cole
OR-02 Greg Walden
PA-07 Pat Meehan
PA-08 Mike Fitzpatrick
SD-AL Kristi Noem
VA-02 Scott Rigell
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VA-10 Frank Wolf
Frank Rudolph WolfBolton could be the first national security chief to prioritize religious freedom House votes to mandate sexual harassment training for members and staff Trump, global religious freedom needs US ambassador to lead MORE
WA-03 Jaime Herrera Beutler
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WI-07 Sean Duffy
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WV-01 David McKinley
David Bennett McKinleyOvernight Health Care: Rep. Debbie Dingell on the pain and tragedy of the opioids crisis | DEA moves to curb opioid oversupply | Dem says Trump pick opposes VA privatization New affordable drugs advocacy group pledges six figures in first 2018 endorsement Overnight Tech: Highlights from Zuckerberg's second day of testimony | Trump signs anti-sex trafficking bill | Cambridge Analytica interim CEO steps down | IBM stops advertising on Laura Ingraham's show MORE
