The
New York Times is warning that Republicans will launch a two-year period of obstructionism if they take the Senate next week due to relentless pressure from the conservative faction of the party.
The editorial board of the liberal-leaning newspaper noted that earlier this week Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell admitted that he would be unable to repeal Obamacare in a GOP-controlled Senate.
Although Republicans are expecting to win enough seats to take the chamber, it is extremely unlikely that they would have the 60 votes needed to abolish President Barack Obama’s signature healthcare act.
But the comments from the Kentucky senator, who is in a tough election battle against Democrat Alison Lundergan Grimes and not assured of regaining his own seat, were met with derision by conservatives and tea party loyalists like Texas Sen. Ted Cruz.
On Thursday, McConnell was forced to back off his statement during an interview with
The Washington Examiner, in which he said he was “committed to the full repeal” of Obamacare” with just a simple majority through a parliamentary procedure known as reconciliation.
The Times board noted that the senator’s sudden backtracking indicated what "life will be like" in Congress under a Republican Senate.
"It’s not just that they are committed to time-wasting, obstructionist promises like repeal of health care reform, which everyone knows President Obama would veto," the editorial board wrote. "The bigger problem is that the party’s leaders have continually proved unable to resist pressure from the radical right, which may very well grow in the next session of Congress."
The Times says that tea party members already hold too much power over the Republican caucus, and "things could become worse" if the GOP gains control of the upper chamber.
"A Republican majority wouldn’t really be able to reverse Mr. Obama’s most significant accomplishments, but in the act of trying, it could do a great deal of damage," said the board.
McConnell plans to push the party’s proposals by attaching addendums to spending bills, which would create a dilemma for the president. He would either have to sign spending bills that include GOP policies or veto the bills, leading to a possible government shutdown similar to October last year.
"Those demands could take the form of riders aimed at blocking an array of environmental activities, everything from limiting carbon pollution from power plants to protecting clean water, and at repealing new consumer protections and restrictions on financial institutions," the board wrote.
"There would be no minimum-wage increase, or big investments in education, or immigration reform.
"Republicans would also be certain to block Mr. Obama’s choices for judgeships — all but guaranteeing a judicial crisis unless the president agreed to conservative choices — as well as his executive appointments, starting with a new attorney general."
The board concluded by saying, "It’s hard to imagine a Congress less productive than this one, but obstructionism could actually get worse if a new majority took hold."
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