Stalemate. Rancor. Stasis. This is what
President Barack Obama faces during his final two years in office in the aftermath of the Republican takeover of the Senate and the GOP expanding its majority in the House.
The Republicans picked up at least seven Senate seats in Tuesday's midterm election, giving them a majority, but the exact breakdown wasn't known because the results in additional states weren't finalized. The Republicans also added seats in the House, according to CNN and Fox News projections.
President Obama's unpopularity was a big factor in the Democratic party's setbacks. Exit polls for NBC News found that only 44 percent of voters approved of Obama's job performance and 54 percent disapproved. Republicans in competitive Senate races hammered their Democratic opponents for being too close to the president, and this was apparently a big factor in GOP victories in several key states including Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa, Kentucky, Montana, North Carolina and West Virginia. Obama and resurgent Republican leaders made some conciliatory statements about the need to end years of bitter deadlock in Washington. Obama's strategists said there could be progress on legislation to overhaul the immigration system, reform the tax code and other issues. House Republican Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy said he wants to deliver results for the American people.
But these sentiments seem hollow because all sides are so dug in, with Democratic and Republican legislators aiming to please core supporters who disdain accommodation. "For too long, this administration has tried to tell the American people what is good for them, and then blame somebody else when their policies didn't work out," said Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., in
a victory speech Tuesday night after he won his own hard-fought race. McConnell is now in line to become the Senate majority leader. He predicted that neither he nor Obama would change their divergent views on the issues.
White House advisers argued that the Democratic setbacks were due to an odd situation in which the political advantage resided temporarily with Republicans because so many conservative states were up for grabs in 2014.
But Obama emerges from the midterm election politically weakened. He was a political pariah in some states during the campaign, and many Democrats tried to distance themselves from him. Consequently, there is little chance for him to generate grass-roots support and pressure GOP legislators to accept his ideas. He tried that in the campaign and, in key states, voters rejected him and his policies by defeating Democratic candidates who were tied to his agenda.
Here are some areas where stalemate is likely:
Rebuilding Infrastructure. This is a pet project of the president's. He wants the federal government to invest large amounts of money in repairing roads, bridges, water systems and other parts of the infrastructure. Obama says this would improve the lives of many Americans and create jobs. But the GOP has resisted, saying Obama's plans are too expensive and wasteful.
Job Creation. The unemployment rate has fallen to 5.9 percent from more than 9 percent when Obama took office in January 2009, but many Americans don't feel economically secure. Many are under-employed, working for less money than they used to, and others have given up looking for work. Obama says his plans to rebuild the nation's infrastructure would help create jobs, but Republicans say the answer is a much broader series of policies to reduce taxes and cut regulations on business.
Tax Reform. Obama wants to reduce corporate tax rates to some extent and close loopholes but also make sure that the wealthy and big corporations pay more. Republicans want to lower rates for corporations, small businesses and individuals in a comprehensive way.
Immigration. Border security is the No. 1 goal of many conservatives in dealing with immigration. But Obama and many Democrats prefer a broader approach, such as limiting deportations of millions of people who entered the United States illegally, and providing a path to legal status or citizenship for millions more. Some legislators also want to encourage U.S. businesses to hire more immigrants with advanced skills. There is no consensus on a comprehensive approach, however. Before the end of 2014 or in early 2015, Obama is expected to use his unilateral powers to delay many deportations. Among those who might be eligible, according to Democratic strategists, are people who entered the United States illegally and are married to U.S. citizens or who are married to people who reside in the United States legally; unauthorized immigrants whose children are U.S. citizens; unauthorized immigrants with children, who would be allowed to stay rather than break up their families; and many farm workers, who are considered vital to the economy in many areas. Using the president's unilateral power would cause a furor among conservatives.
Trade. Majority Republicans in Congress could enact legislation to encourage trade, lower barriers to international commerce, and open U.S. markets. There is substantial support for giving the president new trade promotion authority so the administration can complete major trade pacts. Congress would be authorized to take an up-or-down vote on trade deals without amendments, which would theoretically give such pacts more of a chance for passage. Obama generally supports these concepts but many congressional Democrats and organized labor, a key Democratic constituency, remain opposed so the effort has been stymied.
Heath Care. Many Republicans still want to repeal the
Affordable Care Act, the overhaul of the
health insurance system know as Obamacare. But Obama would veto such a move, so it would be a waste of everyone's time, and GOP leaders appear to understand this. However, many legislators in both major parties want to repeal Obamacare's 2.3 percent excise tax on medical devices, a provision that potentially pays for much of the health care law. Critics say it costs thousands of jobs, limits investment in research and impedes new product development. Obama and his allies fear this would be part of an effort to undermine the whole law and they are skeptical of participating in such a process.
National Security. Republicans will be urging tougher stances by Obama against Russian leader Vladimir Putin's expansionist policies in Ukraine, where Moscow has annexed Crimea. The GOP also favors a tougher stance against Islamic extremists in Syria and Iraq, who are trying to take over those countries. And many national-security hawks want Obama to more adamantly oppose Iran's suspected nuclear weapons program. The president will likely become immersed in an ever harsher confrontation with the conservative hawks over his national security policy.
Appointments. Obama will run into fierce opposition from Republicans to some of his appointments if they are seen as too liberal. Still pending is his decision on a replacement for Attorney General Eric Holder, who is resigning. And if a Supreme Court vacancy occurs, there will be a battle royal on that nomination.
Adding to Obama's problems, resurgent Republicans are likely to bog down his administration in endless investigations and oversight hearings. It won't be a pleasant way for the president and his aides to spend the next two years.
发表于 2014-11-5 11:50
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