'Like we have given up': Republican calls on Congress to stop giving more power to Trump
As the multi-week federal government shutdown drags on, Congress is taking a decidedly quiet role while President Donald Trump takes an even more influential position. Some lawmakers are calling for that to change.
That's according to a Wednesday analysis by the New York Times' Carl Hulse. He observed that the House of Representatives has been out of session since September 19, and that while the Senate is in session, there is so far no progress in lawmakers agreeing on a government funding bill with the extended Affordable Care Act tax credits that Democrats are demanding.
“The Congress is adrift,” Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) told the Times. “It’s like we have given up. And that’s not a good signal to the American public.”
Hulse pointed out that Trump's second term is rife with examples of Congressional Republicans ceding powers that typically belong to the legislative branch to the president. While Article 1, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution expressly gives Congress the power to spend federal money and assess tariffs, GOP leaders in Congress have remained silent about Trump making budgetary decisions and imposing new import duties on a whim.
The Times author also noted that Trump has usurped Congress' power to declare war by unilaterally deciding to blow up alleged drug boats in the Caribbean Sea. Aside from Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), few Republicans have publicly criticized the administration over the boat strikes.
"There is a real danger that self-inflicted wounds by this institution will imperil it," Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) said. "I think people are shaking their heads that Congress has reached this point in America."
As long as Republicans control both chambers, Congress' continued obeisance to Trump appears to continue unabated. The president has encouraged submissive behavior from his party, particularly after the passage of his "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" earlier this summer.
"We don’t need to pass any more bills," Trump told Republicans on Tuesday. "We got everything in that bill."
Click here to read Hulse's full article in the Times (subscription required).
