Sen. James Lankford noted that recent Congressional Review Act votes were accomplish nothing, telling Axios, "we were not actually getting anything done, but it created a situation in which Democrats can send a message that they're pretending to back home." This reflects a broader concern within Senate Republicans about the effectiveness of their strategy to target Biden through these votes, which could inadvertently benefit Democrats.
Senate Minority Whip John Thune shared his frustrations from last year, stating, "These are awfully hard votes to explain to voters." This highlights the political risks GOP members faced amid CRA votes, as they could confuse their constituents on key issues like ESG investing, crime, and environmental regulation.
A senior Senate GOP aide revealed, "a part of the shift was to stop giving vulnerable Democrats free votes to signal more moderate or right-leaning stances," indicating an internal recognition among Republicans that their strategies inadvertently allowed Democrats to distance themselves from Biden.
Lankford expressed disappointment about the lack of progress with CRA votes, emphasizing that the nursing home policy resolution in part hasn't received a vote due to its potential to let vulnerable Democrats publicly distance themselves from Biden, showing how political maneuvering can change legislative tactics.
#senate-republicans #biden-administration #congressional-review-act #political-strategy #democratic-vulnerability
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