Washington, D.C. is currently politically divided.
The White House is inhabited by Republican President Donald Trump.
The Senate is comprised of a 51-49 Republican majority.
The House is comprised of a 235-197 Democrat majority (with three vacancies pending).
The Average American realizes: This means Republicans and Democrats must meet somewhere in the middle in order to accomplish…anything at all.
Because if something is too Democrat – it won’t pass the Senate or be signed by the President.
And if something is too Republican – it won’t pass the House.
If Republicans and Democrats work together – the result very well could be legislation.
If either Party works only with itself – the result absolutely will be Legislation Theater.
Legislation Theater – is posing and posturing…with a bill number attached to it. It is one Party genuflecting to its voting base – while ignoring the entire rest of the voting populace.
This is why we always hear about “the next election.” We must engage in Legislation Theater now – so as to better set the table after “the next election.” Except the next election comes and goes – and nothing happens. And we are again cajoled about “the next election.” Lather, rinse, repeat….
Republicans did this to an embarrassing degree with the very awful Obamacare under Democrat President Barack Obama (2009-2017).
After Obama and his Democrat majorities jammed through Obamacare – Republicans promised “Give us the House majority – and we’ll repeal Obamacare.”
We the People…gave Republicans the House in 2010. To which Republicans responded “Well…we need the Senate majority too. Give us the Senate – and we’ll repeal Obamacare.”
We the People…gave Republicans the Senate in 2014. To which Republicans responded “Well…we need the White House too. Give us the White House – and we’ll repeal Obamacare.”
We the People…gave Republicans the White House in 2016.
The Average American understood: Republicans couldn’t repeal Obamacare with Obama – or any successor Democrat – in the White House. So The Average American – gave the Republicans total DC control.
And with the White House and majorities in both halves of Congress, Republicans…didn’t repeal Obamacare.
It’s almost hard to believe The Average American in 2018 allowed the House to fall back into Democrat hands.
In fact, President Trump is right now rightly asking the courts to overturn Obamacare as (quite obviously) unconstitutional. And the Republicans – who have run for a decade on Obamacare repeal – are chastising Trump for so doing.
How incredibly pathetic.
Today’s Democrats – have learned nothing from the Republicans’ mistakes. Or their own.
Obamacare got Democrats into a decades-worth of trouble – because it was for The Average American too much of a government power grab.
The bills which the House Democrat majority is considering – are all huge new power grabs. No Republican in is right mind would touch any of them with a ten-foot poll. Which doesn’t daunt Democrats – because Democrats aren’t looking to work with Republicans on anything.
The “Green New Deal” was such a heinously Leftist mess – no Democrat would vote for it, let alone any Republican.
House Democrats’ first big bill – is an omni-directional assault on the First Amendment and beyond.
Mitch McConnell Calls House Democrats’ Anti-Corruption Bill a ‘Power Grab’
I happen to agree with the Senate Majority Leader.
You don’t have to agree with us. That doesn’t matter.
What matters is – the House Democrats’ bill has Metaphysical Zero chance of passing McConnell’s Senate. It isn’t legislation – it is Legislation Theater.
Which brings us to this week’s Theater playbill.
Democrats’ Net Neutrality Bill Heads to the House Floor:
“The bill that will restore Obama-era net neutrality protections is expected to pass the House. But it’ll likely stall in the Senate.”
Obama’s Net Neutrality “protections” – were just and yet another giant government power grab.
House Democrats’ bill restoring them – has Metaphysical Zero chance of passing the Senate.
It isn’t legislation. It’s Legislation Theater.
For their part, Republicans are actually trying to meet Democrats somewhere in the middle.
U.S. House Republicans Reach Across Aisle on Net Neutrality
E&C Republicans Unveil Three Net Neutrality Bills
House GOP Leaders Urge Engagement on Net Neutrality Bills
It seems the Democrats – aren’t interested in any sort of compromise whatsoever. Even – especially – on some of their more major power grabs.
Kinzinger Bill on Broadband Internet Regulation Voted Down:
“Kinzinger reintroduced the No Rate Regulation of Broadband Internet Access Act, H.R. 1860, last week before the committee.…”
House Republicans don’t want government imposing price controls. House Democrats apparently do.
You would think the government not setting private sector prices for an entire industry – would be just the sort of middle ground compromise Democrats and Republicans could reach.
Apparently not.
But then again….
The Democrats won control of the House – by electing about 40 Democrats in moderate districts. Not Nancy Pelosi-San Francisco districts – but (mostly) suburban districts…populated by The Average American.
The Average American – doesn’t want the government doing massive government things like imposing price controls.
Neither does the private sector. Which has snapped back into proactive action and growth under the deregulatory Trump Administration – after being bludgeoned into submission by the Obama Administration.
So the hope is: These moderate-district Democrats will choose to represent their districts and Average Americans everywhere – and not their radical Party leadership.
And vote with Republicans on middle ground compromise issues like this – and many, many others.
And thereby create an atmosphere not for Legislation Theater – but actual legislation.
Not just on Net Neutrality – but a whole host of issues in dire need of DC action.
This first appeared in Red State.