Republicans are working to sell their new tax law to a still-suspicious American public, but the proof will come when taxpayers open their paychecks starting Feb. 1, Rep. Marsha Blackburn said Friday.
"When people start opening their paycheck and look at what is in that paycheck come February 1, then they are going to say all right,' I get it. It really did happen,'" the Tennessee Republican told Fox News' "America's Newsroom" program.
In addition, several companies have announced they are giving bonuses this month, Blackburn pointed out, including AT&T and Comcast, along with planning infrastructure investment.
Several conservative groups are planning to spend millions of dollars on marketing campaigns in the new year to sell the bill, including the Koch brothers network with a multimillion dollar blitz; a GOP super PAC is poised to launch a $10 million campaign in support of GOP lawmakers; and the Committee to Unleash Prosperity has designated $1 million to sell the plan.
Blackburn said the push is necessary because the mainstream media will not be supportive of the new law, giving Democrats "a partner, if you will, in spreading misinformation about it."
Even so, she said she's "delighted" that people are coming out in support of the bill in her state of Tennessee.
"What my constituents tell me is they want more money in their paycheck," Blackburn said. "They want less regulation. They want the Affordable Care Act gone, so we're going to continue to say we've done it."
Fox News' Leland Vittert, who interviewed Blackburn, said he wonders if it's become a "tired path at some point" to blame the media, and asked her why anyone should care what the media says about the bill.
"The proof will be in those paychecks," she said. "People will see it for themselves and that's what thousands of Tennesseans are wanting to see. We have Tennesseans that want to see the affordable care mandate repealed. We've done that. That's now gone. That is going to be relief. And movements by congress that are going to give individuals more freedom, more of their paycheck, less regulation. That's what they want."
Meanwhile, the House and Senate on Thursday agreed on a continuing resolution to keep the government funded, but will have to take action before Jan. 19, 2018 which will be a hard deadline for the spending bill.
'We in the house have passed all of our appropriations bills," she said. "We're waiting on our friends in the Senate to take them up."
However, Blackburn said she does not know what will end up with the continuing work on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program and if it will be included in the spending measure.
"There is a March deadline for that," Blackburn said of DACA. "I know Senator Flake wants to bring his bill forward. The most important thing though. What people should watch is what will happen with the funding measures. The House has done its job. We're waiting on the Senate to do their job when it comes to the funding measures. And that is going to be primary when it comes to the Jan. 19 deadline."