The New Reality in Washington

The House of Representatives has passed hundreds of bills to reduce the role of government in our lives and economy, encourage economic growth, and put America on a more prosperous path since Republicans were elected to a majority of seats in 2010. However, few of these bills have even been considered in the United States Senate.

This gridlock is incredibly frustrating to not only those of us on both sides of the aisle working to tackle the serious challenges facing our country, but to the American people. And now voters across the country have sent a clear message by changing the leadership of the Senate, and electing the largest Republican majority in the House of Representatives in decades.

The incoming Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has promised to make the upper chamber work again by considering the many bills passed by the House, voting on amendments offered by members of both parties, and getting legislation to the President’s desk. He also has offered to work with the President to reach agreement on solutions.

In contrast, the President is doubling down on the policies which are failing America and have been rejected by voters. Rather than offering to work with Congress, he is once again threatening to bypass the legislative branch and enact his agenda via executive orders and regulations.

This approach only ensures further gridlock and dysfunction. I hope the President will change course and respect the system of government as designed by our founders. History has shown divided government can work well to produce meaningful results for the American people.

President Reagan worked with a Democratic Congress to pass a major overhaul of our tax code in 1986. In the late 1990’s, President Clinton worked with a Republican Congress to enact welfare reforms, and to balance the budget. Even under President Obama, we have worked together to pass major spending reductions, new trade agreements, and a reformed Farm Bill.

In the next Congress, I am hopeful we can once again seize the moment. There is broad bipartisan support to fix elements of Obamacare such as eliminating the medical device tax, updating trade authority, and approving the Keystone XL pipeline. Perhaps getting these items done could pave the way and build the trust necessary to do big things such as tax reform and entitlement reform. While difficult, we must tackle these issues to grow our economy and save our nation from bankruptcy.

The new reality in Washington, while an improvement, will still require consensus building and deny both parties the ability to get everything they want. The President still has the power to veto our bills, and we will still need 60 votes to pass legislation out of the Senate. However, I am optimistic we now have an opportunity to move forward on the priorities of the American people and improve the political process.