It was the political challenge heard ‘round the political world. Two months ago, as members of Congress prepared to leave Capitol Hill for their Thanksgiving break, Republican Rep. Chip Roy delivered impassioned remarks on the House floor.
“One thing. I want my Republican colleagues to give me one thing — one! — that I can go campaign on and say we did,” the Texan said. “Anybody sitting in the complex, if you want to come down to the floor and come explain to me, one meaningful, significant thing the Republican majority has done.”
No one rushed to respond to his challenge.
A month later, Republican Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona complained during an on-air Newsmax interview that GOP lawmakers have “nothing to campaign on” in the fall because the party hasn’t accomplished anything. “It’s embarrassing,” the congressman added.
Few have challenged the premise of such complaints. Even if someone were willing to overlook the GOP’s pointless messaging bills, the GOP’s government-shutdown threats, the GOP’s debt-ceiling crisis, the GOP’s meritless censure resolutions, GOP members’ willingness to oust their own House speaker for the first time in American history, and the expulsion of a GOP member, the fact remains that this Congress is on track to be the least productive since 1932.
After voters handed Republicans control of the House in the 2022 midterms, expectations were low as the current Congress got underway. At least so far, lawmakers have fallen short of those dismal hopes. NBC News reported:
They’ve passed little substantive legislation since winning the majority in 2022 and struggled to do the basics of governing with a Democratic-led Senate. Their first year was instead marked by fractiousness and chaos, complicating the party’s pitch to voters this fall. The challenge is accentuated by likely GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump making “retribution” against his enemies, rather than shared policy goals, the centerpiece of…
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