By taking over control of the House of Representatives, Democrats may be able to block President Trump from passing any major legislation for the next few years. But by maintaining control of the Senate, Republicans can ensure that Trump will get to name a flood of judges to fill vacancies on the federal judiciary.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell already touts the remaking of the federal judiciary under Trump as one of the greatest accomplishments of the GOP-controlled Senate. Since Trump took office, the Senate has confirmed 84 judges. That includes 29 appellate court judges, as well as Supreme Court Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh.
Republicans have greatly benefited from the decision by Democrat Harry Reid, the former majority leader, to trigger the nuclear option in 2013, thus allowing federal judges to be confirmed by a simple majority vote.
Given that Trump’s hands will be tied legislatively, one of the ways in which he’ll be able to appeal to the Republican base ahead of the 2020 election will be to appoint more conservative judges. more here
Put the pedal to the metal and keep it there
President Trump can at least continue construction on the wall, until we retake the House in 2020. https://thehill.com/opinion/immigration/381512-three-ways-trump-can-build-the-wall-today-while-making-mexico-pay-for-it
Before we get to despondent, here is a summary of the 1982 mid-term election,(my optimism is based on retaking the house):
1982 Midterm Elections
In the midterm elections of 1982, the Democratic Party increased their majority in the U.S. House of Representatives by 27 seats while the margin in the U.S. Senateremained the same with a Republican majority.
The nation was in a deep recession and Democrats campaigned on defending the government services the Reagan administration wanted to cut. The elections forced President Reagan to compromise with liberal and moderate Democrats rather than counting on Republicans and conservative Democrats to pass legislation. Republicans made up some of the ground they lost with Reagan’s landslide reelection in 1984, gaining 16 House seats.
Democrats also gained seven governorships, including future Democratic President Bill Clinton who had been defeated for reelection in Arkansas in 1980. Future Republican presidential nominee John McCain was elected to Congress in Arizona. Future Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid was elected to the House in Nevada.
Associate Justice Clarence Thomas should learn a lesson from Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and retire after this Supreme Court session. That will guarantee a younger, conservative Judge can take his place for another twenty or thirty years.
One of the better outcomes from yesterday.
Turtle head McConnell and the GOP controlled Senate didn’t accomplish shit. It was President Donald J Trump that did all of the accomplishing, in spite of all of the Never Trump Republicans and RINOs in the Senate. And now, just like that asshole Obama, PDJT has a phone and a pen, and a hell of a lot more influence and ability to get things done on his own than that pussy predecessor of his. Trump 2020!
I can tell you who lost The House – Paul Ryan and the establishment Republicans that’s who.
JD….I disagree. It was 2 years of lying, crooked media propaganda.
He still has his pen and phone, no?
JD…exactomundo. Like loser Congressman Peter Roskam (R) IL. The water-spined “moderate” who distanced himself from Trump, literally hid himself the entire year and lost to hard left bolshevik Sean Casten. Him and the other establishment weaklings gave the house away. Maybe better this way for a bit. Maybe next election we get some hard-charging patriots to make a comeback. I hope.
Busy day and no time to research but this morning Senate was R+3 and now it is R+2. What happened?
A special thanks to Project Veritase, who surely helped.