G.O.P.s Grand Visions for Congress Now Look Like a Mirage

Last edited Thu Feb 16, 2017, 12:51 PM - Edit history (1)

I am not looking forward to any Congress bill



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The New York Times ?@nytimes 3h3 hours ago

Republicans who craved control of the government find themselves stymied by President Trump's lack of guidance

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G.O.P.’s Grand Visions for Congress Now Look Like a Mirage


https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/16/us/politics/congress-republicans-health-care-infrastructure-taxes.html?ribbon-ad-idx=2&src=trending&module=Ribbon&version=context®ion=Header&action=click&contentCollection=Trending&pgtype=article

By JENNIFER STEINHAUER


FEB. 16, 2017


Representative Jim Jordan, Republican of Ohio, left, and Senator Rand Paul, Republican of Kentucky, during a news conference on Wednesday where they discussed plans to replace the Affordable Care Act. Credit Al Drago/The New York Times

WASHINGTON — Congressional Republicans, who craved unified control of the government to secure their aggressive conservative agenda, have instead found themselves on a legislative elliptical trainer, gliding toward nowhere.

After moving to start rolling back the Affordable Care Act just days after President Trump was sworn in last month, Republican lawmakers and Mr. Trump have yet to deliver on any of the sweeping legislation they promised. Efforts to come up with a replacement for the health care law have been stymied by disagreements among Republicans about how to proceed. The same is true for a proposed overhaul of the tax code.

The large infrastructure bill that both Democrats and Mr. Trump were eager to pursue has barely been mentioned, other than a very general hearing to discuss well-documented needs for infrastructure improvements. Even a simple emergency spending bill that the Trump administration promised weeks ago — which was expected to include a proposal for his wall on the Mexican border — has not materialized, leaving appropriators idle and checking Twitter.

At this point in Barack Obama’s presidency, when Democrats controlled Washington, Congress had passed a stimulus bill totaling nearly $1 trillion to address the financial crisis, approved a measure preventing pay discrimination, expanded a children’s health insurance program, and begun laying the groundwork for major health care and financial regulation bills. President George W. Bush came into office with a congressional blueprint for his signature education act, No Child Left Behind.



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