10/16/2017
When asked about Steve Bannon and his war on Republicans, Trump explained that things are not getting done. Of course, and to no one’s surprise, Trump claimed it wasn’t his fault, but the fault of Republican Congressmen.
Trump’s statements made many people wonder: If things are not getting done, who is in charge to make sure they get done. Isn’t that part of the president’s responsibility?
There are two primary reasons why legislation doesn’t get passed by congress and eventually become law. First, it is crappy legislation that few support. Second, it is partisan legislation that is divisive between the two parties. In most cases (not always) a bill should have some basic merit, and be viewed by both parties as being beneficial to most Americans.
To date, Trump has not had any major legislative victories. His main goals, such as reforming healthcare, have been disasters, and the blame certainly fall on his shoulders.
In the case of healthcare, Trump promised great healthcare where everybody would be covered at lower prices and enjoy better benefits. The sad fact is that he didn’t (and probably still doesn’t) understand how healthcare works. He never attempted to reach across the aisle and build a coalition to address the problem. Hence, his solutions were strictly partisan with all Democrats voting against, and almost all Republicans voting for the proposed changes. Second, Trump had no idea what the solutions were, or what was coming out of congress as the bills were discussed and crafted behind closed doors. What emerged was terrible legislation that cut benefits and insured fewer people. Just about every major medical organization was against the proposed bills, including the AMA.
Despite his denials, Trump is the major reason things are not getting done in Washington. Perhaps if he stopped the personal attacks on Democrats and actually promoted legislation to improve the life of Americans (i.e. stopped cutting pollution regulations) then he could build consensus in the congress and get things done. Until then, little will change.
https://youtu.be/Y_VyKH7BY4U
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