It was a difficult week for Republicans. The GOP saw internal squabbles and missteps not only from members of Congress, but from the President himself. The week began with a newly-proposed healthcare bill that quickly became mired in members’ personal grievances, giving rise to the nagging specter of potential inaction on the floor. After missing a self-imposed deadline to pass the repeal and replace of ObamaCare, the House of Representatives finally passed a health-care bill with a narrow majority of 217 to 213.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump kicked the week off with a tweet criticizing media companies for not covering certain stories, which sent the media into a frenzy. The ongoing Russia investigation was a further distraction that engulfed the White House, as stories emerged of Trump’s son-in-law and top adviser, Jared Kushner, being willing to provide information to investigators about a controversial meeting with a Russian lawyer.
The biggest blow of the week came from the Republican loss to the Democrats in a special House election in Montana. Though the result didn’t result in a party switch, it still struck a chord since the GOP was battling a highly unpopular president in the White House. Now, Republicans are faced with the looming mid-term elections and the possibility that the health care bill could be in trouble.
In the midst of all of this chaos, the Republican party is struggling to stay unified and maintain a governing agenda. Internal squabbles and missteps will only make the governing process difficult for the party and demonstrate their lack of cooperation. Until the GOP can find common ground and focus on passing bills and legislation that will benefit the US, Trump and the current Congressional majority will be mired in an uphill battle.
