During the government shutdown, the lights on Capitol Hill went dark as members of Congress scrambled back to their districts. It was a great opportunity for politicians to talk a lot about the state of the nation without actually having to get down to business and govern.
One might think Republicans would burn the midnight oil to do something to appease the voters who sent them to Washington in the first place, but they’re acting more like the minority party instead of one that controls every branch of government.
At least Democrats have an excuse. They’re out of power, and no bill they can put together will see the light of day in committees ruled by Republicans. But unlike Republicans, at least they’re making an effort.
As George Caldwell writes at The Daily Signal, “House Democrats, despite being in the minority, are making use of a procedural mechanism to bypass Republican leadership and force Republicans into tough votes. The mechanism is known as a discharge petition, which allows a member to force a vote on legislation that leadership is not putting on the floor once the petition collects 218 signatures.”
It’s hard to believe it’s come to this. Republicans went into 2025 with an emboldened president and a mandate to fight for the working class, reduce debt, fix ObamaCare, lower housing prices, supercharge the economy, and deport illegal aliens. Now, it has taken Democrats utilizing a procedural mechanism to get Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson to bring votes to the floor. Meanwhile, Republican lawmakers are sitting on their hands. Sure, Congress voted to release the Epstein files, but that’s not going to put food on anyone’s table or make healthcare affordable.
As the Wall Street Journal editorial board warns, “Democrats will run against Republicans next year on the cost of healthcare and enhanced pandemic-era subsidies for ObamaCare. Republicans can dodge the subject and hope voters don’t notice, which is a losing strategy. Or they could offer a health freedom agenda that would create more private insurance options. If any Republicans have been thinking about this, we haven’t heard it.”
The editors add, “How about pro-growth tax policy? Republicans have a rare chance to use budget reconciliation again during this Congress to dodge the Senate 60-vote rule for tax and spending bills. The news here is that Republicans don’t seem to have any idea what they would put in such a bill.”
Meanwhile, Republicans are still reeling after being swept in state elections. “Almost two weeks after Republicans lost badly in elections in Georgia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, many GOP leaders insist there is no problem with the party’s policies, its message, or President Donald Trump’s leadership,” comments the Associated Press. “Trump says Democrats and the media are misleading voters who are concerned about high costs and the economy. Republican officials aiming to avoid another defeat in next fall’s midterms are encouraging candidates to embrace the president fully and talk more about his accomplishments.”
To be fair, the Trump administration has many things to be proud of, including securing significant investments, raising tariffs to make trade fairer to the U.S., and working to bring peace around the globe. Inflation, housing, and gas prices are coming down. Domestically, Trump has made some moves, such as cutting tariffs to lower beef prices and reasserting his commitment to other kitchen-table issues. Still, the president can only do so much, and it’s the Republicans in Congress who ultimately hold the power to advance legislation.
For now, they look like the Do-Nothing Party instead of the Grand Old Party.
Maybe that’s why some midterm polls are looking like a disaster. It’s not surprising, really. Voters might be fickle, but they’re not stupid. And what they see right now is the party in power sleeping on the job: no agenda, no plan, no purpose.
Republicans are so disinterested in policy that President Trump is pressuring senators to scrap the filibuster, a cherished part of the institution that ensures the majority doesn’t run roughshod over the minority. There’s a lot of resistance to ending the filibuster, but Trump is desperate to light a fire under their seats and get them to do something to advance his America First agenda.
Audrey Fahlberg notes at National Review, “Trump has long viewed the filibuster as an obstacle to his legislative priorities. So, it should come as no surprise that his new second-term pressure campaign on Senate Republicans is now bleeding into 2026 primary contests. Remember: Most Republican senators are staunchly opposed to reforming the filibuster.”
Trump makes a good case that if Republicans don’t end the filibuster, their agenda will be stalled in 2026, setting the stage for Democrats to sweep into power and remove the filibuster themselves to push through their radical agenda. Trump posted on Truth Social, “Elections, including the Midterms, will be rightfully brutal. If we do terminate the Filibuster, we will get EVERYTHING approved, like no Congress in History.”
Republicans love coming up with excuses not to govern. One week, it’s the shutdown; the next, it’s that pesky filibuster. It’s a party afraid of its own shadow and entrenched in a business-as-usual mindset that’s sparking populist uprisings on the political Left and Right.
But don’t worry. If Democrats take back the House next November, Republicans will start talking tough again about what they’ll do next time they’re in power…
Let’s hope the new year brings a renewed sense of urgency in a party that looks out of touch with the country they lead.
