OPEN WARFARE ON THE POTOMAC …
The far left’s hissy fit has jumped to a higher energy level …
In a move that could derail dozens of looming appointments – including several top cabinet posts and possibly even a U.S. Supreme Court pick – Democrats in the U.S. Senate are refusing to show for committee meetings on Capitol Hill.
For example, every single Democratic member of the U.S. Senate finance committee failed to attend a scheduled Tuesday meeting to vote on the nominations of U.S. Rep. Tom Price of Georgia as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and Steven Mnuchin as secretary of the U.S. Treasury.
“Until questions are answered, Democrats believe the committee should not move forward with either nomination,” U.S. Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon, the ranking Democrat on the committee, said in a statement.
Democrats claim Price and Mnuchin lied during previous testimony before the committee, but even government-run NPR made no bones about the real reason for the minority party’s walkout.
“Democrats are under increasing pressure from their party’s voters to obstruct the Trump administration however they can,” noted NPR reporter Arnie Seipel.
Indeed they are … but polling shows even Trump’s most controversial early moves are drawing public support from vast majorities of Republican voters and compelling majorities of independents. Even 34 percent of Democrats supported Trump’s controversial executive order banning refugees from seven Muslim-majority nations.
According to current committee rules, at least one Democrat must be present at committee meetings in order for votes to be held. Assuming they make it out of the finance committee Price and Mnuchin must still be confirmed by the full U.S. Senate.
Republicans control fifty-two seats in the 100-person Senate – and have a tie-breaking vote in the form of U.S. vice president Mike Pence.
Given how Democrats have repeatedly broken the rules of the executive and legislative branches in advancing their failed agenda (and trust us, it has failed) – we believe the historically weak-willed, equivocating GOP should avail itself of this opportunity to pay them back in spades.
In addition to invoking the “nuclear option” for Trump’s Supreme Court pick, we believe Republican committee chairman should immediately amend the rules of their various panels to put an end to the current Democratic obstruction.
Live by the sword, die by the sword … it’s as simple as that.
When Democrats were the majority party in Congress, they were never lacking in fortitude – or corrupt inventiveness – when it came to ramming their devastating policies through the legislative process.
Republicans should show the same fortitude now …
(Banner via iStock)