GOP Retreat: "Dads drunk again but we don't talk about it."
Trumps talk of GOP unity a myth
Painful splits on a range of issues were on full display at this week's Republican retreat.
By BURGESS EVERETT and RACHAEL BADE 02/01/2018 06:27 PM EST
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. President Donald Trump said Thursday that Speaker Paul Ryan called him the other day and said hed never ever seen the Republican Party so united. Yet on Trumps key priorities, congressional Republicans are painfully split.
After spending barely 24 hours together at a ritzy resort here in the West Virginia mountains, Senate Republicans bade farewell to their House counterparts on Thursday afternoon with no clear path forward on immigration, infrastructure or how to raise the debt ceiling. House Republicans spent part of the getaway regurgitating long-running gripes with the Senate filibuster.
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Republicans are united behind Trump politically. But age-old ideological and tactical differences between the House and Senate and the presidents silence or lack of guidance on how to bridge them remain a major problem for accomplishing big-ticket items. Its impossible for the GOP to pass immigration, spending and debt ceiling bills on a partisan basis given internal divides and the partys razor-thin majority in the Senate.
Retiring Rep. Charlie Dent (R-Pa.) likened the partys efforts to avoid discussing difficult issues to a dysfunctional family. Dads drunk again but we dont talk about it.
DACA, debt ceiling, budget, agreement, omnibus? There arent 218 votes on those. Are we united on issues? No. We never are. Its not going to change now, Dent said.
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/02/01/trump-gop-unity-myth-383418