US Senator Pat Toomey is Right About Reid

US Senator Pat Toomey (R-PA)

The National Republican Senatorial Committee just released a letter  from US Senator Pat Toomey (R-PA):

Under Senator Harry Reid’s failed tenure, the Senate stood at a virtual standstill. Legislators, on both sides of the aisle, were unable to do the jobs they were elected to do. Now with Republicans in charge, we have a real opportunity to take action, tackle tough issues, and create real solutions to improve the lives of all Americans. 

Pat Toomey identifies Washington gridlock at its core.

It was now Minority Leader Harry Reid's fault, from the beginning.

The House of Representatives had passed three hundred bipartisan bills, all of which sat on Reid's desk and went nowhere.

With Majority Leader McConnell back in power, the US Senate has passed more amendments in one month than during the entire 113th Congress under Reid.

Of course, the quality of a legislative body is not based on how laws they pass, whether good or bad, but the number of bad bills killed before they arrive on the President's desk for a signature.

What are some of the issues which Republicans are dealing with?

Our Republican Majority is dedicated to taking action by repealing Obamacare, one piece at a time. It won’t be easy, but with your support, we plan to restore the 40-hour work week, repeal the medical device tax, and replace these policies with free-market, patient-centered reforms to give every American the opportunity for quality, affordable health care.

As long as careless President Obama remains in the White House, the Republican Congress will not be able to repeal his disastrous legacy. However, Republicans can redefine full-time work, get rid of the medical device tax (which a number of Democrats also hate), and they are moving toward positive solutions for Americans to have quality as well as accessible health care, not just insurance.

Senator Toomey is a novel member. He is wiling to compromise on some issues, but he is not afraid to fight for what he believes in, even if it means losing. He wanted to expand background checks in 2013, following the Sandy Hook deaths at Newtown, Connecticut. The bill died in the US Senate, but at least Toomey could face his critics and explain that he stood for something that mattered.

He was also not afraid to admit on camera that the federal government  might have to shut down if the Congress refused to live within its means and pass a serious budget. How many other US Senators extended that kind of courage? Other than Ted Cruz, very few "Tea Party" affiliated US Senators would say anything.

Finally, Republicans are taking over the media narrative, and reminding the country that the Republicans have been interested in governing from the outset, but the Democratic US Senate majority prevented passage on a number of key bills. Toomey has not compromised on what matters, fiscal discipline, and I hope that Pennsylvania residents remember that when he runs for reelection in 2016.