Is A New Era Of Responsible Governing Upon Us?

The new Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell recently told The Washington Post “I want the American people to be comfortable with the fact that the Republican House and Senate is a responsible, right-of-center, governing majority.” So with the new congress starting, it’s time to consider what Republicans are proposing and assess just how “responsible” they plan to be.

The Freedom Funnel:

Topping the Republican agenda is a law to force construction of the Keystone XL pipeline. Everyone knows that gas prices are at record highs, the global oil supply is way down, and the atmosphere has plenty of capacity left to absorb more carbon. And the State Department has estimated that the pipeline will have a big long-term impact on employment, creating a whopping 35 permanent jobs.

This is a totally responsible move.

Responsibly Letting Others Die:

According to the New York Times, the number of uninsured people in America is down by 25%, and people with the lowest incomes have benefited the most from Obamacare. Overturning Obamacare is to Republicans what being taken seriously is to Donald Trump – the ultimate dream. Since a full repeal wouldn’t get past the President/dictator’s desk, Republicans will likely try to rescind the Employer Mandate (requiring businesses with 50+ full-time workers to offer health coverage). But Republicans know what everyone else does – that poor people don’t deserve health coverage. And it’s also economically irresponsible. Just look at those European countries where everyone receives healthcare coverage. The result has been high unemployment and economic stagnation.

This too is responsible governing.

Please Roll The Dice Responsibly, Guys:

Foreshadowing their 2015 focus on responsible governing, Republicans in the last budget bill included a provision allowing Wall Street banks to trade risky financial derivatives from subsidiaries insured by the FDIC. I know that sounds like letting your 15-year old drive you home when you’re drunk so he’ll take the heat for the crash. And naysayers think this’ll lead to another financial crisis followed by a massive bank bailout. But everyone knows the ‘07-‘08 financial crisis was a fluke, a one-time event that’ll never happen again because the bankers learned their lessons.

My first thought when Republicans took over Congress was that it was like watching your new next-door neighbors bringing meth-making equipment into their house. But these early signs suggest to me that the Republicans won’t blow up their (our) house like those meth-heads do.