Outgoing DCCC Chair Begs Victorious GOP to ‘Come into the Middle’

Steve Israel, New York congressman and retiring chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, begged the Republican party to “come into the middle” following their victory on Tuesday, saying the two-thirds of voters who stayed home proves Americans want Congress to work together.

“Here’s what I think we need to do,” he told MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell on Friday. “People need to not go into the corners now, they need to come into the middle. And there are specific things that Democrats and Republicans can embrace.”

Israel brought up corporate tax changes and, pointedly, immigration reform as issues on which the two parties can compromise.

“There really shouldn’t be any paralysis on this,” he said, noting that a Senate immigration bill has passed. “Let’s just pass it in the House,” he urged.

“In this election, one-third of voters chose a Democrat or Republican,” Israel said. “The other two-thirds just want us to get things done.”