AUSTIN, Texas — Central Texas U.S. Representative Bill Flores, along with 14 of his Republican colleagues in the House and 12 Republican senators, are the subject of a new ad campaign urging them to speak out about President Donald Trump's call with the President of Ukraine that has since become the subject of an impeachment inquiry against the president.
The ads, which will run this week on Fox News, are the work of the group Republicans for the Rule of Law. The 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization is run by a group of people who, largely, have served in Republican administrations.
"To be clear, our advertising campaign is not encouraging these Republicans to vote for impeachment or call for impeachment," Executive Director Sarah Longwell said. "We're simply asking Republicans to say that what the president did by asking a foreign government to interfere in an American election by investigating his political rivals was wrong."
That may seem like a long shot given the response from most Republicans on the president's call, but Longwell said it's actually not.
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"We hear what Republicans say privately. We know that they think that it is very wrong," Longwell said. "So our only ask is that they say so publicly because what you don't want is to set the precedent with our elected officials that this behavior is OK."
The group thinks lawmakers are more likely to speak their minds as pubic opinions on the president's actions change. A Quinnipiac University poll released Tuesday revealed 53% of registered voters nationwide support the impeachment inquiry, and a Washington Post-Schar School poll of Americans found that number to be 58%.
In Texas, the ads target Congressmen Flores and Will Hurd (R-San Antonio), who are both retiring – an intentional move with hopes that lawmakers on their way out won't hold their tongues.
Watch the full ad below or here:
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