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G.O.P. Desire to Keep Party Feuds Private Breaks Down Over Health Care G.O.P. Desire to Keep Party Feuds Private Breaks Down Over Health Care
(about 11 hours later)
WASHINGTON — Top Republicans never like to see their internal party quarrels messily spilled out in public for all to see.WASHINGTON — Top Republicans never like to see their internal party quarrels messily spilled out in public for all to see.
That fact was driven home a few years ago when I heard that Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the party leader, was privately discouraging his fellow Republican senators from sharing their gripes with me on Capitol Hill, an instance he recounted in his recent memoir, “The Long Game.”That fact was driven home a few years ago when I heard that Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the party leader, was privately discouraging his fellow Republican senators from sharing their gripes with me on Capitol Hill, an instance he recounted in his recent memoir, “The Long Game.”
“I told my Republican colleagues during the Bush years that if you have a problem you need to talk to Karl Rove, President Bush’s right-hand man, not Carl Hulse, The New York Times’s senior congressional reporter,” he wrote.“I told my Republican colleagues during the Bush years that if you have a problem you need to talk to Karl Rove, President Bush’s right-hand man, not Carl Hulse, The New York Times’s senior congressional reporter,” he wrote.
Of course, I felt quite a bit differently about where lawmakers should take their complaints. But the larger point is that the party’s ingrained instinct to maintain a united front is what is making the current fight over health care so excruciating — and potentially consequential — for many of them. Of course, I felt quite a bit different about where lawmakers should take their complaints. But the larger point is that the party’s ingrained instinct to maintain a united front is what is making the current fight over health care so excruciating — and potentially consequential — for many of them.
At this precise moment, Republicans are supposed to be showcasing their ability to get things done, but serious divisions are being painfully exposed and jeopardizing their chance to prove they can actually govern and fulfill one of their chief campaign pledges by overturning the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.At this precise moment, Republicans are supposed to be showcasing their ability to get things done, but serious divisions are being painfully exposed and jeopardizing their chance to prove they can actually govern and fulfill one of their chief campaign pledges by overturning the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.
Failure to repeal the act owing to Republican infighting would be devastating for party leaders and reflect serious weakness if they were unable to enforce party discipline at such an early stage of unified Republican government. Failure to repeal the act owing to infighting would be devastating for party leaders and reflect serious weakness if they were unable to enforce discipline at such an early stage of unified Republican government.
It certainly would not bode well for the chances of Republicans getting together on tax overhaul legislation — another top priority where the party has significant differences on major elements — not to mention other big-ticket items coming down the road. Veteran lawmakers know the window of opportunity can slam shut very quickly on Capitol Hill.It certainly would not bode well for the chances of Republicans getting together on tax overhaul legislation — another top priority where the party has significant differences on major elements — not to mention other big-ticket items coming down the road. Veteran lawmakers know the window of opportunity can slam shut very quickly on Capitol Hill.
At an event hosted by Politico, Mr. McConnell tried to implore his divided colleagues to overlook their policy disputes, which he played down as minor items “around the edges” of the leadership’s health care bill, and get behind the health care proposal for the party’s greater good.At an event hosted by Politico, Mr. McConnell tried to implore his divided colleagues to overlook their policy disputes, which he played down as minor items “around the edges” of the leadership’s health care bill, and get behind the health care proposal for the party’s greater good.
“We need to get into a governing mode and start thinking about actually achieving something rather than just kind of sparring,” Mr. McConnell said.“We need to get into a governing mode and start thinking about actually achieving something rather than just kind of sparring,” Mr. McConnell said.
His comment reflected the reality that many Republicans serving on Capitol Hill are simply not accustomed to the idea that the legislation they are pushing has a real chance of becoming law because most of them have held office only while Barack Obama was in the White House. His comment reflected the reality that many Republicans serving on Capitol Hill are not accustomed to the idea that the legislation they are pushing has a real chance of becoming law, because most of them had held office only while Barack Obama was in the White House.
“I think what you’re seeing is we’re going through the inevitable growing pains of being an opposition party to becoming a governing party,” the House speaker, Paul D. Ryan, said last week. “And in being an opposition party, we have divided government. Sixty-four percent of our members — 64 percent of our members — have never known what it’s like to work with a Republican president, to have unified government. So it’s a new feel.”“I think what you’re seeing is we’re going through the inevitable growing pains of being an opposition party to becoming a governing party,” the House speaker, Paul D. Ryan, said last week. “And in being an opposition party, we have divided government. Sixty-four percent of our members — 64 percent of our members — have never known what it’s like to work with a Republican president, to have unified government. So it’s a new feel.”
