Posted on 12/18/2015 7:36:12 PM PST by RKBA Democrat
ChristÂmas is comÂing, and House SpeakÂer Paul RyÂan is in a merry mood.
Just hours after passing a massive biÂparÂtisÂan spendÂing bill in conÂvinÂcing fashÂion, one day after notchÂing scores of tax policy wins and barely two months inÂto his speakÂerÂship, RyÂan has fully transÂformed from reÂluctÂant reÂcruit inÂto happy warÂriÂor.
Now he just has to bring the ReÂpubÂlicÂan Party with him.
âIâm very happy with how the last sevÂen weeks have gone,â he told a small group of reÂportÂers asÂsembled in his Baroque-style CapÂitÂol ofÂfice. The space has been reÂpainted with a fresh coat of palaÂtial red, part of the sucÂcessÂful efÂfort to rid it of the damp toÂbacco smell of its preÂviÂous inÂhabÂitÂant, John Boehner. So too has the cloud of Boehnerâs presÂence and abÂrupt deÂparÂture seemÂingly been lifÂted from ConÂgress.
Yes, many memÂbers are still frusÂtrated, But RyÂan has, to paraÂphrase his preÂdeÂcessor, cleaned the barn, and the House is ready to move inÂto 2016 on his terms with him at the helm. The past was rocky, but in talkÂing about the fuÂture he is calm and conÂfidÂent.
âWhen John Boehner threw the curveÂball of his unantiÂcipÂated resigÂnaÂtion, it threw the place inÂto a bit of chaos. MemÂbers were very worÂried about where this was all goÂing, and it looked like ConÂgress was goÂing to seize up and come to a screechÂing halt,â RyÂan said. âPeople looked at that situÂation around ConÂgress and saw all that they came here to do, to work on, baÂsicÂally beÂing all for naught. That we were about to have such a chaotÂic crash, that the hard work that they took to get here, to leÂgisÂlate, to make a difÂferÂence, was goÂing to be in vain.â
In his speakÂerÂship, though, RyÂan said his memÂbers see a change to a culÂture in which conÂserÂvatÂives can uniÂfy and all memÂbers have leÂgisÂlatÂive inÂput. He points to the just-passed omÂniÂbus and tax bill, as well as the reÂcently passed early-eduÂcaÂtion and highÂway auÂthorÂizÂaÂtion bills as proof ConÂgress is back to work.
To be sure, the omÂniÂbus bill passed unÂder his watch came toÂgethÂer in a top-down proÂcess more reÂminÂisÂcent of his preÂdeÂcessor. RyÂan said even he is disÂgusÂted with the proÂcess, but he wanted to close it out to move on to a new chapter. Even still, he said memÂbers feel they have had more inÂput than in the reÂcent past.
âSince we have reÂstored that fairÂness to the proÂcessâI have done everything I said I was goÂing to doâI think people are reÂlieved, and they now realÂize the outÂcome doesnât have to be perÂfect, it may not even be what they want, but at least they had a fair chance of afÂfectÂing the outÂcome,â he said.
RyÂan said he honed his seÂrene deÂmeanÂor durÂing the chaos of the 2012 presÂidÂenÂtial camÂpaign trail, when he was Mitt RomÂneyâs runÂning mate. He has learned to unÂplug and does not get rattled or fazed by high praise or deep criÂtiÂcism, esÂpeÂcially from the conÂserÂvatÂive moveÂment that birthed him and now seems ready to disÂown him.
TakÂing that lesÂson away from a presÂidÂenÂtial conÂtest seems quaint givÂen the anyÂthing-but-Zen tenÂor of the curÂrent GOP primary race. RyÂan said he reÂcogÂnizes the tone of his partyâs would-be presÂidÂents is difÂferÂent from his own, but that itâs just the nature of the primarÂies and things will change come the genÂerÂal elecÂtion. He blames the ranÂcor, unÂsurÂprisÂingly, on PresÂidÂent Obamaâs adÂminÂisÂtraÂtion, which he said has set a âgovÂernÂing temÂperaÂment that is arÂrogÂant, paÂterÂnalÂistÂic, and conÂdesÂcendÂing.
âThat deep sense of anxiÂety in the counÂtry is what is fuelÂing all of this, and that tells me we owe people the right to deÂcide if they want to stay on this path or not,â he said. âAnd the only way you can do that is if you ofÂfer anÂothÂer pathâand not just some vague platÂitÂudes, not just get some pollÂster to tell you what to say, but an acÂtuÂal path.â
But that canÂnot wait unÂtil a nomÂinÂee is chosen. RyÂan said he and MaÂjorÂity LeadÂer KevÂin McÂCarthy will hunker down with the conÂferÂence over the break and inÂto JanuÂary to draft a govÂernÂing visÂion. WhethÂer that will be bound in conÂtract or pledge form reÂmains to be seen. But some of the tenÂets are emerÂging. He wants to move on two tracks, both workÂing with DemoÂcrats on areas where they can find comÂmon groundâfor inÂstance, on crimÂinÂal-justice reÂform and the apÂproÂpriÂations proÂcessâand also stakÂing out conÂtrast by passing solely GOP leÂgisÂlaÂtion, such as a reÂpeal of ObamaÂcare.
