Paul Ryan, wake up!
What happened to you, man?
Washington Republicans are in disarray. Almost 100 days into Donald Trump's presidency, the GOP holds the White House and both houses of Congress and yet no legislation has been passed. An attempt to repeal and replace ObamaCare petered out when everyone realized what a monster the "replacement" bill was. Republicans are still having on-and-off-again discussions about what to do about the health-care system, a slightly important issue. And then there is the budget and tax reform, things that Republicans usually like.
The image they conjure up is a dog chasing its tail and then running into a wall.
Lawmaking in Washington is messy, as it should be, since lawmaking in a democracy involves navigating many competing interests. But what makes this time around so different is that usually the process is messy, but there's at least a general sense of what each actor wants, and where the various tension points are. It took many many months of brutal wrangling to get ObamaCare passed, but it was clear throughout what the White House wanted (something that dramatically expanded coverage without appearing to bust the budget too much), what Republicans wanted (not comprehensive coverage and no government expansion), and what moderate Democrats wanted (anything that didn't make them look like the reincarnation of Leon Trotsky).
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The difference now is that Republicans keep talking about various ideas when it comes to, say, tax reform, or health care, but there's no sense which is particularly important to them or why. Many Republicans in Washington are aware of this and are quick to blame someone: Donald J. Trump.
And fair enough. The reason the process is so discombobulated is that, in fact, President Trump doesn't know what he wants. He doesn't know what he wants because he acts on instinct and lacks a sufficient grasp of policy to be able to negotiate a deal. Republicans therefore find themselves groping in the dark, like someone lost in an unfamiliar city where everyone speaks a foreign language.
Except that this is just an excuse. Nature abhors a vacuum. Right now, there is a leadership vacuum because the putative leader of the Republican Party is not providing the required leadership. But in any good organization, leadership vacuums don't last. Others lead, even if they are not the natural party to do it.
All of which is a long-winded way of saying: Paul Ryan, wake up!
What happened to you, man?
First you messed up on ACA Repeal 1.0. Now it's like you vanished into thin air!
Look, I understand, it's hard: Your dream Reagan 2.0 reform ain't gonna happen. It ain't gonna happen for structural reasons, which is that shrinking the government without doing anything else doesn't help one of the core constituencies of your party. Plus, ACA Repeal 1.0 squandered a lot of the goodwill you'd built up with many in your caucus.
But it doesn't mean that good policy can't happen. Someone needs to step up and push bills that address the concerns of the various constituencies within Congress and the party. What happened to the stuff anti-Trump conservatives were told during the campaign: All that was needed from Trump was a desk and a pen because Republicans would run the country from Congress. Well?
So, for example, on health care, while you tried to blame the Freedom Caucus for the collapse of ACA Repeal 1.0, you know they're willing to play ball, as they showed yesterday by getting onboard ACA Repeal 1.5. Which means it's possible to pass a bill that covers as many, or more people, as ObamaCare, while removing many of its egregious regulations and making the American health-care system a little less insane.
On tax reform: No, sorry, just slashing rates isn't going to cut it. But you can turn out Trump voters in 2018 by pushing a tax reform bill that really helps them. Think a massive payroll tax cut, wage subsidies, or an expanded child tax credit. All would grow the economy, boost jobs, particularly manufacturing jobs, and help struggling middle-class families.
Paul Ryan became the intellectual leader of his party precisely because he offered bold, thoughtful ideas when nobody else was willing to do it. It's time to step up and provide that leadership again.
The bottom line is this: It's bad that we have a president who can't do his job. But it's not actually an excuse for leaving the party leaderless. It's time to provide leadership. Paul Ryan, it's time to step up.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Pascal-Emmanuel Gobry is a writer and fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center. His writing has appeared at Forbes, The Atlantic, First Things, Commentary Magazine, The Daily Beast, The Federalist, Quartz, and other places. He lives in Paris with his beloved wife and daughter.
-
Are 'judge shopping' rules a blow to Republicans?
Today's Big Question How the abortion pill case got to the Supreme Court
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
Climate change is driving Indian women to choose sterilization
under the radar Faced with losing their jobs, they are making a life-altering decision
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
'A great culture will be lost if the EV brigade gets its way'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
Trump, billions richer, is selling Bibles
Speed Read The former president is hawking a $60 "God Bless the USA Bible"
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
The debate about Biden's age and mental fitness
In Depth Some critics argue Biden is too old to run again. Does the argument have merit?
By Grayson Quay Published
-
How would a second Trump presidency affect Britain?
Today's Big Question Re-election of Republican frontrunner could threaten UK security, warns former head of secret service
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
'Rwanda plan is less a deterrent and more a bluff'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By The Week UK Published
-
Henry Kissinger dies aged 100: a complicated legacy?
Talking Point Top US diplomat and Nobel Peace Prize winner remembered as both foreign policy genius and war criminal
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Last updated
-
Trump’s rhetoric: a shift to 'straight-up Nazi talk'
Why everyone's talking about Would-be president's sinister language is backed by an incendiary policy agenda, say commentators
By The Week UK Published
-
More covfefe: is the world ready for a second Donald Trump presidency?
Today's Big Question Republican's re-election would be a 'nightmare' scenario for Europe, Ukraine and the West
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Xi-Biden meeting: what's in it for both leaders?
Today's Big Question Two superpowers seek to stabilise relations amid global turmoil but core issues of security, trade and Taiwan remain
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published