GOP House Members Get Fund-Raising Quotas

House Republican leaders, battling a determined Democratic challenge to their majority, assigned fund-raising quotas to the rank and file Wednesday as part of a $16-million effort to capture hotly competitive races this fall.

At a closed door caucus, the head of the Republican campaign effort, Rep. Thomas M. Davis of Virginia, mentioned four endangered GOP incumbents by name, including two in Southern California. Davis warned: “If we don’t get it right this year, [they] won’t be back.”

Officials said participation in the program, dubbed Battleground 2000, would be mandatory, and committee and subcommittee assignments in the next Congress would be influenced by individual lawmakers’ fund-raising efforts. If Republicans lose control of the House this fall, “Committee decisions will be based on who helped the team, not necessarily on seniority,” according to material prepared for the session.

Republicans were told that anyone unwilling to meet their quota should “set up a personal meeting” with Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) to explain.

Democrats, working to gain the six seats they need to take control of the House, have turned in a strong fund-raising effort and held down the number of retirements from within their ranks, two factors working to their advantage.

Davis mentioned four members in his remarks, according to one source who attended the GOP meeting: Reps. James E. Rogan of Glendale and Steven T. Kuykendall of Rancho Palos Verdes, Ernie Fletcher of Kentucky and Jay Dickey of Arkansas.

Davis, according to sources at the meeting, told fellow Republicans the $16 million would go toward programs ranging from “Voter turnout activities that rival the unions,” to campaign commercials tailored for individual districts.

Officials in both parties say the outcome of 35 races will determine the battle for control this fall.

The House has 222 Republicans, 211 Democrats and two independents.