Senate Dem: 'If I Was a Political Consultant for Republicans, I Would Advise Them to Compromise'

Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) has some advice for the new majority in the upper chamber.

“If I was a political consultant for Republicans, I would advise them to compromise with Democrats and move some pieces of legislation through the process,” said Murphy, in his first Senate term. “With the exception of 2012, every political election that I have been a part of has been a change election because people are just sick and tired of nothing getting done.”

“If nothing gets done over the next two years, well, then Democrats are going to be swept back into power in 2016. So, I think it’s in the interest of Republicans to sit down at the table and get some things done. That will actually help them.”

Murphy appeared on CNN Sunday along with Senate Republican Conference Chairman John Thune (R-S.D.), who argued that the upper chamber needs to get to work on moving nearly 400 House bills “that have been collecting dust on Senator Reid’s desk.”

“And 40 of those deal with jobs and the economy, which is where we think the focus ought to be. And so I guess what I would argue is that we can do big things in a time of divided government,” Thune said.

Murphy, though, said “it’s really a question of whether John Boehner is going to be able to convince the Tea Party crowd in the House of Representatives to go along with some of the compromises that we may be able to forge in the Senate.”

The Democrat also thinks the Senate should quickly plow through nominees, including Attorney General nominee Loretta Lynch.

“I think it’s important that we have an attorney general. And so I would like to see us move forward,” Murphy said. “I have not spoken to Senator Reid about his intentions. But I would like to see us move forward. I think this is an important post. And I think we should have somebody on the ground there sooner, rather than later.”

Eric Holder is still in his post and said he won’t resign until his replacement is confirmed.

“Loretta Lynch will get fair consideration, but there’s going to be — there’s a process. There’s hearings and everything that goes with that. We have got to move a funding bill. We have got to — we have got to prevent some tax increases, a number of things that have to be done before the end of the year,” Thune said.

“And Eric Holder has said he’s not going anywhere soon. So, it’s not like the position isn’t going to be filled. It’s an important position. It’s one that needs to be filled. And we will give the president’s nominee every consideration,” he added. “But we would like to do that, consider that next year, when the new Congress is seated.”