The powerless GOP
Obama is imposing an unprecedented number of new regulations in his final months in office, and the Republican leadership says it is helpless to do anything about it.
Data compiled by the Heritage Foundation found that the Obama administration issued 184 major rules during its first six years. The conservative organization, citing regulators’ estimates, says those could come with a price tag of almost $80 billion a year. The American Action Forum, which dubs itself as a “center-right” think tank, concludes that since Jan. 1 of this year, the administration has picked up the pace, finalizing 60 new rules and proposing 60 more at a potential cost of $16.5 billion next year alone.
Republican lawmakers and independent experts expect more to come. But Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn of Texas told Roll Call that his party cannot do much because “the framers of the Constitution didn’t give us a lot of tools that didn’t involve a presidential signature to overturn them.” [emphasis mine]
Excuse me, Senator Cornyn, but the framers of the Constitution gave Congress all the power. All you have to do is read the Constitution, a document only 16 pages long (excluding amendments), to find out. One would think a sitting Senator might do that once in awhile.
The problem is that Congress for decades has abdicated its responsibilities to the bureaucratic wing of the executive branch, and in the recent years the Republican leadership has further chickened out when voters demanded that they take some of those responsibilities back. The Republicans could very easily shut the whole shebang down, which might finally force some compromise from the Democrats. Until they do, however, expect no compromise from the left, which keeps getting exactly what it wants.
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Obama is imposing an unprecedented number of new regulations in his final months in office, and the Republican leadership says it is helpless to do anything about it.
Data compiled by the Heritage Foundation found that the Obama administration issued 184 major rules during its first six years. The conservative organization, citing regulators’ estimates, says those could come with a price tag of almost $80 billion a year. The American Action Forum, which dubs itself as a “center-right” think tank, concludes that since Jan. 1 of this year, the administration has picked up the pace, finalizing 60 new rules and proposing 60 more at a potential cost of $16.5 billion next year alone.
Republican lawmakers and independent experts expect more to come. But Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn of Texas told Roll Call that his party cannot do much because “the framers of the Constitution didn’t give us a lot of tools that didn’t involve a presidential signature to overturn them.” [emphasis mine]
Excuse me, Senator Cornyn, but the framers of the Constitution gave Congress all the power. All you have to do is read the Constitution, a document only 16 pages long (excluding amendments), to find out. One would think a sitting Senator might do that once in awhile.
The problem is that Congress for decades has abdicated its responsibilities to the bureaucratic wing of the executive branch, and in the recent years the Republican leadership has further chickened out when voters demanded that they take some of those responsibilities back. The Republicans could very easily shut the whole shebang down, which might finally force some compromise from the Democrats. Until they do, however, expect no compromise from the left, which keeps getting exactly what it wants.
I must unfortunately ask you for your financial support because I do not depend on ads and rely entirely on the generosity of readers to keep Behind the Black running. You can either make a one time donation for whatever amount you wish, or you sign up for a monthly subscription ranging from $2 to $15 through Paypal or $3 to $50 through Patreon.
Your support will allow me to continue covering science and culture as I have for the past twenty years, independent and free from any outside influence.
Your support is even more essential to me because I not only keep this site free from advertisements, I do not use the corrupt social media companies like Google, Twitter, and Facebook to promote my work. I depend wholly on the direct support of my readers.
You can provide that support to Behind The Black with a contribution via Patreon or PayPal. To use Patreon, go to my website there and pick one of five monthly subscription amounts, or by making a one-time donation. For PayPal click one of the following buttons:
If Patreon or Paypal don't work for you, you can support Behind The Black directly by sending your donation by check, payable to Robert Zimmerman, to
Behind The Black
c/o Robert Zimmerman
P.O.Box 1262
Cortaro, AZ 85652
Or you can donate by using Zelle through your bank. You will need to give my name and email address (found at the bottom of the "About" page). The best part of this electronic option is that no fees will be deducted! What you donate will be what I receive.
The power of the purse has no power when the media drives the narrative.
This, for no other reason, is why we need Trump.
The founders assumed representatives with some smidgen of redeeming qualities.
>>Mitch McConnell and all the other usual-suspects.
Ted Cruz & a handful of other Senators made actual attempts– undercut by leadership at every juncture and publically attacked.
Same thing in the House– show-votes and faux investigations. Conservative Caucus made efforts– punished by leadership & not supported for re-election.
Ken Anthony– good point. Our so called leaders are neither virtuous nor prudent.
Cruz needs Trump!
The GOP establishment is correct on this issue, in my opinion. They would be vilified in the press for a government shutdown. The majority of the public are too ignorant to think for themselves, and would believe the leftist media. Too risky in an election year for the GOP to make a stand. They would likely lose the Senate and the White House.
D. K. Williams wrote:
“They would be vilified in the press for a government shutdown. The majority of the public are too ignorant to think for themselves, and would believe the leftist media. Too risky in an election year for the GOP to make a stand.”
IMO this is precisely why they are perceived as useless turds. They NEVER take a stand if their enemies in the press might criticize them. This is why the TEA party movement came to be and there is a strong push to primary the establishment RINOs. They do not demonstrate leadership.
This is why Donald Trump was able to take the nomination from the guy whose turn it was next.
To PeterF and D.K. Williams: Let me underline PeterF’s point by noting that it isn’t Jeb Bush who is the nominee, but Donald Trump. Note also that Jeb couldn’t garner more than 5% of the votes in the primaries, while the two outsiders, Trump and Cruz, wiped the floor with him and all the other establishment candidates. Cruz pushed for a government shutdown, was “vilified in the press” and ended up Trump’s strongest challenger.
The assumptions of the Republican establishment have been and continue to be wrong. The thing the Republicans need to do is to stop acting like cowards and actually show that they really believe what they campaign on. Shut the government down. It is what the public wants. It will win them elections.
IMO this is precisely why they are perceived as useless turds. They NEVER take a stand if their enemies in the press might criticize them.
But if they have just a couple more senators and representatives then they can really do something! /pinkyswear
Notice that the Democrats never have any problem getting their agenda through regardless of their minority/majority status.
Robert wrote: “Cruz pushed for a government shutdown, was “vilified in the press” and ended up Trump’s strongest challenger. … Shut the government down. It is what the public wants. It will win them elections.”
The missing step was that, although the press vilified Cruz, the public admired him. He became an American folk hero, but was over powered by the much better established folk hero status of Trump. Trump had been on TV for years, teaching Americans how not to run a company (although, being a “reality” show in the same way as others, viewers ended up with a misimpression as to how to run a company).
Of course, now Trump supporters fully expect him to say “you’re fired” to a lot of the federal government. I’m not holding my breath on that happening.
Criminals to the Left, Cowards to the Right…..