Republicans have successfully flipped the Senate and will maintain control of the House with net gains. But do these new numbers mean an end to gridlock in Washington, D.C.?
Setting the tone for House leadership, Speaker John Boehner released the following statement shortly after the announcement of the Senate takeover:
“We are humbled by the responsibility the American people have placed with us, but this is not a time for celebration. It’s time for government to start getting results and implementing solutions to the challenges facing our country, starting with our still-struggling economy.
“Americans can expect the new Congress to debate and vote soon on the many common-sense jobs and energy bills that passed the Republican-led House in recent years with bipartisan support but were never even brought to a vote by the outgoing Senate majority, as well as solutions offered by Senate Republicans that were denied consideration. I’ve also put forth a five-point roadmap for harnessing the emerging energy boom in America, resetting our economy and restoring the American Dream for our children and grandchildren. It calls for fixing our tax code, solving our spending problem, reforming our legal system, reforming our regulatory system, and improving our education system.
“Republicans have made these our priorities by listening to the people we take an oath to serve. Our proposals provide an opportunity for President Obama to begin the last two years of his presidency by taking some bipartisan steps toward a stronger economy. We hope he’ll work with us to enact them into law, and that he’ll disavow reports that he plans to react to the loss of the Senate with a ‘counterattack’ on the new majority. This is a time for solutions to get our economy moving again, and we’re eager to get to work.”
We’ll soon see just how effective our new Republican-led Congress can be. (Projection: Buckle up.)