Boehner Struggles to Answer Why the House Is So Dysfunctional

[rangerrebew]

Boehner Struggles to Answer Why the House Is So Dysfunctional


Blames Obama and different Republican tactics in Congress

3.1.2015 |
 
News
 
| Trey Sanchez |
 

Republican House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner on Sunday struggled to give CBS News' John Dickerson solid answers as to why he is having trouble corralling some of his conservative members in Congress.

During an appearance on Sunday's Face the Nation, Boehner put blame on President Obama and the different tactics of congressional members in how to stop a lawless president.

Dickerson asked the speaker why the Republicans in Congress "look the same" even though they promised during the midterms to govern differently. Boehner said part of the blame lies at the top of federal leadership:

“
Well, because the president took actions with regard to immigration that were far beyond what the law allows him to do. You have to remember, John, that the president said 22 times -- 22 times -- that he couldn't do what he eventually did. I made it clear we're going to do everything we could to block the president's executive overreach. And that's the basis of the problem that we're trying to deal with. And, uh, Senate refused to pass their own bill. Senator McConnell tried for almost a month to get the Senate to act, but four times Senate Democrats blocked the ability to even debate the bill.

Dickerson said that Boehner's plan to act was circumvented by his own allies in Congress -- the small group of conservatives that have been accused by other GOP members as "phony" with "no political strategy," as Congressman Devin Nunes charged this week.

Dickerson asked, "Can you run a House with that kind of group in your membership?"

Boehner replied:

“
We do have some members who disagree from time to time over the tactics that we decide to employ. But remember, Republicans are united in this idea that the president has far exceeded his constitutional authority. And we all want to do things to stop the president from his illicit activity.

Dickerson pushed to find out why Boehner's own members are "absolutely undermining" his authority. Boehner again blamed arguments over tactics despite having the same goals.

Then, Dickerson asked, "Did they have a plan that could have succeeded, and passed, and signed by the president, that would have gotten them with they wanted -- this small group you say that, basically, undermined your effort?"

"Not that I know of," said Boehner.

“
Dickerson: So, was it fruitless?

Boehner: It's the House of Representatives. As it said in the [show's] opener, the House is a rambunctious place. We have 435 members. A lot of members have a lot of different ideas about what we should and shouldn't be doing.

Dickerson: Can you lead those members?

Boehner: I think so. I think so. I'm not going to suggest it's easy, because it's not.

http://www.truthrevolt.org/news/boehner-struggles-answer-why-house-so-dysfunctional

[libertybele]

Perhaps the better question is why is Washington dysfunctional?

[truth_seeker]

Perhaps the better question is why is Washington dysfunctional?

The elected House and Senate members from BOTH parties are further to the extremes either way, than the national electorate.

While both parties have sought to please their own party's voters back home, they have failed to please the national electorate, which is now the largest pool of voters; 42% as I recall.

The national electorate would prefer compromise, but the members cannot do so and at the same time please their voters back home.

[Formerly Once-Ler]

Perhaps the better question is why is Washington dysfunctional?

It is functioning just as the Framers intended.  They built a system of government that makes quick action on anything impossible unless there is overwhelming support for it.  The Senate is the key.  Since only about 1/3rd are up for re-election on election day it requires 3 elections to remove 100% of the Senators reluctant to change the law.

In times of war and economic downturns people demand action so Republicans and rats both scramble to pass laws to fix it.  In times of peace and a good economy the voters prefer nothing gets fixed.  I would submit that the economy isn't that bad ( it's so much better than it was under Carter) and most Americans think we are out of Afghanistan and Iraq, and don't have a lot of interest in fixing things.  I don't think voters really care about the illegals already here staying here, and while they might agree that Obama shouldn't have done it through an EO, they don't think shutting down Homeland Security is a solution.

Then, Dickerson asked, "Did they have a plan that could have succeeded, and passed, and signed by the president, that would have gotten them with they wanted -- this small group you say that, basically, undermined your effort?"

"Not that I know of," said Boehner.

“
Dickerson: So, was it fruitless?