Midterm elections: Republicans roll out ‘Commitment to America’

WASHINGTON: US House Republicans unveiled their "Commitment to America" on Friday, as they seek to unite around a message that will set them on the path back to power in the crucial midterm elections.

With just 45 days to go until the nationwide polls that decide who controls Congress, the party’s candidates have been keen to tout a concrete policy agenda beyond simply hammering President Joe Biden.

"We’ve spent the last year and a half -- all the Republican members in conference -- going throughout the country listening -- listening to the challenges, fighting what Democrats have been doing," House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said at an event outside Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

"And we want to roll it out to you, to the entire country, to know exactly what we will do." The agenda prioritizes the usual conservative staples of the economy, illegal immigration, the opioid crisis, combating crime and increased fossil fuel production -- all identified weaknesses for Biden.

It hits on hot-button issues that have polarized voters, such as transgender athletes in girls’ and women’s sports, in parts reflecting former president Donald Trump’s right-wing "Make America Great Again" (MAGA) agenda.

The Republicans are also focused on Democratic policies in schools, where bitter debates have played out on what many parents see as overzealous mask mandates and on the teaching of racism in America’s history.