Category Archives: senate
Republican Leaders
Republican leaders told President Trump they had a plan to get things done in Congress. They didn’t. And the swamp remains.
So Trump made a deal with Chuck Schumer to raise the debt ceiling and free up billions for hurricane victims. Now he’s looking at Schumer for more deals.
Republican Leaders
Here’s what Rich Lowry has to say about that:
The idea that Trump, who has been too inept to help his own party in Congress, will team up with perhaps the most deviously shrewd Democrat in the country and come out on top is difficult to credit. Schumer will milk Trump for whatever he can get — every tactical advantage, every bit of new spending — so long as he doesn’t give away anything important and doesn’t materially boost Trump’s political standing.
National Review’s Jonathan Tobin thinks the Republican party means nothing to Trump. Maybe for good reason:
Trump is unbound by any loyalty to the party that nominated him or to men such as House speaker Paul Ryan and Senator Mitch McConnell. To the contrary, he regards them as foes in a cold war against a political establishment he neither likes nor trusts.
Trump Schumer Deal
The Trump Schumer deal came to pass this week. Chuck Schumer made an offer to increase the debt ceiling for three months. And Donald Trump took him up on it.
Swamp dwelling Republicans were aghast. Earlier in the day Paul Ryan had blasted the same offer as “ridiculous and disgraceful”.
Trump Schumer Deal
But then Republicans haven’t had much luck closing deals for Trump. Obamacare still stands and Trump outpolls Congress.
Mark Steyn says, “there are now three political parties in Washington.” Democrats, Republicans, and Trump. The Democrats have a base. Trump has a base. Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan don’t have a base.
Trump Signs Russian Sanctions Bill
Congress can’t repeal ObamaCare but it frog marched Trump to the signing table for a Russian sanctions bill. The House voted 419-3 for the bill and the Senate came in 98-2.
Russian Sanctions Bill
And the president can’t reverse the sanctions without Congressional approval. Which may be unconstitutional, at least that’s what Trump said in his initial signing statement. Still, he didn’t have much choice but to sign the veto proof bill.
Bloomberg’s Eli Lake says leakers are forcing Trump to act against his will.
ObamaCare Repeal Replace Repeat
The Senate voted 51 – 50 to open debate on repeal of the Affordable Care Act. But it wasn’t easy. John McCain returned to the Senate floor from brain cancer treatment and voted yes. With the vote tied Vice President Mike Pence caste the deciding ballot.
No Democrats voted in favor. Though some say they’re willing to back a bill to repair but not repeal ObamaCare.
Update: McCain gave a final thumbs down on sending the bill to the House.
Pride of ObamaCare Ownership
President Trump’s answer to the Senate health-care bill collapse was to stand back and allow ObamaCare to collapse too. There aren’t enough healthy customers paying premiums to cover the sick ones. And insurance companies are pulling out as ObamaCare heads into a death spiral.
Trump claims that when the program fails he won’t own it. Democrats will because they passed ObamaCare on a party line vote with zero Republican input.
Obamacare Ownership
Which kind of makes sense, except that voters elected Trump to repeal ObamaCare. Now he’s president so he does own it, along with everything else he inherited from previous administrations.
Kind of like LBJ owned all the helicopters.
