#GOP unveils agenda in bid to oust Pelosi as Speaker of the House

House Republicans on Tuesday unveiled a set of legislative promises in an effort to rally support for ousting Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

The “Commitment to America” contains 17 agenda items and resembles the eight-point Contract with America that in 1994 helped Republicans retake the House for the first time in 40 years.

“Republicans helped build the greatest economy in a generation and the American way of life was thriving. We will do it again. That is our commitment to you,” House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said in a press release.

McCarthy is likely to be House speaker if Republicans can reclaim a majority of seats. Democrats currently hold a 34-seat advantage.

Republicans commit in the document to “bringing high-speed internet to every household in the United States, launching a five-year plan to fix our roads, bridges, and airports, while cutting the permitting process time in half.”

Republicans also commit to “opposing efforts to defund the police while increasing funding by $1.75 billion for better police training, community policing, and equipment, including 500,000 more body cameras.”

The document comes amid gridlock on Capitol Hill on new coronavirus stimulus legislation and on police reforms following the May killing of George Floyd by Minnesota police.

In one item, Republicans commit to “extending the $2,000 child tax credit and making permanent Opportunity Zone credits that generate $10 billion each year in poor communities.”

The document commits to tripling COVID-19 testing and funding efforts to modernize medical supplies for future pandemics.

Other agenda points are less detailed, such as a pledge to uphold First and Second Amendment rights, and to allow students to change schools.

On Tuesday, Pelosi (D-Calif.) said the House will remain in session until new stimulus legislation is passed, although that’s unlikely to happen, with Senate Democrats blocking a “skinny” GOP plan and Senate Republicans declining to spend $2 trillion as pitched by Democrats.