Didn’t see this coming:
House conservatives are decrying an attempt by Republican leaders to loosen campaign spending limits, banding Democrats together with antiestablishment Republicans and opening up a rare intra-party split on an issue that usually unites the GOP.
The dustup comes as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is pushing to do away with limits on spending by political parties in coordination with candidates. As first reported by Politico, McConnell is trying to attach a provision to the omnibus spending bill that would allow party groups, such as the Republican National Committee and the Democratic National Committee, to spend unlimited sums in coordination with party nominees.
That would allow the parties to finance advertisements and other campaign needs in coordination with candidates, as long as the money is not directly donated to the candidates.
Members of the House Freedom Caucus, however, are arguing that the measure is an attempt by the GOP establishment to consolidate power to box out candidates who do not toe the party line, and they are making it one of their top targets in negotiations over must-pass spending legislation. Rep. Mick Mulvaney, a founding member of the Freedom Caucus, said Tuesday that loosening the limits would send the wrong message as GOP voters are clamoring for a party outsider in the presidential election.