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It is obviously very early in the 115th Congress, but its easy enough to look back and compare where the Republican government is today with where previous unified governments were in the past.

By this time in 2009, Obama had expanded the State Childrens Health Insurance Program to cover more children in families living near poverty, and had signed legislation making it easier for women suffering from pay discrimination to file lawsuits. By February 17, he had signed an $800 billion economic rescue bill, and his congressional caucuses were aligned in principle behind the health care reform architecture that ultimately became Obamacare. He had filled nearly every cabinet vacancy, with people who were qualified to run their respective departments, and none of his executive orders had triggered global crisis or destroyed the countrys credibility.

The Bush administration had a slower start, but this was at least partially attributable to the fact that Bushs transition didnt begin until after the Supreme Court had installed him into the presidency in mid-December. By June, hed passed a large income tax cut, with modest bipartisan support.

Trump has thus far signed one bill: to exempt his secretary of defense from the law prohibiting commissioned officers from running the Pentagon unless theyve been retired for seven or more years. As youd expect of any Republican White House, his aides are drawing up plans to deregulate polluters and financial practicesdoing the kinds of things that have Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell saying there is a high level of satisfaction with the new administration.

This is another way of saying Republicans on the Hill are getting some things they want.

But they are also getting to cast votes on the worst, most unqualified, and corrupt cabinet in modern history. They are getting to answer for Trumps broadsides against the judiciary, and to clean up his disastrous ad hoc haranguing of American allies. They are getting to pretend McConnells decision to discipline Senator Elizabeth Warren for quoting Coretta Scott Kings criticism of Jeff Sessionsin the middle of black history monthwas a stroke of genius. (Corralling nearly every Republican senator to vote for that censure was apparently part of that master plan.) They are getting to make excuses for Trumps undisguised efforts to enrich himself and his family. And theyre getting to do all this as members of the most important national institution to fully corrupt itself on Trumps behalf. (Democrats, judges, consumer brands, civil society organizations, and government bureaucrats, have all conducted themselves with enough basic integrity to preserve a glimmer of hope that Trump cant just shamble Kool-Aid man-style through the entire social fabric.)

Its possible that a major payoff awaits the GOP. Perhaps they really will repeal and replace Obamacare before the end of the year, even though, according to Senator Bob Corker, theres not any real discussion taking place right now. They seem no closer to a major supply-side tax reform or infrastructure bill or welfare rollback either.

Republicans will presumably fill the Supreme Courts vacancy in the coming weeks, but that is less a dividend Trump is paying them than one they carried over themselves from the last Congress. And their nominee, Neil Gorsuch, is already condemning Trump in closed door meetings with Democratic senators.

Trump, meanwhile, is about as unpopular now as Bush was in late 2005before the Democratic Partys midterm landslide in 2006, but after he had locked in his biggest legislative accomplishments. Republicans made a Faustian bargain with the president, and theyre in the process of getting stiffed. Its just unclear why they thought Trump would treat them any differently than anyone else hes partnered with.

Read more here:
The Republicans Are Off to a Pitiful Start - New Republic