Ryan Nicol
U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz says she helped raise more than $1 million this cycle for Democratic candidates as her party looks to keep control of the House in 2020.
The fundraising push comes as Wasserman Schultz pursues the Chair position on the powerful House Appropriations Committee, which will open up following the November elections.
More than $400,000 of that total has been raised for members of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s (DCCC) Frontline Program. That program aims to identify vulnerable Democrats in tightly-contested races in order to boost their resources during the campaign.
A fellow South Florida Congresswoman, U.S. Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell of Florida’s 26th Congressional District, is currently on the DCCC’s Frontline list. She’s facing a challenge from a trio of Republicans including Omar Blanco, Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Giménez, and restaurateur Irina Vilariño.
“Democrats cannot effectively pass the vital legislation unless we retain our House majority, and I’m working non-stop to make sure we do both,” Wasserman Schultz said in a statement on her fundraising efforts.
“We must maintain and grow our House majority in order to pass budgets that truly reflect our Democratic values. Throughout my career, I have been committed to doing the hard work needed to accomplish those goals.”
Wasserman Schultz also cannot secure the Chair position on the Appropriations Committee if Democrats don’t keep their hold on the House, as that position would go to a member of the party in power.
The $1 million-plus claim derives from a variety of ways Wasserman Schultz has helped candidates. That includes hosting fundraisers and directly contributing to Frontline members and the DCCC. Wasserman Schultz, like all Democratic members, is also required to pay dues to the DCCC, which can run in the hundreds of thousands of dollars for a cycle.
The campaign says they raised more than $410,000 at a single DCCC event in Miami Beach in January. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi spoke at that event.
Among the other Democrats running to be the next Appropriations Chair are U.S. Reps. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut and Marcy Kaptur of Ohio. Current Chair Nita Lowey of New York is not running for reelection next year.
As for Wasserman Schultz’ own candidacy, she just crossed the $1 million mark in donations last quarter as she looks to defend her seat in Florida’s 23rd Congressional District. Her campaign has nearly $570,000 still on hand.
2 comments
Larry Gillis
February 14, 2020 at 11:50 am
WASSERMAN-SCHULTZ AS APPROPRIATIONS CHAIR?
Why don’t you just put a cattle prod to any part of me? (The effect would be the same).
She represents the hard-core worst of the Democratic Party’s tax-and-spend mentality. Under her tutelage, the Federal government would blossom even more so than it has to date.
No, no thanks, Debbie. You have just mobilized Libertarians across Florida and across the United States to do as much as they can in this election cycle.
Larry Gillis, Cape Coral
South Floridian with Sense
February 14, 2020 at 7:58 pm
Wow, Debbie–that’s more than enough money for a good haircut!
Better yet–get a real job and off of the public dole. Your longevity is a drain upon the resources that you seek to redistribute. You and your kind represent the takers of society, including politicians who have never held real jobs nor created wealth or jobs for others,
You wish to chair the Appropriations Committee? Doubtless, you want the role for the power that it brings and for the favors that you could grant. Certainly not because of any expertise.
Hasn’t your ideology and career politicians like you done enough damage? Please, for the sake of everybody, just sit down, be quiet, and get a grown-up’s hair-do.
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