Scott Powers
The American Action Network is launching a $1 million campaign with a digital ad Monday to promote the Republican tax reform package in swing congressional districts nationally, including two in Florida.
The 30-second ad “Search” targets voters in Florida’s Congressional District 18, where Republican U.S. Rep. Brian Mast faces a stout reelection challenge, and in Congressional District 26, where Republican U.S. Rep. Carlos Curbelo also faces tough competition in the 2018 election.
The ad does not mention Mast, Curbelo or anyone else in Congress. The animated video simply simulates internet searches being run on a computer screen, turning up positive responses about the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives last week.
As computer screen curser clicks on various search results, headlines appear declaring such things as, “many middle income taxpayers would see their rates drop,” “a typical family of four saves $1,223 a year under the GOP Tax Plan,” and “This is the tax cut plan America needs.”
Then, when the search question is “how can I learn more?” the curser turns up an address to passtaxreform.org, a site designed to send a message from the viewer to his or her member of Congress urging the member to support the plan.
The ads are a project of the Middle-Class Growth Initiative , a project of American Action Network launched in August to push tax reform legislation. The organization said the ad is part of a multi-pronged effort that includes advertising on digital, television, radio, direct mail, and mobile billboards in over 50 congressional districts nationwide. AAN has pledged to spend at least $22 million in efforts to support the passage of tax reform.
The new ad will run on various digital platforms including YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter, targeting viewers in 39 congressional districts nationwide, including Florida’s CD 18 and CD 26.
“The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act brings the opportunity for Congress to make meaningful tax reform a reality for hardworking Americans across the country,” AAN Executive Director Corry Bliss stated in a news release. “This plan means a tax cut upward of $1,200 for middle-class families, a chance to save, and most importantly, a chance to get ahead. Families can’t afford to keep living paycheck-to-paycheck, and they can’t wait any longer for pro-growth tax reform. It’s time for Congress to work together and swiftly pass the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.”
