If Republicans control the government, why can’t they enact legislation? This question is often asked. The government entities involved are the House, Senate, and Executive Branch (the courts are supposedly nonpartisan). Republicans have majorities in House and Senate, which gives them great power; the President is a Republican. Even so, their power is limited:
- Republicans in the House have a working majority on many matters, but the leadership can’t depend on a majority of Republicans on budget matters and other controversial questions.
- Even though Republicans have a bare majority in the Senate and can count on the Vice President’s vote in case of a tie, Senate rules require sixty votes on most matters.
- President Trump is an unreliable ally.
The GOP was able to pass tax legislation using reconciliation to get it past the Senate; this was a matter where Republicans were sufficiently united. So far they haven’t been able to fund the government because they are divided and because they need sixty votes in the Senate. It doesn’t help them that Presidents Trumps views are inconsistent and unclear.
Tom Reed blames the current impasse on “extremes on both sides of the aisle.” This is false– it is the extreme radical views adopted by Republicans that are the problem. Reed’s solution–bipartisanship–ignores right and wrong. Responsible legislation should be supported by a majority from both parties; spitting the difference between extremes reflects the thinking mocked by King Solomon ages ago.
New NY 23rd 
Here is NY State US Senator Chick Schumer taking a completely opposite view back in 2013 during the GOP shutdown than he did yesterday?!/!?
https://www.c-span.org/video/?c4466045/sen-chuck-schumer-government-shutdown
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Whether Senator Schumer’s views past and present, consistent or not, are right or wrong hardly matters. Republicans gave Trump the anniversary present he said he wanted.
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I watched the GOP say they wanted to fund CHIP. All they had to do was propose a STAND ALONE Chip bill and it would pass easily.
I saw Republicans say they wanted to help the DACA people. ALL they had to do was prospose a stand alone DACA bill and it passes easily.
The leadership of the GOP, McConnell and Ryan, are playing political games. They have held up CHIP and DACA legislation that both Dems and GOP majorities want. They are trying to force the Dems to accept a CR when we all know it is long oversue to have a real budget. Now that the Dems , under Schumer, have FINALY grown a backbone the GOP has no clue how to deal with them. They are used to getting their way and allof a sudden it ain’t happening.
And Trump has no clue as to what he is doing.
So much for the “Great Dealmaker”.
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The Schumer speech was right on. In 2103 we had ONE SENATOR who was supported by NO ONE ELSE . Cruz was whining because he didn’t like the fact that the American people were going to get health care (a fight he LOST) and so shut down the government.
The situation today is completley different. The GOP cannot even get all of their own members to support the CR. There are HUNDREDS of lawmakers who oppose the CR, not just one. So, lonce agian, we have an example of “false equivalency” presented as an example of something. Not sure what.
Does any thinking person equate the one person filibister by Cruz, to PREVENT a vote, with the complex bipartisan refusal today to support a CR? Today, the MAJORITY of both Dems and GOP support the DACA kids and support CHIP, yet the leadership of the GOP refuses to allow clean bills on those issues. Because they know they will pass. There is no comparison between the 2013 situation and today.
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Thanks for the explanation, Joseph. When something seems wrong, it usually is wrong.
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