According to a report, Senate Minority LeaderMitch McConnell told his caucus that they won't have a legislative agenda before the elections in 2020.
The Kentucky Republican, who has served in the Senate for nearly 38 years, feels that the party should simply go after Democrats and their legislative policies, as opposed to the view of many donors and GOP operatives, who want to see a governing platform that would be implemented if the party can capture one
McConnell met with GOP donors and lobbyists at the Capitol Hill Club in Washington, DC, on November 16, the day after the elections.
Several lawmakers up for reelection next year met with donors at the event and spoke about their races.
McConnell was told by a donor that people in the room could point out their differences with Democrats, but only if the party presented a platform that would win races.
According to a source who spoke with the website, McConnell's response was that the party was not pursuing such a strategy.
Sources told the news outlet that McConnell's thinking is that it's not wise to put out a legislative agenda in the run up to the elections, and that he feels vindicated by the fact that Republicans won back control of the Senate in the last election.
The 1994 Republican's Party "Contract with America" laid out a set of conservative governing principles that led to the GOP taking control of the House for the first time in 40 years.
Kevin McCarthy has a different viewpoint than McConnell.
According to sources who spoke with Axios, McCarthy wants to deliver a GOP legislative agenda to the public before the elections, and has already crafted some of the party's desires in the "Parents Bill of Rights."
According to a source, McConnell told the donor that the next Republican presidential nominee would be tasked with crafting the party's agenda and that GOP lawmakers should focus on the "terrible" legislation being passed by Democrats.
The guideposts show that the party in power suffers electoral losses in a new president's first election.
A source told the website that McConnell is against the creation of a GOP platform because he thinks it will be used by Democrats.
One of the biggest mistakes challengers make is thinking campaigns are about them. No one gives a shit about that. The source said that elections are referendums on incumbents.
"Challengers need to keep the focus on what incumbents promised and point out how they failed to deliver and how that has negatively impacted voters' lives," the source said.
The chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, Sen. Rick Scott of Florida, said that assembling a single platform might be difficult.
There is a discussion that people would like to have an agreement on. It's hard to do that, that sounds good.
A McConnell spokesman wouldn't comment on the report.
