What To Do With A Republican Congress?

What To Do With A Republican Congress? Now that the midterms are history and the Republicans control the House and the Senate, what can we expect to see from the two legislative branches of our government over the next two years?  There will be analysis, advice, and speculation galore about how the Administration should handle things to improve the 2016 Democrat presidential nominee’s chance at winning.  That same body of “wisdom” will be whispering in McConnell’s and Boehner’s ears about setting the stage for a Republican presidential victory in 2016.  But just for the hell of it, let us speculate for a moment about how things could develop in such a way that constructive, sensible, and bipartisan legislation could be produced.  And remain calm, my friends…this trip to Disneyland is free of charge.

In their wildest dreams, Republicans will not gain enough seats in the new Senate to over-ride a Presidential veto.  Therefore, as the debate goes, one of two choices will be to pass legislation that is mainly Republican-authored and dare the president to veto it.   If this course is taken, the appearance at first will not really be too different from what we have been seeing over the last two years; it will just be in form of process as opposed to rhetoric.  I suppose that if the sheer volume of vetoes approaches a high number, the public will blame the president for intransigence; but given the current unpopularity of Congress, it is not unreasonable that the public would continue to largely hold the Republicans responsible for a failure to enact meaningful legislation.  There will be some powerful and intelligent people that argue that this course will provide the best opportunity for the Republicans to retake the White House in 2016 and thus be in a position to unwind the nanny state morass of this Administration.  They may be right; but it is a terrible gamble that will not only continue the insane gridlock that currently exists but will also perpetuate the low opinion that most folks have of our government and its relative competence.

An alternative to this approach would be to attempt a high-wire act.  It is all about the math.  If a piece of legislation can pass both houses with a sufficient vote total to over-ride a veto, then the Executive decision on approval becomes infinitely more difficult.  Suddenly, Obama’s disagreement is no longer with the Republicans in Congress; his disagreement is with those Democrats who voted for the legislation.  I submit that this would bring into stark realization the fact that Obama’s liberal agenda is out of step not only with most of the nation, but also with most of Congress.  It will pit a reasonable and bipartisan approach to legislation against an ideologue with a radical, personal agenda.  That, my friends, is a fight that Republicans can win and that this nation can appreciate.  So what if some of the good press rubs off on the Democrats?  How-D-Freaking-Do!!  When things go well, there is plenty of credit to go around and there can be plenty of winners on both sides of the political aisle.  The biggest winner of all would be the citizens of these United States.

Whether it is Harry Reid or Mitch McConnell, it must be incredibly difficult to seek any form of consensus in the U.S. Senate.  All the prima donnas, all the agendas, all the pathetic media coverage, and all of the overstated power and authority accredited to it leave the Senate as an impossible place to do business.  But it is my belief that even though McConnell can be as rabidly partisan as any Senator on the hill, he has been around long enough to understand what the Senate once was and yearns for it to return to some form of relevance and efficiency, restoring some semblance of integrity and trust.  If a sufficient degree of civility can be re-established in the Senate to the point where honest and sincere debate can once again commence, I cling to the hope that McConnell can find Democratic leaders and Democratic votes for good, constructive legislation that will begin to address the serious issues facing this country.  There is a strong argument to be made that under reasonable conditions of debate and process, if a piece of legislation cannot obtain a sufficient number of Democratic votes to over-ride a veto, then it was simply a partisan bill to start with. 

Over the last term and a half, Obama has demonstrated the trust and credibility of a thief and the co-operative nature of a 2 year old child; it is perfectly understandable that McConnell and Boehner do not trust him to be an honest partner in the legislative process.  But now that the sheet has been pulled back on the One and he has been exposed to all as the charlatan that he is, there must be some Democrats in the Senate and the House that will be willing to work with Republicans in an effort to revise our tax laws so that they encourage economic activity instead of creating a permanent class system; to deal with the realities of an open southern border and millions of illegal aliens already residing in our nation; to take an honest and pragmatic approach to government spending that provides what is necessary and no more; to make some common sense revisions to Social Security and entitlements that makes them sustainable; and to either repeal-and-replace the Obamacare debacle or dramatically revise it to reflect an overall recognition that health care for all is essential but it must be made available in an affordable way through the private sector.

If this latter scenario could play out in WDC, then the chances of having a substantive and sincere debate over real issues and real solutions in the next presidential election cycle will be greatly enhanced.  It doesn’t mean that we are guaranteed to get that marvelous and inspirational President that we all yearn for, but it does mean that the center of gravity for this great democracy of ours will return to its rightful location…the halls of Congress.