After all was said and done on Wednesday (Nov. 5) morning when the elections were over, President Obama was scrambling about trying to get his ducks in a row. The White House confirmed reports that the president was reaching out to Democratic and Republican lawmakers late Tuesday night. The biggest and most obvious question that's on everyones mind is if the Republicans and Obama can put their differences aside and keep the government moving and pass some useful legislation. The outcome of the elections Wednesday are sure to bring many changes to Capitol Hill. The Republicans took control of the United States Senate. They also now hold 246 seats in the House of Representatives and that's their largest majority in the House since the Truman Administration. This election gives the Republicans control of both houses of congress for the first time since the 2006 elections. The Democrats had a tough night and most think it is accredited to Obama’s doing. Many Democrats are unhappy with President Obama. Representative Steve Israel, Chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, told MSNBC that the Democrats had a “pretty ugly night”. One of or possibly the biggest shock for the Democrats was that the Republicans won more governors’ races than expected(Illinois and Maryland). Its pretty clear that it was a tough election night for President Obama and the Democrats. President Obama called Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell(KY-R) on Wednesday to congratulate him on his parties victories. McConnell is likely going to be named the majority leader come January when the Republicans take over the Senate. 
Obama and McConnell have not seen eye to eye in the past. Obama said that the two of them are willing to put any problems between them aside with the hope of working together to pass legislation on priorities that they both can agree on. All this means is that McConnell will force the president to approve such legislation as the Keystone Pipeline. Approving the pipeline is just the beginning. Senator McConnell was quoted saying "We haven't had an energy bill in seven years, we need to embrace the energy revolution thats going on in our country, promote it." Without a doubt that means more fracking, which has been proven unhealthy for us and our planet. McConnell claimed that Obama launched a war on coal. Along with the pipeline and fracking, McConnell plans to make coal competitive again. Republicans also plan to gut Obamacare. Ted Cruz(TX-R) was quoted on election night saying "We need to suspend Obamacare. We need to repeal it altogether because it is not working." It took the better part of a year for the American middle/lower class to get their health insurance situated. Now the GOP wants to tear Obamacare apart piece by piece.
The Republicans ran up the score so bad on election night that the Democrats needed the "mercy" rule. They have positioned themselves to control all levels of legislation for years to come, especially if new president in 2016 is a Republican. Having a Republican run Senate and House has an upside too. The GOP plans on revamping America's foreign policy. The main focus should be disarming ISIS. The Republicans and President Obama need to get together and set a plan in motion.
Senator John McCain(AZ-R), the incoming chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, claimed that he has already began discussing a new national-security agenda with Republicans Bob Corker and Richard Burr. They are likely to be named the incoming chairmen of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. If these moves are a sign that the government is gonna use the military for what it's there for and put boots on the ground in Iraq and Syria to stop ISIS before something tragic happens on U.S. soil then it is the right move. The Republicans, Democrats, and Obama have to get together and agree to put our nation's welfare first. If the parties can't put forth a bi-partisan front and work together then America, our nation, will fail.
No comments:
Post a Comment