House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries kicks off 100 days till midterms with affordability agenda - AP News

What the report says

The Associated Press reported that House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries used a Sunday campaign stop in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, to launch Democrats’ “Fighting for an Affordable America” agenda 100 days before the midterm elections. Jeffries appeared at a Steelworkers union hall with Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Bob Brooks, a retired firefighter running in Pennsylvania’s 7th District against freshman Republican Rep. Ryan Mackenzie.

According to AP, Jeffries said Democrats would emphasize reversing health care cuts, reducing everyday costs and ending the war in Iran while seeking to win the House and provide a check on President Donald Trump. The event also projected party unity after a primary season that has exposed divisions among Democrats in several states.

Mackenzie was set to hold his own 100-day marker nearby, underscoring how central the Lehigh Valley district is to both parties’ House strategies. AP noted that Trump recently visited the district to support Mackenzie and has been traveling to competitive states as Republicans try to use the presidency’s visibility to aid GOP candidates.

The race matters because control of the narrowly divided House is expected to hinge on a small number of competitive districts, even though all 435 seats are on the ballot. AP reported that Democrats are also targeting other Republican-held seats in Pennsylvania, including the 1st, 8th and 10th districts, while Republicans hope their tax-and-spending legislation and other measures will help counter the usual midterm headwinds facing the president’s party.