New 'Contract With America' Nearly Done

Republicans will not sign the new “Contract with America,” and GOP candidates won’t be invited to the document’s unveiling, unlike in 1994.

Sixteen years ago, more than 300 Republican congressional candidates marched up the Capitol steps to sign the original pledge, which called for fiscal responsibility, term limits and a crackdown on crime.

But this year, according to several sources, candidates will not be asked to attend — because the new Contract is being pushed as a governing effort rather than an electoral one.

Brendan Buck, a spokesman for the effort, stressed that the new Contract will be a guide for how Republicans would run the House and said signing such a document is not necessary.

Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), who is playing a leading role in the formulation of the Contract, said, “This is a government document. We're writing these bills now. Candidates are out campaigning. This is about legislation — doing it right now."

House Republicans say they will release their Contract in late September, just as soon-to-be Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) did in 1994.

Said McCarthy: “It will come out this month.”

Others say there is a chance that the timetable could slip until next month. A few Republicans said waiting could actually bring an advantage.

It is unclear what will be in the new Contract, though the new healthcare reform law, taxes, national security and government regulations are likely to be addressed. Congressional term limits are unlikely to be in the 2010 Contract.

In an interview earlier this year, Boehner indicated that Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele is not involved in writing the new Contract. And while some Senate Republicans have expressed interest in the document, the new Contract will mostly be written by House GOP leaders.

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