RyÂan said the House will vote on a reÂconÂciliÂation packÂage in JanuÂary that reÂverses ObamaÂcare and cuts off fedÂerÂal fundÂing to Planned ParÂentÂhood, and the House will craft and vote on an alÂternÂatÂive to the presÂidÂentâs health law. He is cogÂnizÂant, in the meanÂtime, of Boehnerâs warnÂing not to overÂpromÂise to the electÂorÂate.
âIâm not goÂing to say itâs goÂing inÂto law. ⦠But are we goÂing to proÂpose something? You bet we are,â he said. âWe will make comÂmitÂments on things that are withÂin our conÂtrol. MakÂing a proÂposÂal is withÂin our conÂtrol. Donât sugÂgest that weâre goÂing to say that proÂposÂal is goÂing inÂto law in 2016âwith a presÂidÂent named Obamaâ[and that] weâre goÂing to reÂpeal something like ObamaÂcare. Thatâs not whatâs beÂing promÂised and comÂmitÂted to.â
He said the House could also take up an auÂthorÂizÂaÂtion for the use of milÂitÂary force to tarÂget jiÂhadist terÂrorÂists in the Middle East, and McÂCarthy and ForÂeign AfÂfairs ComÂmitÂtee ChairÂman Ed Royce will start listenÂing sesÂsions on the topÂic in JanuÂary. But he knows his conÂferÂence would not pass anyÂthing that in any way limÂits this presÂidÂent or the next from milÂitÂary enÂgageÂment with the IsÂlamÂic State.
âI think it would be a good symÂbol of AmerÂicÂan reÂsolve to have a new AUMF to go after ISÂIS, to thorÂoughly deÂfeat and desÂtroy ISÂIS. Not to conÂtainâto desÂtroy ISÂIS. But we will not pass an AUMF that is deÂsigned to tie the hands of the next presÂidÂent,â he said.
And in genÂerÂal, he said, he wants to alÂlow more votes, and not just ones that are pre-sanÂitÂized for conÂsumpÂtion durÂing an elecÂtion year, but ones that alÂlow both DemoÂcrats and ReÂpubÂlicÂans to proÂpose real policies.
âThereâs a plus side and a downÂside of regÂuÂlar orÂder and openÂing up the proÂcess. People have got to take votes, and thatâs just the way the cookÂie crumbles,â RyÂan said. âI came here with a D+3 disÂtrict and then it beÂcame an R+0 disÂtrict. ⦠So Iâm no stranger to takÂing tough votes and exÂplainÂing it in difÂfiÂcult politÂicÂal situÂations. It clearly can be done, so youâve just got to lean inÂto it and do it.
âWhat this place alÂways used to do is try to preÂdeÂterÂmine everything, down to the amendÂment. I donât think that the speakÂerâs ofÂfice should have that kind of power,â he adÂded.
Still, there are some things he said he simply will not do, for variÂous reasÂons. ComÂpreÂhensÂive tax reÂform is out of the quesÂtion for 2016, he said, beÂcause the gulf of ideas between his party and the presÂidÂentâs is too wide. RyÂan is an avid deer hunter (he starÂted growÂing his new beard in a deer blind, and he makes venÂison sausÂage and jerky in his free time), and gun-conÂtrol leÂgisÂlaÂtion to reÂspond to the counÂtryâs spate of mass shootÂings is out of the quesÂtion. "What we should foÂcus on is crimÂinÂals, terÂrorÂists, menÂtal-health reÂform, and we should not be disÂtracÂted with ideas that take away the conÂstiÂtuÂtionÂal rights of law-abidÂing citÂizens,â he said.
Not all of this will work, he conÂceded. As he said in his speech acÂceptÂing the speakÂerÂship, he exÂpects bills to fail and conÂsiders that a healthy part of the leÂgisÂlatÂive proÂcess. The Left and the Right will take aim at him. But he said he will reÂmain the happy warÂriÂor throughout. âIâm sure there are goÂing to be webÂsites and voices out there that will alÂways be conÂtrariÂan, no matÂter who is in charge and no matÂter what we are doÂing. Thatâs to be exÂpecÂted,â he said. âBut the core of the conÂserÂvatÂive moveÂment is yearnÂing to be uniÂfied around a bold, conÂserÂvatÂive, speÂcifÂic agenda, and thatâs what we are goÂing to do.â
Certainly this budget makes all the millionaires and billionaires delighted. And when billionaires are happy the political class is happy.
Question:
Why the beard?
(All of a sudden he’s a brilliant genius now because the Progressives love him?)
Just asking.
(That congress must be one he%% of a disgusting place to work with all those Progressives around. It’s bad enough to be around normal people with all their foibles, but Progressives are a psychiatric breed with cosmic abrasiveness as a norm.)
IMHO
Reluctant? Yeah, sure. Like Senator Palpatine was “reluctant” to become Chancellor.
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