Washington, D.C. – Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), Vice Chair of the House Republican Conference, announced today that she is running for re-election as Vice Chair of the Conference.

“As Vice Chair, I have worked closely with our Leadership team while spearheading several important projects – expanding and improving the Conference’s use of New Media, making government more transparent, publicizing and fighting government waste, and recruiting women candidates in the ‘Year of the Republican Woman,’” Rep.  McMorris Rodgers wrote in a letter to her colleagues.
 
Rep. McMorris Rodgers was first elected to Congress in 2004 and has served as Vice Chair of the Conference for the past two years.  

“Looking ahead to the 112th Congress, I am eager to expand on my accomplishments with New Media and women’s outreach, while spearheading new projects that will be critical to our Party’s future,” Rep. McMorris Rodgers added.

“We have every right to be proud of Tuesday’s election results but to be successful in the long term, we must to a better job of appealing to a broad spectrum of Americans.  I want to be at the forefront our effort to rebrand our Party to better connect with Americans,” Rep. McMorris Rodger further added.

“I hope that my accomplishments in Leadership – plus my generous contributions to the NRCC – prove that I am a ‘workhorse, not a show horse,’ a faithful servant of the Republican cause, and a worthy voice for the rising generation of young Republican leaders,” Rep. McMorris Rodgers concluded.

A copy of the full letter is below.

Dear Member:
 
I am writing to ask for your support for Vice Chair of the House Republican Conference. Since you elected me Vice Chair in 2008, it has been my privilege to serve shoulder-to-shoulder with you as we successfully returned from the "political wilderness" to a strong Majority in a single election.
 
As Vice Chair, I have worked closely with our Leadership team while spearheading several important projects – expanding and improving the Conference's use of New Media, making government more transparent, publicizing and fighting government waste, and recruiting women candidates in the "Year of the Republican Woman."
            
To preserve our Majority in Congress, we must lead by being faithful to our core values – "smaller, smarter government," living within our means, and unleashing the power of free enterprise. We were fired in 2006 and punished again in 2008 because we did not live up to these principles and we cannot – must not – repeat those mistakes.  
 
As you know, I am a strong, principled conservative on fiscal, social, and national security issues. As Vice Chair, I have been an outspoken voice for cutting taxes, reducing spending, and ending the bailouts. This year, Chairman Pence and I led the fight against President Obama's plan to include up to $100 billion of U.S. tax money in the $1 trillion bailout of Greece and the European Union.
 
Looking ahead to the 112th Congress, I am eager to expand on my accomplishments with New Media and women's outreach, while spearheading new projects that will be critical to our Party's future. We have every right to be proud of Tuesday's election results but to be successful in the long term our Party still needs to do a better job of appealing to a broad spectrum of Americans.  I want to be at the forefront of our effort to rebrand our Party to better connect with Americans.  
 
Ultimately, our "brand" and success as a Party depend on how well we revive the American economy and provide jobs and security for the middle class. As Vice Chair, I will lead a working group of Members on American competitiveness and focus on key policy solutions to keep America the world's economic leader for another generation.
 
Once again, I thank you for your consideration for Conference Vice Chair, and I humbly ask for your support.  My accomplishments on Leadership – plus my significant contributions to the NRCC – prove that I am a "workhorse, not a show horse," a faithful servant of the Republican cause, and a worthy voice for the rising generation of young Republican leaders.

Thank you for your continued confidence in me. I look forward to working with you to meet the challenges – and seize the opportunities – in this land we love: The United States of America.
 
Sincerely,
 
 
Cathy McMorris Rodgers
Member of Congress