With only about 100 days left until the midterm elections, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy sounded terrifyingly optimistic during his appearance this week at the first annual America First Policy Summit. Institute. The California Republican spoke as if it were a foregone conclusion that his GOP would soon take control of the United States House and appoint him president.
Additionally, after slamming Democrats for making suffrage a legislative priority in early 2021, McCarthy offered a hint at what voters should expect a House Republican majority to prioritize. at the next Congress:
“We’re going to roll out the Commitment to America and we’re going to let America decide which direction it wants: America last or America first… Our Bill 1 will carry about protecting America’s people, making us energy independent, lowering the price of gas, securing your streets, securing your border, and holding Washington accountable. It will be a breath of fresh air.”
And we will all have puppies. And free ice cream. And there will be rainbows for us to enjoy in all directions.
Kidding aside, I don’t blame McCarthy for being optimistic, because Republicans are well positioned to take over the House. I don’t even blame him for talking about the idea of presenting an alternative vision for voters to consider before casting their ballots in the fall.
But the idea that the GOP’s legislative priority will be a bill that protects Americans, makes us energy independent, lowers gas prices, reduces crime and secures the border is more than a little silly. .
Indeed, if McCarthy has solutions to all of these problems and can bundle them into a magical Super Bill, he is welcome to reveal it now. Why wait for January? If Republicans can create a national utopia through legislation, why not share their wisdom immediately and give policymakers the chance to vote on it?
Is it because McCarthy doesn’t really have an agenda that can do all of these things?
Certainly, the House Minority Leader deserves at least a modicum of credit for endorsing the idea that political platforms have value. As regular readers know, it was around this point two years ago when Republican officials were supposed to be working on their party’s platform. It didn’t go well: The GOP decided to go without a party platform in 2020 for the first time since 1854.
As for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Republicans would stick with that this year and hide their legislative intentions until Americans have voted.
But McCarthy, apparently looking to the myth of Newt Gingrich’s 1994 deal with America as a guide, seems sincerely to believe that his party should present voters with some sort of plan before Election Day.
Some skepticism is in order. On the one hand, McCarthy seems to have been working on his commitment to America since at least September 2020. I can understand that crafting a master plan can take time, especially for a party that hasn’t exercised his political muscles for many years. , but I’d like to hear an explanation from GOP leaders as to why, after nearly two years, the plan still doesn’t seem to exist in any meaningful way.
Also, in the event the Commitment to America sees the light of day, it’s unlikely to be impressive. While recent events have solidified, the Republican Party remains a post-political party that remains indifferent to the substance of government.
But perhaps most important is the nagging detail that McCarthy doesn’t want to talk about. Going back to our previous coverage, McCarthy & Co. could very well unveil something resembling an innocuous plan, but it will almost certainly obscure the real goals of the GOP.
After all, the Republican Party’s real priorities include tax breaks for the wealthy, abortion bans, weaker social insurance programs that families depend on, weaker gun laws, and a systemic effort to turn back the clock on suffrage, civil rights and the environment. protections.
And that’s a tough sell for a party that wants to win.
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