IN FOR A PENNY
Word is, some congressional Democrats are not ponying up to support each other. According to Punchbowl News, during a recent closed-door meeting of House Democrats, Speaker Nancy Pelosi took many to task because she’s been hearing from Dem donors who have been questioning why more House Democrats don’t donate to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), which works to elect Democrats to the House. “Put more bluntly, Pelosi was complaining about her Democratic colleagues not ponying up their dues to the DCCC,” Punchbowl wrote. Only 22 members are paid in full. So we took a look at Michigan House Dems, and were stunned to see that our representatives are hardly supporting their own. Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Dearborn), one of 16 Dems in leadership, has $869,645 cash on hand, and donated $130,000 in dues out of a goal of $450,000 – 29 percent. Retiring Rep. Brenda Lawrence (D-Southfield), with $962,130 cash on hand, has donated $10,000 to DCCC, three percent of her goal of $400,000. Both Rep. Andy Levin (D-Bloomfield Township) and Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Waterford) have given nothing so far, with Levin having over $1.1 million in the bank, and Stevens over $1.8 million after beating Levin in the August primary. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Detroit) has also not given to DCCC, and she is sitting on $1.14 million. “Frontline” members – 36 House members who are considered to be in tough races in the November election, are essentially exempt from funding the DCCC because they need that money for their own races. Both Reps. Dan Kildee (D-Flint) and Elissa Slotkin (D-Lansing) are in that category. Kildee has donated $25,000 to DCCC out of a $300,000 goal, and has almost $3.2 million cash on hand. Slotkin, however, hasn’t donated a penny of her $150,000 goal while sitting on $6.5 million.