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Rep. Flood at Lincoln Journal Star: Local View: House Republicans Take Lead

June 13, 2024
Columns

It’s been difficult to move legislation in a divided Washington — Republicans hold the House and Democrats have the Senate and the White House.

In an extremely polarized environment, no one wants to give way. Compromise is a dirty word. And it’s all been made worse by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s lack of leadership in the Senate where he’s led on almost zero major priorities over the last year.

While Democrat leadership in the Senate languishes, House Republicans have been busy delivering on America’s priorities. Looking over the past several months, Speaker Mike Johnson and the Republican leadership team delivered remarkable results under tough circumstances with a small majority.

While it’s been a rocky road at times with a thin margin, they’ve built a track record of getting the job done during their short time leading the House. Time and again — even when others doubted — House Republicans have kept delivering on key priorities, often forcing the Senate to work with the House’s policy plans.

Let’s look at 2024 to date.

So far, the most critical legislation is originating in the House with the Senate ratifying our work. In March, Republicans accomplished the difficult work of passing budget bills that control spending with a Democrat president and Democrat-run Senate. Republican leaders secured conservative wins while having to negotiate with a party that has supported virtually unlimited spending in the years before we retook the House.

After months of negotiation and input from President Trump, the House delivered the critical national security supplemental that included aid for our allies including Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan in April. This aid is not just critical for these specific countries, but for the entire free world.

And in the last couple of months, the House kickstarted reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration and an important extension to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act — both of which became law.

In other areas, the House hasn’t been waiting for the Senate to come to the table. We’ve continued to pass critical legislation, which Leader Schumer has slowed down or ignored.

In January, the House delivered the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act. This legislation promotes private research and development, bolsters job creation and helps boost America’s workforce housing supply at a time when private sector job growth is slowing. So far, the Senate has refused to take it up.

Even though the House has passed different border security measures twice in the last year and a half, the Senate refuses to take up H.R. 2, also known as the Secure the Border Act. H.R. 2 would end catch-and-release, build the wall and put more resources on the border to end the border crisis and enforce America’s laws. Instead of H.R. 2, Schumer opted to hold a vote on a symbolic measure that would be dead on arrival in the House.

Last month, a broad bipartisan coalition in the House approved the Financial Innovation and Technology for the 21st Century Act, also known as FIT21. Right now, there’s no legal framework at the federal level to regulate cryptocurrency or digital assets. FIT21 delivers a framework that provides meaningful regulatory clarity, fosters innovation and protects American investors. The House passed this bill with the support of most Republicans and many Democrats, including former Speaker Nancy Pelosi. It remains to be seen whether Leader Schumer will take it up.

The next test of leadership in Washington is coming quickly. Every five years, Congress works on the Farm Bill. Last year, the House passed a one-year extension after the House and Senate couldn’t come to agreement. This year, both sides are gearing up. Once again, the House is taking the lead — the Ag Committee passed their version out of committee recently. While the bill is being worked out, I’m confident that Congress will find a path forward.

For all the attention on personalities in the House, Republican leadership has time and again successfully navigated tough issues. Along the way, our caucus has stuck to conservative principles while forging important agreements on major policy issues.

Every single piece of major legislation that has been signed into law this year has originated in the House. As we look to the future, Leader Schumer would do well to move toward House Republicans in negotiations on key policy issues. We’re the ones leading the way to deliver on America’s priorities in an era of divided government.