As Donald Trump and his White Home workforce proceed to implement a maximalist agenda, many congressional Republicans discover themselves in a clumsy place. On the one hand, they’re content material to play the function of backup performers for the president at middle stage, endorsing his agenda, ignoring his scandals, and rubber-stamping his concepts.
However, they’re additionally elected lawmakers with constituents — lots of whom have considerations about how the administration’s insurance policies will damage them and their communities.
As NBC News reported, it’s a path many GOP officers haven’t but found out find out how to navigate.
Republicans on Capitol Hill are filled with reward for President Donald Trump’s flurry of government actions and makes an attempt to slash some federal spending, promoting it because the type of disruption that Individuals voted for final fall. That’s, till the ache dangers hitting house for his or her constituents. From cuts to well being and agriculture funding to fears of recent tariffs negatively impacting native industries and shoppers, Republican lawmakers are beginning to push again towards sure elements of Trump’s plans.
To make sure, they’re doing it with nice warning — partly to keep away from showing like a White Home critic, partly as a result of to remain on the great aspect of Trump’s followers, and partly to keep away from drawing the ire of the president himself.
Nevertheless it’s however true that a number of congressional Republicans are endorsing the administration’s agenda typically, whereas particularly on the lookout for exceptions to the agenda because it pertains to their very own states and districts.
One of many first key examples of the phenomenon got here after the White Home introduced plans to slash investments in the National Institutes of Health, at which level Republican Sen. Katie Britt of Alabama — a steadfast Trump ally — raised public concerns in regards to the impression such cuts would have on vital federally funded, HIH-backed medical analysis carried out in her state.
It shortly turned obvious that the Alabaman had intraparty firm.
The New York Occasions recently highlighted the same phenomenon.
Republicans in Congress have responded to President Trump’s unilateral strikes to freeze federal spending, dismantle applications and fireplace civil servants with a collective shrug, staying principally silent and even praising him as he circumvents the legislative department. However in current days, as his slash-and-burn marketing campaign to remake the federal government has begun to have an effect on their states and districts, some Republicans have tried to push again in delicate methods. They’ve sought carve outs and particular consideration for agriculture applications, scientific analysis and extra, at the same time as they cheered on Mr. Trump’s total strategy.
The extra the White Home pursues insurance policies that do real damage in red states, the extra possible will probably be that congressional Republicans politely beg for exceptions to Trump’s plans.
This text was initially revealed on MSNBC.com
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