The President and the republican controlled congress controls everything, yet here we go again with unfinished business knocking at the door and the end of the year drawing rapidly to a close. And in between the holidays they will be away from Washington. A major spending bill has to be voted on along with federal judgeships, criminal justice reform and other measures not to mention Trump's demand for funding a border wall.
The funding bill contains much that was already agreed on and should have passed long ago but republicans promised Trump they would handle the border wall this time around with the funding bill so now we have Trump's threat to shut down the government. The criminal justice reform bill is a no brainer and it has bipartisan support and will pass if put to a vote. But republican senate majority leader McConnell has yet to bring the bill up. That provoked republicans Lindsay Graham and Ron Paul to ask McConnel to bring the bill up. Graham said the bill would get 80 votes and pass easily and that it was his party that was the problem and not the democratic party. That put the conservative news media in its place who blamed the lack of action on the democrats.
So the second year of Trump and the republican control will come to an end without any proposed comprehensive immigration reform legislation that could have been debated and voted on despite Trumps so called tough immigration rhetoric. And for the republicans in congress, it is their fourth year since they controlled both houses of congress going back to President Obama's last two years in office. Waiting for the last minute to pass a funding bill is old hat for the republicans. It is their way of demonstrating how ideology has replaced policy and plans in governing.
The many judgeships they have scheduled to vote on before the years end is a farce. It is a way to try and force a democratic vote before the holidays or keep congress in session if they don't. Is it any wonder the November 6 elections broke up total control of congress by the Republican party?
This commentary written buy Joe Lorio
