Republicans in Congress Must Govern

In much the way Barack Obama received a mandate in 2008, so has the GOP received one in 2014. The challenge before Obama and the democrats in congress was to take that mandate for “hope and change” and translate it into good public policy and effective governance. A similar burden now befalls House Speaker Boehner and future Senate Majority Leader McConnell.

The republican caucus will soon find out that simply winning an election does not insure success. The stakes are high. Failure now will surely compromise GOP hopes for the White House in 2016. Furthermore, the GOP task will be considerably more daunting than Obama’s.

The President has benefited from an adoring press corps unwilling to press him on substantive policy matters. The republicans in congress will not be afforded the same courtesies.

The relationship between congress and the press will no doubt become more volatile as we move closer to 2016. Hillary Clinton will enjoy much of the same deference afforded Obama.

Furthermore, once campaign mode is in full swing, the GOP congressional leaders should anticipate specious claims of legislative obstructionism and promotion of policies detrimental to women. Such allegations are completely consistent with the identity politics platform adopted by democratic strategists in recent years and will undoubtedly constitute a large plank of the 2016 platform.

How will the GOP respond?

Now, more than any time in recent memory it is paramount that the GOP crafts a positive policy vision and articulates it with dexterity and enthusiasm.

It is for this reason that the congressional leadership must be prepared to challenge the President on bad policy by providing effective alternatives.

Amnesty through executive fiat should not occur. However, not presenting a reasonable public policy alternative, is equally unacceptable. It is no longer sufficient to be a party in opposition. The GOP must become a party of action.

Leaders must be willing to lay out policy initiatives, debate them openly, and vote on them. Such a practice not only serves the direct democratic function of representative government, it further creates a record for members on both sides of the aisle. This carries the added bonus of informing the electorate. It is difficult to hide from a voting record, unless you simply vote “present”.