Congress is heading into the midterm election season without a clear, unified message on either side, as Republicans try to remind voters of last year's legislative wins and Democrats balance pocketbook concerns against promises to hold the administration accountable.
House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., argued that Republicans have a strong record to run on, pointing to provisions from the sweeping spending package passed last summer. «We have accomplished a ton. No taxes on overtime. No taxes on tips. We raised the child care tax credit,» Emmer said. «The list goes on and on.»
But some in his own party worry that voters have already moved on. Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., conceded that Republicans missed their chance to sell those accomplishments. «It was a great message last year and we missed the opportunity, in my view, to talk about the good things we did last year,» Cramer said. He added that voters' attention spans are shrinking: «People's rearview mirror is getting shorter and shorter all the time. What you are going to do for me today is more important to them than what you tried to do a year ago.»
That anxiety has produced blunt assessments of the GOP's prospects. Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., who is retiring, predicted a brutal election cycle. «This midterm is going to be a f*cking bloodbath,» she said. «I think that both parties know everyone's putting blame on the Republicans right now.»
Democrats, meanwhile, are campaigning heavily on affordability, with grocery and fuel prices dominating voter concerns. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., said «pocketbook issues» are paramount and criticized the administration's tariff strategy as «punishing our allies and punishing their pocketbooks for no purpose.»
Yet Democrats are also promising aggressive oversight. Colorado Democratic House nominee Melat Kiros called holding Donald Trump accountable «the top priority in these next two years.» House Democratic Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., warned the administration would face scrutiny for «its corruption,» and Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., said, «We will subpoena them if we need to.»
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., rejected the idea that a focus on investigations dilutes the party's economic message. «No, because there's a cost to the American people around corruption,» Jeffries said. «Which is why the American people are demanding that action be taken and that we hold the crooks accountable.»
Not all Democrats agree. Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., said the party is better off sticking to kitchen-table issues. «There are a lot of corruption questions,» Welch said. «But I think the gold ring, the brass ring, is focusing on affordability.»
Republicans face their own internal doubts. Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., said his party lacks a coherent message and that both sides are running on little more than opposition. «We're lucky because the Democrats don't have a plan either,» Kennedy said. «Here's the strategy for both sides. 'The other guys are worse than me.'»
Some Republicans are returning to the border as a wedge issue. Sen. Katie Britt, R-Al., said, «We're going to tell the story about the closed border. I mean, President Trump has the most secure border in our history.»
A newer issue is also entering the campaign: artificial intelligence. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said Democrats have an opportunity to «put AI on the ballot» in the final weeks. Jeffries accused Republicans of dismissing concerns about AI agents going rogue, saying, «This is a serious thing. It requires urgent Congressional action and Republicans are abandoning their responsibility.»
Sen. Jon Husted, R-Ohio, who faces a competitive race, sought to merge AI concerns with affordability by championing the Ratepayer Protection Act, which passed the House 417-3. The bill would shift high utility costs from consumers living near data centers to the big tech firms operating them. «If you create the cost, you should pay the cost,» Husted said.
But Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., the top Democrat on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, blocked the measure on the spot, arguing it lacked teeth. «It's not enough for us to tell states to consider making data centers pay for grid updates, rather than voluntary pledges or suggestions to states,» Heinrich said. «Congress needs to pass real legislation with real teeth.»
Republicans believe Heinrich's objection could ultimately help them, by reinforcing their argument that Democrats are standing in the way of affordability measures. «Now there's a differentiation between Republicans and Democrats. Republicans are looking out for ratepayers. Democrats are not,» Cramer said. The Senate could revisit the data center measure before lawmakers leave Washington for the campaign trail.