Club for Growth, the anti-tax group popular with conservatives, is showering Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) with praise in hopes that the centrist swing-state Democrat can be convinced to help Republicans extend President Donald Trump’s tax cuts.
A new ad from the organization offers a window into the broader lobbying effort by interest groups to sway members on both sides of the aisle on advancing Trump’s legislative agenda, however far-fetched.
“John Fetterman is not afraid to stand out … because he’s standing up for every working family in PA,” Club for Growth said in a new ad centered on Fetterman. “Everyone in Pennsylvania will benefit if Fetterman helps extend and expand Trump’s tax cuts, stopping the largest tax increase in history.”
The 30-second spot also featured a clip of Fetterman boasting his bipartisan streaks and concluded with a call to action: “Tell him: Keep fighting for PA, extend and expand Trump’s tax cuts, John.”
The group’s direct appeal for Fetterman to get behind Trump’s broader agenda, which includes extending 2017-era tax cuts and other policies on the economy, energy, and border security, is unlikely to work. Fetterman voted last month against a budget blueprint for the so-called reconciliation bill, which Trump and Republicans have dubbed the “big, beautiful bill.”
“I will never support any bill that strips Medicaid, Medicare, or SNAP benefits from Americans to bankroll tax cuts for billionaires,” Fetterman said at the time. “Pennsylvania deserves better than this and I’ll keep fighting for a government that serves the people, not special interests.”
Club for Growth is also weighing other yet-to-be-named lawmakers to target as congressional Republicans race to lock down enough support in their slim majorities, according to a source. The Fetterman ad aired on Fox News over the weekend and could be rerun in the future depending on how Republicans proceed on tax cuts.
FETTERMAN’S FREQUENT SENATE ABSENCES ADD TO PILING CONTROVERSIES
Fetterman can “truly put Pennsylvanians before party politics and make even more woke socialist heads explode” if he supports making the cuts permanent, Club for Growth President David McIntosh said.
The ad also came as Fetterman battles lingering mental health troubles stemming from a 2022 stroke that’s caused him to miss among the most votes of any senator, rarely attend committee hearings, and become increasingly isolated from his Democratic colleagues. Senate Republicans are among the few in Washington coming to the senator’s defense by blasting news reports of his apparent health struggles.
The Washington Examiner has reached out to Fetterman’s office for comment.