Right warns GOP agenda can’t stop at Trump’s tax law

Top conservatives have a message for GOP leadership: Tax cuts alone won’t stave off a Democratic wave in November.While they have disagreements about what should come next on the 2018 agenda, conservatives say Republicans need to keep their foot on the gas pedal. That means continuing to push “bold” new legislation — on things like infrastructure, criminal-justice reform and pharmaceutical reform — while also selling their historic tax overhaul that Trump signed into law in December.

The warnings from conservatives come as a new CNN poll found that 54 percent of registered voters said they would back a Democrat in their congressional district this year, while 38 percent said they would support a Republican. The new figures mark a shift toward Democrats; in January, Democrats led Republicans on the generic ballot by just 5 points, 49 percent to 44 percent, following the GOP’s tax cuts becoming law.“History shows it’s a very difficult cycle in general for Republicans, the party in power, but especially for the House,” said Tim Phillips, president of the conservative outside group Americans for Prosperity, who has been sounding the alarm about a possible blue wave in November.

If Republicans lose a net 24 seats, “we’ll have [Rep.] Nancy Pelosi [D-Calif.] back as Speaker, which is a terrible thought for anyone who wants freedom and prosperity and the economy to keep moving forward,” he said.