The Hill (Op-Ed)
By Gianno Caldwell
October 2, 2015
Donald
Trump has made the phrase "a silent majority" a popular one. He uses it
to reinforce the fact that many Americans feel disenfranchised and lied
to by their elected
officials. This feeling is especially pervasive when some Americans
think of Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), the highest-level elected
Republican official in the country. He is also the face people see when
the media discuss the dysfunction of Congress. Many
believe that America needs a new school Speaker of the House: One who
recognizes where our country is headed during this pivotal time, one who
has the courage to say "no" and one is who is willing to work with both
sides of the aisle for the common good —
as the pope mentioned in his address to Congress. Speaker John Boehner
(R-Ohio) managed a new school Congress with an old-school strategy.
Boehner, who is known to be reasonable and have a willingness to
compromise, took his lead from the traditions of Congress.
This willingness has created contention within the congressional GOP
ranks. Why? Because Democrats are generally not seen as willing to
compromise on their principles; case in point, ObamaCare and Planned
Parenthood funding. In addition, Boehner was known
to pass legislation with the help of Democratic votes on major issues
when he couldn't find consensus within his party. The most conservative
members of the House were often at odds with the Speaker's way of
governing; this led to those members giving Boehner
an ultimatum, that the Speaker should either focus on the issues the
conservative members believed their constituents cared about or battle
the conservative members in a race for the Speakership.
This
push to remove Boehner from his role provided the momentum for Boehner
to resign due to what many consider to be an unreasonable conservative
caucus. His attempt
to do what former Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) did in 1994 with the
GOP's "Contract with America" — by working in a bipartisan fashion to
bring about some tangible changes like welfare reform, which proved to
be effective in pulling people out of poverty
— backfired. Boehner also wanted to ensure that the legislation pushed
by Republicans wouldn't be viewed as so draconian to the mainstream that
his caucus couldn't be reelected and maintain the majority. What the
Speaker seemingly hadn't realized is the reason
he was empowered five years ago was to change the tread of America. The
Tea Party rose for the same reason Donald Trump and Dr. Ben Carson are
rising today: The general public is tired of the go-along-to-get-along
old-school politics and they want drastic
reforms. The landscape of America has changed dramatically since
Obama's inauguration: ObamaCare, gay marriage, climate change policy,
immigration and tax reform have made some who elected a Republican
majority feel alienated. Furthermore, many Americans feel
that their free speech and religious liberties are under attack. The
balance was tough for the Speaker. Does the Republican majority — which
gets unfairly blamed for everything that's wrong with Congress — make
the tough decision to shut down the government
until there is movement on the priorities of what Donald Trump calls
the silent majority, or should the strategy be politics over principles?
The
Democratic majority has demonstrated its willingness to put their
principles above any and everything and not compromise with the GOP. We
know this from President
Obama's refusal to negotiate with Republicans on the Affordable Care
Act during the last government shutdown. It wasn't the most auspicious
moment for the president to take a stand, but he did. Republicans must
be willing to do the same. So what's next? The
conference will likely elect a Speaker who won't compromise on issues
of principle. I believe Democrats will have no choice but to come to the
table and compromise because they see the Tea Party's willingness to
oust a leader who is perceived as too accommodating
to the Democrats, which jeopardizes movement on any of their agenda
items. The next leader must have the courage to stand up to any and
every one, including the president. This individual must also be cogent
when speaking to the American people about the congressional
GOP agenda. The hyperpartisan environment that Congress has become will
continue as many seek the role of Speaker of the House. Republicans
have been winning elections but Democrats have been winning the
congressional fight and public relations war; it's time
for Republicans to win both.
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