And here’s this week’s edition of the NRSC Weekly Rundown:
National: Millions of Americans are set to see an increase in their paychecks thanks to the passage of the GOP tax relief plan. An outpouring of companies continue to announce pay raises and bonuses, including Visa and Darden Restaurants, parent company of Olive Garden and LongHorn Steakhouse.
National: Walmart, the largest private employer in the U.S., announced wage raises, bonuses and expanded paid maternity/paternity leave. How are red state Democrats going to explain their no vote as their states’ largest employer’s embrace the GOP tax relief plan?
#MISen: Fiat Chrysler announced it is investing 1 billion dollars in the Warren Truck Assembly Plant, bringing thousands of jobs back to Michigan. Fiat Chrysler will also be giving $2,000 bonuses to 60,000 employees. Does Debbie Stabenow regret voting against a plan that’s helping thousands of Michiganders?
#FLSen: Bill Nelson called for Florida to be removed from the offshore drilling plan. But when President Trump did just that, Nelson was still…angry. Making a bad week even worse, Walmart, Florida’s largest employer, raised wages and gave bonuses to employees thanks to the tax plan Nelson opposed.
#MNSen: Tina Smith’s decision to partner with far-left Keith Ellison for one of her first public appearances should raise serious concerns about how she plans to represent Minnesota voters. Maybe more voters would be concerned if they actually knew who she was.
#MOSen: Claire McCaskill just can’t quit lying about the GOP tax relief plan. The Washington Post took notice of her comment that the plan wouldn’t help the majority of Missourians, awarding her two Pinocchios for the statement.
#MTSen: While he fundraises off of opposing dark money spending, outside organizations spent more than $1 million on Jon Tester’s behalf last year. If Tester truly opposes dark money, he should publicly denounce these liberal organizations and donate all the money that has been spent on his behalf.
#OHSen: More Ohioans are getting pay raises thanks to the GOP tax relief plan Sherrod Brown voted against. Cleveland’s Keybank and Ohio’s largest employer, Walmart, were the newest to give out wage raises and bonuses this week.
#TNSen: Phil Bredesen has failed to take a position on the tax cut legislation that is increasing Tennesseans’ paychecks. Folks deserve to know if they can count on Phil to support the historic reforms President Trump has implemented.
NEWS AND NOTES:
Are Democrats’ Senate Chances Overrated?
Just how bad is this map for Democrats? It’s bad enough that it may be the worst Senate map that any party has faced ever, or at least since direct election of senators began in 1913. It’s bad enough that Democrats could conceivably gain (for example) 35 or 40 seats in the House … and yet not pick up the two seats they need in the Senate. READ
Your paycheck may be going up soon because of tax cuts
The massive Republican tax legislation, signed into law last month by President Donald Trump, kicked in Jan. 1. Billed as a huge benefit for the stressed middle class, it brings the biggest overhaul of the U.S. tax code in three decades, reaching into every corner of American society and the economy. READ
Working-class families are winning big under Trump
The Bureau of Labor Statistics released its newest jobs report on Friday, and the data clearly show, under the pro-business policies implemented by the Trump administration, low-income and working-class families are enjoying significant economic gains not experienced in nearly 20 years. READ
Number of workers receiving unemployment benefits falls to lowest level in 44 years
The total number of workers receiving unemployment benefits fell to the lowest level in 44 years to end 2017, the Department of Labor reported Thursday. READ
Delta Sees Double Benefit From Tax Cut, Shares Rise
Delta Air Lines Inc is anticipating a double benefit from the U.S. corporate tax cut this year as it saves money on its own bill and expects an uptick in business travel as companies use tax savings to invest in generating new business. READ