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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| McConnell: Obama ‘doesn’t set the agenda’ | McConnell: Obama ‘doesn’t set the agenda’ |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| Even before President Obama arrived at the Capitol on Tuesday to deliver his State of the Union address, Republicans were making clear that the 6,600-word speech would have little impact on what Congress does in the year ahead. | Even before President Obama arrived at the Capitol on Tuesday to deliver his State of the Union address, Republicans were making clear that the 6,600-word speech would have little impact on what Congress does in the year ahead. |
| “With all due respect to him, he doesn’t set the agenda in the Senate,” Sen. Mitch McConnell (Ky.), the new majority leader, told reporters at an afternoon news conference. | “With all due respect to him, he doesn’t set the agenda in the Senate,” Sen. Mitch McConnell (Ky.), the new majority leader, told reporters at an afternoon news conference. |
| Republicans were able to dismiss Obama’s proposals, knowing that few will gain approval with the GOP holding majorities in the House and the Senate. | Republicans were able to dismiss Obama’s proposals, knowing that few will gain approval with the GOP holding majorities in the House and the Senate. |
| “We’re going to try to do the things that we think will make America a better place,” McConnell said. | “We’re going to try to do the things that we think will make America a better place,” McConnell said. |
| That rejection is the price Obama will pay for losing the Democratic majority in the Senate, which for the past six years served as the main battleground for his initiatives. Now, the best Obama can hope for in regard to his big-ticket proposals is that his Democratic allies figure out a way to offer his ideas as amendments to Republican bills. | That rejection is the price Obama will pay for losing the Democratic majority in the Senate, which for the past six years served as the main battleground for his initiatives. Now, the best Obama can hope for in regard to his big-ticket proposals is that his Democratic allies figure out a way to offer his ideas as amendments to Republican bills. |
| Sen. Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah), the chairman of the Finance Committee, disparaged the president’s tax proposals — a new tax on the largest financial institutions and on the wealthy claiming capital gains, and a new two-year plan for free community-college tuition — as a pipe dream. | Sen. Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah), the chairman of the Finance Committee, disparaged the president’s tax proposals — a new tax on the largest financial institutions and on the wealthy claiming capital gains, and a new two-year plan for free community-college tuition — as a pipe dream. |
| “Sadly, it doesn’t appear that President Obama gets it. We’ve seen reports that in tonight’s State of the Union address the president plans to call for tax hikes in the name of simplifying the tax code and helping the middle class,” Hatch said Tuesday morning at a briefing provided to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. “The tax hikes he’s proposing would be particularly damaging.” | “Sadly, it doesn’t appear that President Obama gets it. We’ve seen reports that in tonight’s State of the Union address the president plans to call for tax hikes in the name of simplifying the tax code and helping the middle class,” Hatch said Tuesday morning at a briefing provided to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. “The tax hikes he’s proposing would be particularly damaging.” |
| On foreign affairs, Republicans began flexing their new muscle Wednesday. Sen. Bob Corker (Tenn.), the chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, convened a hearing to examine ways to slow the administration’s steps toward a deal with Iran on its burgeoning nuclear program. Some members of the panel are advancing a tougher sanctions bill against Iran, which could hit the floor next month, and Corker is pushing a plan that would force Obama to get congressional sign-off on a possible nuclear deal with Tehran before Secretary of State John F. Kerry could cinch the pact. | |
| Just days before, at a gathering in Baltimore, the president told Senate Democrats that he would veto the Iran sanctions bill, and he has enlisted the help of British Prime Minister David Cameron, who has called key lawmakers, including Corker, to lobby against the measure. | Just days before, at a gathering in Baltimore, the president told Senate Democrats that he would veto the Iran sanctions bill, and he has enlisted the help of British Prime Minister David Cameron, who has called key lawmakers, including Corker, to lobby against the measure. |
| Obama’s speech and GOP reaction to it were not as confrontational as in some past years, and the two sides have tried to signal some areas that could produce modest gains. | Obama’s speech and GOP reaction to it were not as confrontational as in some past years, and the two sides have tried to signal some areas that could produce modest gains. |
| The Republican leaders paid close attention to Obama’s remarks about trade legislation, an issue with widespread support among GOP lawmakers but not among Democrats, who largely tilt against it because of concerns that such pacts hurt their union allies. | The Republican leaders paid close attention to Obama’s remarks about trade legislation, an issue with widespread support among GOP lawmakers but not among Democrats, who largely tilt against it because of concerns that such pacts hurt their union allies. |
| “Let’s hope the president talks about that tonight and does more than just talk about it, but this time actually goes to his caucus, goes to the Democrats, talks about the importance of this, to get this economy truly moving,” said Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio), a trade ambassador in the George W. Bush administration. | “Let’s hope the president talks about that tonight and does more than just talk about it, but this time actually goes to his caucus, goes to the Democrats, talks about the importance of this, to get this economy truly moving,” said Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio), a trade ambassador in the George W. Bush administration. |
