http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/gop-isnt-giving-up-on-passing-laws-in-an-election-year/article/2578991In a presidential election year, can anything get done in Congress?
Republicans are planning on it, even though their ideas will likely face presidential vetoes.
The House and Senate gavel into session on Jan. 4, but business does not start in earnest until a week later on Jan. 11, a day before Congress hears President Obama's final State of the Union address.
While Obama is expected to outline plans for the last months of his second term, the Republican-led Congress will to pursue an agenda aimed at helping their party secure the White House in 2016, GOP leaders said.
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"I want to make sure that we have an agenda that we take to the American people that is rooted in our founding principles, this is what conservatives believe, to give the country a very clear choice and that's what we're excited to looking forward to in 2016," House Speaker Paul Ryan said on NBC's "Meet the Press."
The Democratic minority, meanwhile, will put forward its agenda, even though Democrats have little chance of getting it on the floor of the House or Senate.
"I hope we'll do something to help the middle class, like raise the minimum wage, do something to take care of the tremendous burden that people have, students and their parents, with student debt," said Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev. "And of course, we want to make sure that my daughter and my granddaughters get paid the same as a man for doing the same work."
While Democrats will use the podium to push their priorities, Republicans who control both chambers will be able to make their case to voters by debating and passing legislation.
House Republicans plan to devise their agenda at a GOP retreat that will be held in Baltimore at the end of the month.
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Pass the damn bills, let Obama veto them. Choose those issues that Americans care about, have your talking points ready for the Sunday shows. Drag Hillary into the mess, and let the GOP candidates hammer her for siding with Obama. How hard is it?
