OPINION:
Last November, Americans sent a stern message to President Obama and the Democrats when they delivered Congress to the Republicans. That’s because Republicans made a lot of promises to them in the last election. Those commitments were instrumental to their victory; they were actions Americans were demanding and Republicans were vowing to deliver.
As we approach the first 100 days of the new Congress, let’s examine how well Republicans have done in keeping their promises.
Virtually every Republican running in 2014 promised to do everything he could to repeal Obamacare, beginning with its defunding, which a GOP majority in Congress could deliver. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell had pledged repeatedly that he, too, would defund and repeal it. After the election, a majority of Americans expected an end to this monstrosity.
However, when Republicans had their chance through defunding efforts, leadership buckled — if it had any intention in the first place to do anything, which is doubtful. Those election promises meant nothing when it came time to deliver. Mr. McConnell and House Speaker John Boehner have been absolutely useless in keeping the No. 1 promise the GOP made to voters in November.
A year ago, I predicted that even if the Republicans took back the Senate they would not fight Obamacare. As I remarked then, Republicans are always “like Wimpy with the hamburgers. I’ll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today.” It’s even worse. They are hoping the courts, through King v. Burwell, will do their job for them.
So today, Obamacare is still the law of the land, and the GOP Congress is providing 100 percent funding for it.
As with Obamacare, Republicans running in 2014 promised voters that they would put a stop to Mr. Obama’s unconstitutional executive order granting amnesty to millions who entered the country illegally. Oh, the thundering speeches they delivered to their constituents. A vast majority of the voters who gave Republicans the Congress were, and still are against Mr. Obama’s illegal actions, including almost half of Latino voters. Republicans ran more than 10,000 television ads against amnesty from Oct. 1 through Election Day.
And what has the new Republican majority done?
Nothing. When a federal judge blocked Mr. Obama’s executive order in February, the House voted against the president’s amnesty order. Senate Republicans took up the fight to defund the part of the Department of Homeland Security bill that funneled taxpayer dollars to fund Mr. Obama’s illegal actions. Republicans went back and forth over this budget process with the Democrats, who would not budge.
So the Republicans budged. Like they always do. Except this time they were in the majority, which was supposed to mean something.
Mr. McConnell eventually gave Mr. Obama and the Democrats exactly what they wanted — a clean funding bill that included paying for illegal executive amnesty. Of course, Mr. Boehner also strongly urged Mr. McConnell to take this course.
Republicans ran against amnesty and voters awarded them the Congress — and today, Mr. Obama’s illegal amnesty orders still stand. So does the big government “cromnibus” that resulted in the Republican leadership’s sellout on this issue.
President Obama couldn’t have been happier.
Conservative voters delivered Congress to Republicans in the last election because so many GOP politicians promised to pass a ban on abortions past the 20-week mark. It is at this point in the baby’s development that science has proven definitely he or she feels the horrific pain of having his or her little body torn apart, or burned to death. The House had already passed this once in 2013.
With a Republican Senate, the GOP would finally be able to push this legislation through Congress. Mr. McConnell had even been outspoken in his support of such legislation.
And so what did Republicans do?
On the same week as the March for Life in Washington, a number of Republicans withdrew support, preposterously claiming they feared it would alienate too many Americans, and especially women. But a majority of Americans supported the 20-week abortion ban, including women.
This ban was a no-brainer, the easiest pro-life bill imaginable. And the GOP failed miserably. Apparently, it’s just what they do.
If Republicans can’t get behind a bill as broadly popular as the 20-week abortion ban, what substantive pro-life legislation will they ever support? If Republicans can’t get behind this piece of legislation — is the GOP even a pro-life party anymore?
And that’s not the topper. In addition to breaking their promises to repeal Obamacare, turn back amnesty and protect unborn children, the Republican establishment is actually running television ads attacking conservatives in Congress who want to honor their promises to their constituents. Mr. Boehner has fought constantly with the House Freedom Caucus, a group of conservatives who actually believe in keeping their promises. Even with Republicans taking back Congress, most of the time it still seems like Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid are running the show because virtually nothing’s changed.
In so many ways, the new GOP Congress is worse than disappointing. It’s being run by frauds.
Republicans promised conservatives the moon in 2014 and have given us the shaft throughout 2015. No amount of Beltway spin or backpedaling can obscure this fact.
A Republican Congress, or even White House, that does not govern conservatively will not remain in power for long. Worse still, many will wonder if it’s even worth electing a Republican to the presidency if it means nothing to do so.
• L. Brent Bozell III is the founder and president of the Media Research Center and the chairman of ForAmerica, the largest, active online conservative network with over 7.1 million supporters.
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