WASHINGTON – A political group that backs House Republican leaders started running television and digital ads Friday to thank GOP lawmakers who voted this week for a bill funding the Homeland Security Department.
The $525,000 campaign by the American Action Network is the second round of advertising this week aimed at House Republicans on the issue. On Tuesday, they aired commercials that pressed some recalcitrant GOP lawmakers to back the bill.
The bulk of the latest effort is being spent on broadcast TV ads praising four House Republicans: Renee Ellmers of North Carolina, Susan Brooks and Todd Young of Indiana and Dan Benishek of Michigan.
"Worried about America's safety and where our economy is headed?" the narrator asks in ads that differ only in the lawmaker being thanked. "Can the damage done by Washington liberals be reversed? It starts with conservative champions like Congresswoman Susan Brooks."
The group is also running digital ads in 16 other districts. Live operators are calling voters in the districts of all 75 House Republicans who backed the bill to ask them to thank their representatives as well.
The House gave final congressional approval to the measure Tuesday.
That came after Republicans surrendered to Democrats and dropped language blocking President Barack Obama's executive actions on immigration. Most House Republicans — 167 of them — opposed the legislation anyway.
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