TO: Interested Parties
FR: Tyler Law, DCCC National Press Secretary
DT: April 29, 2017
RE: Paul Ryan’s 100 Days of Humiliation Threatens Republican Midterm Prospects
At the close of President Trump’s first 100 days in office, Speaker Paul Ryan is unpopular,
ineffective, and a growing threat to the entire Republican Party. Ryan’s priorities for the 115th
Congress have proven to be way out-of-touch with the American people. Most devastatingly,
Ryan has staked his Speakership on repealing the increasingly popular Affordable Care Act,
even if that means breaking his many promises to protect people with preexisting conditions.
Ryan’s misguided priorities and humiliating governing failures have taken a lasting hit on his
reputation with the American people. In just a few short months, he has put already vulnerable
House Republicans at further risk of losing their seats and damaged the entire Republican
brand ahead of the 2018 midterms.
OUT-OF-TOUCH PRIORITIES
House Republicans stumbled out of the gate on day one by attempting to gut the Office of
Congressional Ethics – the only independent ethics watchdog in the House – without warning or
bipartisan input. Predictably, the backlash was swift and brutal, resulting in negative coverage
for Republicans back home and Paul Ryan’s first humiliating defeat of the year. Ryan also made
a mockery of the Russia investigation while Republicans voted repeatedly to shield Trump’s tax
returns. And despite polling showing that only 6% of people want their personal data to be sold
without their consent, Ryan pushed through a creepy anti-privacy bill that allows internet service
providers to do just that. Always the rigid ideologue, Ryan has also demanded – against the
opposition of the vast majority of Americans and even some House Republicans – that stripping
funding for Planned Parenthood be included in any ACA repeal bill.
REPEAL & RIPOFF COLLAPSES (TWICE)
No issue has shattered the myth of Paul Ryan as policy wonk more than healthcare. After seven
years of finger-pointing, meaningless votes, and empty rhetoric, Ryan gaveled in the new
Congress fully intent on repealing ACA. But it didn’t take long before it was painfully obvious
that he had zero clue how to construct coherent healthcare legislation that could pass the
House, let alone the Senate. As proof of his predicament, Republicans quickly drafted a repeal
bill behind closed doors, without hearings, and with no outreach to Democrats.
The only thing worse than the process was the product. The long-awaited House Republican
plan would rip away coverage from 24 million Americans, raise premiums and out-of-pocket
costs, and slap an age-tax on people over 50. Repeal & Ripoff quickly garnered widespread
opposition from groups across the ideological spectrum, including AARP, the American Medical
Association, the American Hospital Association, and the National Committee to Preserve Social
Security & Medicare. With only 17% support and a Speaker who can’t organize his caucus out
of a paper bag, the bill went down in flames, prompting a round of humiliating headlines…but
not before the Speaker got 14 of his most vulnerable Republicans to walk the plank in
committee. Brilliant...
After the stunning defeat and with Ryan’s political capital at an all-time low, he embraced an
amendment to Repeal and Ripoff that would remove protections for people with preexisting
conditions while providing an exemption for members of Congress and their staff. Ryan’s
support came despite the fact that he and almost every vulnerable House Republican promised
they would never do this. Apparently he did not bother to take the caucus’ temperature or count
votes beforehand, because the bill failed to gain anywhere close to enough votes yet again.
With only 20% of people currently believing that Republicans are very likely to repeal the ACA,
Ryan’s full-throated support of ending protections for pre-existing conditions may go down as
one of the dumbest political decisions in recent memory, and he did it just in time to cap off the
first 100 days!
PLUMMETING POPULARITY FRACTURES REPUBLICANS
Paul Ryan’s approval rating and favorability are understandably in a free-fall. At the end of
March, and shortly after the first repeal failure, Ryan’s approval had dropped down to 33%.
Now, he’s sitting at a shockingly low 22% favorability rating (-18% underwater), and this poll
was taken before the latest repeal humiliation. Adding insult to injury, the NBC poll measured
the favorability of 11 political figures and institutions…Ryan came in dead last. Now, only 24%
of Americans approve of this Ryan-led Congress while the Democratic Party is a full 11 points
more popular than the Republican Party.
It’s no surprise that Trump allies and conservative pundits are already voicing frustration at
Ryan’s repeated failures throughout the past 100 days. Conservative House Republicans are
also publicly questioning Ryan’s ability to remain Speaker. Perhaps most painfully for Ryan, no
one is buying the silly pamphlet touting wonk shtick anymore.
DEMOCRATS EXPAND MAP AS REPUBLICANS RETREAT
Paul Ryan’s failure to get the job done has serious ramifications for the 2018 midterms. Based
on historical trends and President Trump’s stunning unpopularity, House Democrats have
already started the cycle on offense. The political environment has only gotten worse for House
Republicans under Paul Ryan’s “leadership." Grassroots democratic enthusiasm has forced the
NRCC and Ryan’s Super PAC to pour millions of dollars of resources into traditionally ruby red
districts while the DCCC has been aggressively recruiting top-tier candidates across an
expanded battlefield, launching new initiatives, and shattering online, grassroots fundraising
records.
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