Representative Paul Ryan wants Republicans to pick and choose where to stand their ground during President Obama’s second term and remain united.
Speaking at the National Review Institute, Ryan outlined a pragmatic approach to dealing with the president, including the notion that some of Obama’s proposals could be improved by applying conservative principles:
“If we want to promote conservatism, we’ll need to use every tool at our disposal,” Ryan said. “Sometimes, we will have to reject the president’s proposals — that time may come more than once. And sometimes we’ll have to make them better.” He said Republicans should have two main goals for the next four years, namely “to mitigate bad policies” and “to advance good policy wherever we can.”
Ryan acknowledged that “we all didn’t see eye to eye” on the recent “fiscal cliff” vote to deal with a combination of spending cuts and higher taxes that were set to take effect at the start of the year. He defended his support for the bill, saying it was the only way to avoid sweeping tax increases and prevent the economy from going into a free-fall.
As chairman of the House Budget Committee, Ryan said Republicans needed to guard against a debt crisis for the country that would undermine the economy. He said he would promote changes to Medicare and Medicaid and would propose a budget “that will balance and pay down the debt.”
But November’s election results still linger. Ryan said he was “disappointed” by the outcome, saying he was “looking forward to taking on the big challenges” while living at the vice president’s residence. “My kids were looking forward to having a pool,” he joked.
It’s hard to see at this point what the GOP House could do to “improve” the president’s proposals for a second term. On Obama’s big ticket items — gun control, immigration, deficit reduction — the Republicans find themselves with very little common ground to work with and much to oppose outright.
Ryan acknowledged the difficulties and urged the GOP to play for time:
“If they won’t help fix our entitlements, then we have to buy time,” he said. “We have to keep the bond markets at bay — for the sake of our people.”
Later he returned to the same point. “The horizon before us might seem narrow. But believe me: It’s going to grow,” he promised his conservative audience. “As the president implements his agenda, the results will fall far short of the rhetoric. And they won’t be pretty. We will have tepid growth and deficits — health-care price controls and rationing.”
Ryan was most scathing toward Obama. But as a major player in the budget debate taking shape in the new Congress, the chairman also took a more pessimistic view than Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) had this week.
Boehner and Ryan have been most insistent that the Senate act on a budget resolution this year — even orchestrating a House vote this week to withhold senators’ pay if the chamber fails to act. Ryan appeared to up the ante further by saying Saturday that the House won’t act on another debt increase until the Senate produces a budget.
In any case, the incoming Senate Budget Committee Chairwoman Patty Murray (D-Wash.) promised Wednesday to comply, and Boehner took some heart from this.
“If both chambers have a budget … now you have competing visions for how we address the problem,” Boehner told reporters. “Out of those competing visions we’re going to find some common ground.”
Nothing so hopeful was expressed by Ryan, who has upped the stakes by proposing that the House cut spending enough to wipe out deficits after 10 years — a tall order.
“This session, I’ll advance reforms to protect and strengthen Medicare and Medicaid,” Ryan said Saturday. “Dave Camp, chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, will advance a tax-reform effort. And we will propose a budget that will balance and pay down the debt.
“Unfortunately, the Democrats are unlikely to accept our proposals. They refuse to consider real reform. But we will lay the groundwork for future endeavors. So when reform is possible, we will be ready.
That’s about as pessimistic an assessment of the near future that I can recall anyone advancing.
Well, the GOP HAS been playing the villain and they were played and filleted like a harp carp during this last Presidential campaign.
It’s a testimony to how empty liberalism is that Obama won by putting forward no ideas other than the other side are racists who want women in the kitchen and gays in the closet so they can resurrect Ozzie and Harriet, if not Jim Crow and slavery itself.
Obama’s dumb f-ck base lapped that up because they themselves are walking, talking stereotypes still fighting the good fight against the conformist ’50s, colonialism, temperance and pledging to, not get to the moon or dig a great canal, but to help idiots get IDs. Sky’s the limit, dirt’s the goal.
“…no ideas other than the other side are racists who want women in the kitchen and gays in the closet so they can resurrect Ozzie and Harriet, if not Jim Crow and slavery itself.”
A sorry reality it truly is that people who buy into such an absurd fantasy are allowed to vote. It’s really no small wonder why the libs keep winning on the national scale.
weak tea.
Agreeing to run with Romney probably has ruined the guy. Now he has to deal with that and all of the dodge ball they played for the rest of his career. Ryan used to look like an up-front dive-into-action guy. Now he looks like one of the crown feeding at the trough. Maybe that’s unfair, but that’s how he will be forever cast.
“He said Republicans should have two main goals for the next four years, namely “to mitigate bad policies” and “to advance good policy wherever we can.”
So that’s never been a goal in the past?
“But we will lay the groundwork for future endeavors. So when reform is possible, we will be ready.”
Reform will only be possible when GOP controls Congress and the Executive with a filibuster-proof majority, they give up their addiction to spending and they grow a spine to actually pass bills that will fix things. So basically never.
Re: the part where “Ryan said he was “disappointed” by the outcome, saying he was “looking forward to …” … living at the vice president’s residence. “My kids were looking forward to having a pool,” he joked.”
Bad joke. Bad, bad, joke. Bad, bad, horrible, terrible joke. And bad, bad idea: why should the vice president (or president) HAVE a pool ??? Servant of the people ? How many of us CITIZENS have a pool ??? I’m disappointed, Mr. Ryan. I thought you got that notion. Apparently not — or apparently the joke was more important.
When are we going to elect leaders who DO get it ?
Has anybody seen or heard what precise plans and counter pieces of legislation the GOP is working on with regards to the nations most critical problems?
Well they are preventing any further idiotic and unconstitutional national gun control, for a start.
Not by themselves. A lot of the hold-up on gun control in the Senate is red- and purple-state Democrats due for re-election in 2014.
The GOP does control the House, and it would have to pass them. Because the purple state Dems have a self-preservation instinct, it may not get to them.
Tom, my question clearly stated “the nations most critical problems” not your obcsssion with gun control issue!
**obsession**
Ryan appears to be a good little tool. Why he is the little engine that could not get anything done on the Big Budget issue. This skinny legged Boy Scout got his clock cleaned debating idiot Joe Biden and Wisconsin Ryan did not even get dead meat Romney a win in WI. Loser is the name of the this gang @ the GOPe House, if they had any guts they would resign and get out of the way!