| Obama’s remarks on trade were brief but drew applause from Republicans and some Democrats, and he did make an overt appeal to Democrats to support his plan, including initial “Trade Promotion Authority” that would smooth the path of a trade deal that is close to completion with Asia-Pacific nations. | Obama’s remarks on trade were brief but drew applause from Republicans and some Democrats, and he did make an overt appeal to Democrats to support his plan, including initial “Trade Promotion Authority” that would smooth the path of a trade deal that is close to completion with Asia-Pacific nations. |
| “More than half of manufacturing executives have said they’re actively looking to bring jobs back from China,” Obama said. “So let’s give them one more reason to get it done.” | “More than half of manufacturing executives have said they’re actively looking to bring jobs back from China,” Obama said. “So let’s give them one more reason to get it done.” |
| Senior Republican strategists suggest that Congress is still weeks away from consideration of TPA legislation by the full House and Senate. | Senior Republican strategists suggest that Congress is still weeks away from consideration of TPA legislation by the full House and Senate. |
| In the meantime, Republicans intend to keep pushing measures with some bipartisan support that the White House opposes. | In the meantime, Republicans intend to keep pushing measures with some bipartisan support that the White House opposes. |
| On Tuesday, the Senate continued churning through a bill that would compel the administration to approve the construction of the Keystone XL oil pipeline. A bipartisan amendment that had long been stalled, to modernize energy efficiency, was added to the underlying legislation on a 94-to-5 vote. | On Tuesday, the Senate continued churning through a bill that would compel the administration to approve the construction of the Keystone XL oil pipeline. A bipartisan amendment that had long been stalled, to modernize energy efficiency, was added to the underlying legislation on a 94-to-5 vote. |
| By the end of this month, the Senate is likely to pass the legislation in the face of a veto threat by Obama, who has said that federal studies about environmental safety should continue before a final plan is approved. The House has approved its version of the Keystone bill, and the two drafts could be reconciled into one final product and sent to the president’s desk in a few weeks. | By the end of this month, the Senate is likely to pass the legislation in the face of a veto threat by Obama, who has said that federal studies about environmental safety should continue before a final plan is approved. The House has approved its version of the Keystone bill, and the two drafts could be reconciled into one final product and sent to the president’s desk in a few weeks. |
| Also Tuesday, Senate Democrats got an early taste of what life in the minority will be like after it lost nine seats and the majority in the November midterm elections. They were allowed to offer two amendments to the Keystone bill — one to guarantee oil coming through the pipeline would be sold inside U.S. borders and another to guarantee that the pipeline is built with U.S. steel. | Also Tuesday, Senate Democrats got an early taste of what life in the minority will be like after it lost nine seats and the majority in the November midterm elections. They were allowed to offer two amendments to the Keystone bill — one to guarantee oil coming through the pipeline would be sold inside U.S. borders and another to guarantee that the pipeline is built with U.S. steel. |
| Both amendments were set aside on a near-party-line vote, exposing a new political dynamic in the Senate. The amendments forced an uncomfortable vote upon a crop of Republicans facing potentially difficult reelections in 2016 on an issue that could do them political harm. | Both amendments were set aside on a near-party-line vote, exposing a new political dynamic in the Senate. The amendments forced an uncomfortable vote upon a crop of Republicans facing potentially difficult reelections in 2016 on an issue that could do them political harm. |
| Such maneuvering is likely to be the Democrats’ best hope for getting traction on Obama’s new proposals, waiting for McConnell to bring relevant legislation to the floor, on taxes, education or other similar issues. | Such maneuvering is likely to be the Democrats’ best hope for getting traction on Obama’s new proposals, waiting for McConnell to bring relevant legislation to the floor, on taxes, education or other similar issues. |
| It is a far from ideal situation for Senate Democrats, especially when compared with their recently ended eight-year run in the majority. Even with Republicans in control of the House since 2011, Senate Democrats still used their power to promote legislation that helped showcase issues that both Obama and Senate candidates would use on the campaign. | It is a far from ideal situation for Senate Democrats, especially when compared with their recently ended eight-year run in the majority. Even with Republicans in control of the House since 2011, Senate Democrats still used their power to promote legislation that helped showcase issues that both Obama and Senate candidates would use on the campaign. |
| Now, however, it will be more difficult. Democrats will be reacting to GOP proposals, searching for the right amendment to offer rather than dictating the legislative pace. | Now, however, it will be more difficult. Democrats will be reacting to GOP proposals, searching for the right amendment to offer rather than dictating the legislative pace. |
| A series of funding deadlines loom in the first six months of the year — one for federal highway programs, another for Treasury Department borrowing limits to pay old debts — and those might provide some moments of leverage for Obama. Still, as Republicans made clear Tuesday, it’s not the same leverage that he had during his first six years in office. | A series of funding deadlines loom in the first six months of the year — one for federal highway programs, another for Treasury Department borrowing limits to pay old debts — and those might provide some moments of leverage for Obama. Still, as Republicans made clear Tuesday, it’s not the same leverage that he had during his first six years in office. |
| “The American people have spoken,” McConnell said. “They’ve decided they want both parties to have some lever of power here in Congress, and I think they expect us to sort out the things that we can agree on and try to make some bipartisan progress.” | “The American people have spoken,” McConnell said. “They’ve decided they want both parties to have some lever of power here in Congress, and I think they expect us to sort out the things that we can agree on and try to make some bipartisan progress.” |