That is another way of saying that Republicans suddenly realize they are going to be held accountable for the impact the health legislation will have on their constituents, and it is making many of them very nervous. Up to this point, they have been able to put the blame on Mr. Obama. Now the blame, if there is any, will be directed at them. For many congressional Republicans, this is their first real attempt at enacting major social policy.That is another way of saying that Republicans suddenly realize they are going to be held accountable for the impact the health legislation will have on their constituents, and it is making many of them very nervous. Up to this point, they have been able to put the blame on Mr. Obama. Now the blame, if there is any, will be directed at them. For many congressional Republicans, this is their first real attempt at enacting major social policy.
Despite obvious disagreements, Republican leaders and President Trump continue to put the best face on things and declare that their legislation is well on its way toward enactment. It is a tried-and-true strategy meant to create the impression that passage is inevitable and lawmakers would be wise to join the winning side. Nothing to see here.Despite obvious disagreements, Republican leaders and President Trump continue to put the best face on things and declare that their legislation is well on its way toward enactment. It is a tried-and-true strategy meant to create the impression that passage is inevitable and lawmakers would be wise to join the winning side. Nothing to see here.
“This is the time we’re going to get it done,” Mr. Trump said Friday at the start of a meeting with Republican congressional leaders. “We’re working together, we have some great results. We have tremendous spirit, and I think it’s something that’s just going to happen very shortly.” “This is the time we’re going to get it done,” Mr. Trump said Friday at the start of a meeting with Republican congressional leaders. “We’re working together. We have some great results. We have tremendous spirit, and I think it’s something that’s just going to happen very shortly.”
On Thursday, Mr. Trump, quickly adapting to the Republican practice of keeping quiet any intraparty squabbling, said on Twitter that “despite what you hear in the press, health care is coming along great.”On Thursday, Mr. Trump, quickly adapting to the Republican practice of keeping quiet any intraparty squabbling, said on Twitter that “despite what you hear in the press, health care is coming along great.”
Yet Republicans in the House and Senate say it is currently impossible to predict whether the health care legislation will pass, and warned that it is going to take substantial arm-twisting by Mr. Trump and congressional leaders, particularly given stiff opposition from aggressive interest groups with strong ties to House conservatives. Yet Republicans in the House and Senate say it is currently impossible to predict whether the health care legislation will pass, and warned that it was going to take substantial arm-twisting by Mr. Trump and congressional leaders, particularly given stiff opposition from aggressive interest groups with strong ties to House conservatives.
Some Democrats have pointed to a scenario similar to the first years of the Obama administration, when House Democrats swallowed hard and narrowly approved broad climate change legislation only to see the effort die in the Senate without so much as a vote. Some Democrats have pointed to a similar situation in the first years of the Obama administration, when House Democrats swallowed hard and narrowly approved broad climate change legislation only to see the effort die in the Senate without so much as a vote.
The effort cost some House Democrats dearly in what proved to be a suicide mission. Given that history, some House Republicans may not want to commit to the health legislation without assurances that the Senate will follow through and not leave them hanging out there all alone.The effort cost some House Democrats dearly in what proved to be a suicide mission. Given that history, some House Republicans may not want to commit to the health legislation without assurances that the Senate will follow through and not leave them hanging out there all alone.
All this internal friction has to be maddening to Republicans like Mr. McConnell who prefer to keep family feuds hushed up. On the day after the Nov. 8 elections, he noted that majority Republicans were enthusiastic about working with the new president, and that “where we have differences of opinion I expect to discuss them privately and not sort of hashing them out in public.” All this internal friction has to be maddening to Republicans, like Mr. McConnell, who prefer to keep family feuds hushed up. On the day after the Nov. 8 election, he noted that majority Republicans were enthusiastic about working with the new president, and that “where we have differences of opinion I expect to discuss them privately and not sort of hashing them out in public.”
Well, the differences are very public now, and Republicans have a lot riding on whether they can hash them out successfully.Well, the differences are very public now, and Republicans have a lot riding on whether they can hash them out successfully.