'Our Goals Are Identical'
At his joint press conference with House Republican Leadership this morning, Governor Mike Pence spelled it out in no uncertain terms: Paul Ryan and Donald Trump share the same goals, and they share the same vision.
Roll Call: Pence Says Trump's Agenda in Step With House GOP
"Republican vice presidential nominee Mike Pence said Tuesday that a Donald Trump presidency would sync up with House Republicans' agenda…
"'My and Donald Trump's appreciation for Paul Ryan is boundless,' Pence said…
"House Republican Conference Chairwoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers said Pence received an ‘enthusiastic response' from members of the House GOP caucus when discussing Trump…"
And for anybody who has been paying attention to this Republican Congress, it's long been clear that there's not a dime's worth of a difference between House Republicans and Donald Trump.
You can hear it in what they say:
- It was a House Republican who said "we have too many mosques in this country." [Rep. Peter King, POLITICO, 9/07]
- It was a House Republican who said DREAMers have "calves the size of canteloupes because they're hauling 75 pounds of marijuana across the desert." [Rep. Steve King, New York Times, 8/13]
- It was a House Republican who said same-sex marriage is the same as allowing "a 50-year old man to marry a 12-year-old girl." [Rep. Vicky Hartzler, Think Progress, 6/11]
- It was a House Republican who said that "Barack Obama…in his heart, he's not an American." [Rep. Mike Coffman, Denver Post, 5/12]
And you can see it in what they do:
- It was House Republicans who voted for mass deportations of DREAMers.
- It was House Republicans who held a hearing to end birthright citizenship.
- It was House Republicans who voted unanimouslyagainst allowing the House to even debate the Voting Rights Advancement Act, which would protect Americans' most sacred right – the right to vote – regardless of race.
- It was House Republicans who voted unanimously to support the Russell amendment to the Defense Authorization bill that effectively overturns President Obama's historic executive order protecting LGBT workers in federal contracts, therefore enabling discrimination with taxpayer funds.
- It was House Republicans whovotedfourtimes just last year in support of the Confederate Battle Flag.
- It was House Republicans who voted 14 times this Congress for measures attacking women's health care. (2016 Vote #443,2016 Vote #390,2016 Vote #53, 2016 Vote #6, 2015 Vote #568, 2015 Vote #538, 2015 Vote #527, 2015 Vote #524, 2015 Vote #506, 2015 Vote #505, 2015 Vote #223, 2015 Vote #194, 2015 Vote #93, 2015 Vote #45)
- It was House Republicans who decided to have 95 percent of House Committees be chaired by men.
Governor Pence was right to express "boundless appreciation" for Speaker Ryan and House Republicans. Because for years, the House GOP has been pushing the very same agenda of discrimination that is now fueling Donald Trump