To say it’s been a frustrating year for conservatives would be a vast understatement. After running for years on promises of a full repeal of Obamacare and winning elections in a sweeping and historic victory, Republicans couldn’t even manage to pass the repeal they passed months before under former President Barack Obama.
Even worse, it looks as though the tax plan might be heading the same way. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., recently announced that he would not support the bill as it now stands. And although the bill did pass through the House and the Senate Finance Committee, that doesn’t mean the plan will actually pass on the Senate floor – just look at what happened to the skinny repeal. Even if something does pass, it’s highly likely that the so-called “moderates” such as Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and John McCain, R-Ariz., will band together and water down the bill so that it doesn’t actually make the changes our economy so desperately needs.
If Senate Republicans want to put some points on the board before the end of the year, there’s one thing they can do: confirm President Trump’s nominees. Public attention has largely moved on now that high-profile positions such as Supreme Court justice and attorney general have been filled, but hundreds of nominations have yet to receive consideration. But we still have concerns, such as Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, blocking conservative nominee Russ Vought to the Office of Management and Budget. (Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell should whip him into shape.)
It’s an embarrassment to the Senate, especially when you take a look at the two previous administrations. By this time in his first term, former President George W. Bush had 455 of 679 nominations confirmed, and Obama had 389 out of 582 confirmations. Out of Trump’s 469 nominations, only 249 have been confirmed.
While the Democrats have delayed some confirmations and slowed things down considerably, there is no excuse. At the end of the day, they can’t use a filibuster, and they ultimately can’t stop the process from moving forward. The Republican majority in the Senate is perfectly capable of pushing these confirmations through. It’s a matter of willpower, not a matter of ability. If Betsy DeVos can get confirmed amidst one of the most scrutinized confirmation hearings in memory, there’s no way these lower-tier appointments won’t get confirmed if Republicans decide to make it happen.
The Senate is running out of time, something they do not seem to realize. They went on vacation for most of August and a week in October. With a week for Thanksgiving and two weeks for Christmas, there are few working days left for the year.
If the nominations aren’t confirmed by the end of the year, they must be resubmitted in 2018 – which only complicates the problem and slows momentum. Plus, if Republicans can’t deliver on this issue, they’re only giving conservatives another reason to stay home next November. Why would liberty-loving Americans support a party that can’t seem to accomplish any of its major goals or produce any meaningful legislative reform when it holds the House and the Senate with a president who will sign their bills?
This, in turn, increases the likelihood that the Democrats will sweep the midterm elections. If they do, any confirmations after those elections will become nearly impossible. If Democrats get a majority, they will throw all of their energy into blocking each and every one of Trump’s nominations, no matter how qualified, competent, and nonpartisan the individual in question might be.
Put simply, conservatives across the country need a boost – and soon. It’s easy to talk change and pledge major reform on the campaign trail, but at the end of the day, the proof is in the deeds, not in in the promises. Senate Republicans need to do their job and, in addition to passing tax reform, get these confirmations squared away before the end of the year. And if that means sitting in an office or hearing arguments on the floor on Christmas Eve, that’s what has to happen. The public deserves much better than the constant delay and indecision this party has produced.
It might be too late for Obamacare repeal, and no one knows the fate of tax reform. By confirming Trump’s appointments, Senate Republicans can show conservatives that, despite all appearances and all challenges, they’re willing to work with the president and push the platform that voters chose in 2016. It’s a small start – but even a small start is better than the no-start season we’ve seen so far.
Adam Brandon (@adam_brandon) is a contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog. He is president and CEO of FreedomWorks.
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