Can the GOP's Young Guns Retake the House?

GOP candidates from swing districts met this week for the NRCC's "Young Guns" candidate college. But do they have what it takes to refresh the party?

Republican candidates from swing districts across the country converged on Washington, D.C. for the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) “Young Guns” candidate college.

The Young Guns are promising candidates that the NRCC has identified as worth making a substantial investment in. Metrics vary from candidate to candidate, but typically Young Guns have to meet certain benchmarks in fundraising, communications planning, outreach strategy and online presence.

FrumForum asked the candidates what unique, perhaps atypical, idea they would bring to the table if they became a member of Congress.

It turns out there’s some hope after all – these Republican candidates had ideas! As if taking a cue from Young Guns co-founder Rep. Paul Ryan’s recent exhortation to value policies over polling, these fresh candidates – many may soon become congressmen – spoke frankly and lucidly about their policy goals.

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Rick Crawford (AR-01) proposed changing the way FEMA designated areas as ‘flood zones’. These areas, explained Crawford, force landowners to buy flood insurance even in areas where flood risk is extremely low - an unnecessary burden in tough economic times. Crawford argued that FEMA was trying to make up for budget shortfalls by expanding the flood zones, as FEMA backs the flood insurance and receives what amounts to a commission on it.

Joe Heck (NV-3), a candidate with a name appropriately reflecting the frustration of voters, is a physician and military officer. His one idea would be to strip the healthcare bill of everything unrelated to healthcare – not a bad idea. Heck claims to have read the entire bill – all 2,704 pages – three times over. “It was very tedious, very tedious,” said Heck. “I highlighted it and put little notes in the margins.”

Mick Mulvaney (SC-05) lives in a district in severe economic distress. “Unemployment in my district is above double-digits in every single county,” he said. His solution? Cut the capital gains tax to zero – something Mulvaney said he has been trying to do in South Carolina as a state representative.

Tom Ganley (OH-13) suggested that Ronald Reagan “stimulated the hell out of the economy” with tax cuts in the early 1980s, and that Republicans should do the same today. He made up for the broadness of this suggestion by pledging – one imagines half-jokingly – to hold up a stop sign in the House every time a spending increase is proposed.

Todd Young (IN-9) told FrumForum that Congress should consider a balanced budget amendment and the elimination of targeted tax credits.

Bob Dold (IL-10) insisted that the most important thing for Congress to do is to pass a budget – something that has not yet been done for this fiscal year.

Adam Kinzinger (IL-11) suggested a freeze on all discretionary spending.

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This was just a sampling of what may be a sizable incoming Republican freshman class, but the objective of this question was to test whether these candidates could think independently, whether they had thought specifically about what they would like to do if called upon to govern. By the looks of it, these candidates passed muster.

Since FrumForum is in a summer contest mood - how about you, the reader? What unique, specific policy would you like to enact as a member of Congress?