Rep. Dave Brat Tuesday pushed back on reports that affluent white-collar suburbs of major Democratic-leaning cities such as New York and Los Angeles could determine some of the most competitive seats in House elections this year, saying the working class still matters.
"Some of the stories I think are overhyped," the Virginia Democrat told Fox News' "Happening Now."
"The average income in my district is $70,000. That's not tony. So, the working-class matters."
Brat added that there are 10 million people who have left the workforce, and "we need to get them back in."
"In terms of running, the suburban mom and dads, I am one, what do they care about?" he said. "They care about their kids getting jobs. We just did a tax cut bill. We had economic growth of 1 or 2 and now looking at 3 or 4 going forward. So, people's paychecks are growing. The kids are getting jobs."
Meanwhile, Democrats put in for a tax increase last year, but Republicans did a tax cut and the economy is growing, said Brat.
"Suburban people all work for a living," he said. "They're all doing well in the economy where I live. I think that is favorable. On national defense, the Republicans just plumped up defense. We want national borders secure and want to end illegal immigration.
"The Democrats don't. . . Democrats socialized healthcare. Promised you can keep your healthcare. It's all false. You run on those issues in the suburbs, you win."
He also said he would take polling reports "with a grain of salt," pointing to his own election, when he pulled off a surprise primary victory against former Rep. Eric Cantor.
"I think we're doing good on the budget," said Brat. "All sides are not happy with the budget. We wanted to plump up the military."
Democrats, however, voted against tax cuts, but "added $400 billion in spending," he said.
"We have a winning hand," Brat said. "We have to get it out to the people."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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