MEMO -- House Republicans’ Disastrous January: A Month of Distraction, Obstruction and Internal Dysfunction
From: Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi's Press Office
Date: January 29, 2015
Re: House Republicans' Disastrous January: A Month of Distraction, Obstruction & Internal Dysfunction
The month of January has been epically rough for Speaker Boehner and House Republicans. In fact, it's been disastrous. Just take a look at January's week-by-week breakdown of their obstruction, distraction and dysfunction:
WEEK ONE:
- Extreme, radical Tea Party types put Speaker Boehner's speakership in extreme peril.
- Speaker Boehner and House Republicans find a strategy to "cook the books" and deliberately alter the rules.
o POLITICO: ‘Dynamic Scoring' Cooks the Books
- Desperately attempt pass a Wall Street wish list bill favoring an economy that works for the few.
o Huffington Post: Democrats Knock Down GOP Bill To Delay Wall Street Reform
WEEK TWO:
- House Republicans callously passed mean-spirited legislation to separate families, deport children, and jeopardize our national security – all in order to appease the anti-immigrant fringes of their Party.
o MSNBC: House GOP goes on the record for mass deportation
- House Republicans roll out the red carpet for their big business and special interests friends.
o Associated Press: Houses passes bill easing rules regulating Wall Street
WEEK THREE:
- House GOP passes another special-interest gift to the natural gas industry.
o The Hill: House votes to speed natural gas pipelines
- Ways and Means Chairman Paul Ryan and House Republicans jeopardize Social Security disability.
o POLITICO: Republicans target Social Security disability
- In an embarrassing move, Speaker Boehner and House GOP leaders announce the dropping of a radical bill designed to restrict women's access to health care services.
o CBS News: ?House GOP abruptly drops plans to debate abortion bill after backlash
WEEK FOUR:
- In an unfortunate "60 Minutes" interview, Speaker Boehner called middle class priorities "dead, real dead."
o New York Times: Republicans Pretend to Care About Inequality
- Homeland Security Michael McCaul visited the border to tout his "controversial border bill" only to come back to DC where GOP leaders pull it from the House Floor – blaming it on the weather though Republican Members did not buy into the excuse.
o Washington Times: Trouble in GOP ranks kills votes on border and abortion bills
- After admitting to a few "stumbles" in the House, the media reports that Speaker Boehner plans to waste more taxpayer money on a frivolous lawsuit.
o National Journal: Boehner to Sue Obama, Again
As the Washington Post's Dana Milbank puts it:
Republicans discover that it isn't easy running Congress…What has happened since Republicans took full control of Congress three weeks ago has been less a stumble than a pratfall involving the legislative equivalent of a banana peel, flailing arms, an upended bookcase, torn drapes and a slide across a laden banquet table into a wedding cake.