What the House GOP Should Do

Later today, the Republicans will take control of the House of Representatives, and in so doing, they will have the votes to affect American politics to a greater degree than they have been in the last couple of years. However on recent form, one can safely say that they are unlikely to use that new power to best advantage. Because of America's constitutionally fractured power structure, they find themselves in control of the House but still in opposition. Success in such a situation requires an elegant blend of obstructionism and cooperation that one doubts they can achieve. If Mr. Boehner and his team are to get the most out of their position, they should undertake a few constructive policy initiatives.

On health care, they have decided to pass a two-page bill cartoonishly called "Repealing the Job-Killing Health Care Law Act." This is clearly not well-thought out. Repeal means empowering insurance companies to deny coverage to those with pre-existing conditions once again. It means increasing prescription drug prices for those in the so-call "donut hole." And it means kicking children over 18 off their parents health insurance if they aren't in college. Democrats will raise millions on that.

Instead, the GOP should introduce a conservative, market-based solution that addresses these problems without government involvement. For example, children can stay on their parents insurance after 18 but must pay an additional (discounted) premium. Moreover, they could add some of the good ideas the GOP offered during the health care debate that the GOP legislators voted against in spite. For example, allow residents of one state to purchase insurance written by a firm in another. Sadly, this requires a great deal of thought and research, and the evidence suggests the Republican Party and the conservative movement in America have yet to do their homework.

On fiscal responsibility, the Republicans are a laughingstock. Mr. Reagan doubled the national debt, and Mr. Bush the Younger redoubled it. They are far worse than the Democrats. Tax and spend liberals can't run up deficits as fast as borrow-and-spend conservatives. To regain this credibility, they need to re-introduce the "pay as you go" ("pay-go" in Washington parlance) principle. That is, there can be no new spending without a corresponding cut or increased tax to cover it. There must be deep cuts in numerous programs, and whether they like it or not, significant tax increases to fix America's fiscal mess. Pay-go offers them a way to start.

Finally, the one issue with which they can make the most hay is education. American education clearly doesn't work very well. One-eighth of the adult population is functionally illiterate. Kids aren't getting what they need to be productive citizens of the 21st century, and college grads are welcomed to adulthood with six-figures of student loan debt. Just about any reform will make improvements. So, the advice to the GOP on education is do something. Anything. Force the Democrats to defend the status quo, and the Republicans will win big on any improvement, and so will America.

Now that they are a party with some power beyond a Senate filibuster, the Republicans bear some responsibility for what happens in the next two years. Standing in the well of the House and screaming "Hell, no, you can't!" is no longer sufficient. The acid test for Mr. Boehner and his team is whether they can be a constructive, responsible, conservative opposition or whether they merely want to rant and rave for two more years. This journal expects the worst while hoping for the best.

© Copyright 2011 by The Kensington Review, Jeff Myhre, PhD, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent. Produced using Ubuntu Linux.

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