Revisiting Republican Congressional Campaign Commitments (2nd Edition)

Right From the Start

This in an update to a column I wrote in April of this year. The italics reflect the previous column while the updates are in regular type:

During the 2014 congressional campaigns the Republicans told us that if we would give them a working majority in both Houses of Congress, they would stop Mr. Obama from unilaterally striking a deal with Iran and releasing the economic and trade sanctions previously imposed against Iran and the ayatollahs. We gave the Republicans a landslide victory in both houses of Congress and the result to date has been NOTHING.

Mr. Obama has now struck the deal with Iran that Republicans said they would stop. They have also acceded to a deal with Mr. Obama that any review of the Iran agreement by Congress must garner sufficient votes to override his promised veto – a nearly impossible chore. In the meantime, Mr. Obama has outflanked them again by presenting the deal to the United Nations which has accepted it and, thereby, nullified the ability of allied sanctions being re-imposed.

During the 2014 congressional campaigns the Republicans told us that if we would give them a working majority in both Houses of Congress, they would stop Mr. Obama from unilaterally granting amnesty from deportation to more than 5 Million illegal immigrants currently in America. We gave the Republicans a landslide victory in both houses of Congress and the result to date has been NOTHING.

To date the Republicans have done nothing in hopes that a federal court of appeals decision questioning the validity of Mr. Obama’s executive order is sustained after hearing and appeal to the United States Supreme Court. The Republicans have thus far failed to enact measures that would mandate construction of barriers at our southern border and/or reform our immigration system.

During the 2014 congressional campaigns the Republicans told us that if we would give them a working majority in both Houses of Congress, they would repeal and replace Obamacare. We gave the Republicans a landslide victory in both houses of Congress and the result to date has been NOTHING.

The Republicans, like children pressed against the window of the candy store, hoped that the United States Supreme Court would strike down Obamacare and thus save them the tough work of repealing and replacing it. When the Supreme Court failed – again – to do Congress’s work for them, the Republicans have sat silent with no alternative in sight.

During the 2014 congressional campaigns the Republicans told us that if we would give them a working majority in both Houses of Congress, they would enact meaningful tax reform. We gave the Republicans a landslide victory in both houses of Congress and the result to date has been NOTHING.

No tax reform has been offered or enacted. There are preliminary discussions going on to trade highway funding for tax treatment on foreign investments. Nothing has been done to address the high rates for domestic business or the complexities for average citizens. To date there has been a lot of big talk from Republican presidential candidates but nothing of substance from the Republican Congress.

The Republican majorities have failed at every turn to block the unilateral assumption and exercise of power by Mr. Obama. In fact, the only meaningful thing that the Republican majorities in Congress have accomplished is to add to an all too long of list of Republicans who believe they are qualified to be President. (Given that Mr. Obama has established the low mark for qualification one must conclude that all of these Republicans are “qualified” but few are capable.)

Recent polls indicate that the favorability rating of Republicans has fallen dramatically since the 2014 election. You need look no farther than the lack of progress on their promises for the reason.

We will revisit this list in October but do not be surprised when nothing changes. The Republican majorities in both houses of Congress are growing increasingly tenuous as nothing is accomplished. While the list grows of Republican presidential candidates who can beat Ms. Clinton in a head to head match up, the likelihood that the Republicans will retain the Senate fades with each passing day of inaction. If a Republican majority in both Houses of Congress cannot effectively check a president who presses and exceeds the limits of executive power, then we need to replace the Congress as much as we need to replace the President – and not with a Reid/Pelosi like Democrat majority.