No more excuses

By Bryan Fischer

Follow me on Twitter: @BryanJFischer, on Facebook at "Focal Point"

Host of "Focal Point" on American Family Radio, 1-3pm CT, M-F www.afr.net

When we complained about the monstrosity that is ObamaCare, Republicans told us we need the House. The House controls the power of the purse, they told us, and we can stop President Obama's bad stuff by defunding it. Elect us, they told us, and we'll get ObamaCare and runaway government spending under control.

So the Tea Party was formed, and sure enough, in 2010 we gave the Republican Party the House.

And what did we get? Nothing. Nada. Zip. Zilch. All of the president's priorities were fully funded, and the debt continued to mushroom. .

One thing we must not do is allow the Republican Party to blame President Obama for the federal debt. Remember, they're the ones who told us the House has the power of the purse. Since 2010, every last penny of the exploding national debt, now headed north of $20 trillion, can be blamed on the Republican-controlled House of Representatives. The president could not have increased the debt by one red cent without their permission. They may bleat that if they'd been strong, Obama would have shut down the government and they would have been blamed. So what? That simply makes them not only culpable but weak and cowardly to boot.

And so with ObamaCare grinding on and the debt spiraling, we complained again. And so Republicans told us, "Well, you just don't understand how Washington works. The only way we can stop Obama is if you give us the Senate, because we can send good stuff over there but they won't pass it. But you give us the Senate, look out because we'll take on Obama and ObamaCare and bloated, out-of-control spending. You just watch."

So in 2014 we gave the Republican party the Senate.

And what did we get? Nothing. Zip. Nada. Zilch. Every bit of the president's agenda, including ObamaCare and unconstitutional and illegal immigration policy was funded to the hilt. The Republicans, in full control of Congress, publicly refused even to consider an Obama-engineered shutdown of the government (even though 83% of it continues to hum right along, shutdown or no shutdown).

And they publicly refused to use even the threat of impeachment, the very tool the Founders enshrined in the Constitution to serve as a check on a rogue, renegade, and lawless president.

Thus President Obama knew, from the Republicans themselves, that they would do nothing to oppose him. Their opposition was toothless, empty and impotent. It wasn't even opposition. It was craven acquiescence.

So we complained again. And again they told us, "Well, you just don't understand how Washington works. We can't get anything without a Republican in the White House, because we can send good stuff up there every day and a Democrat president will just veto it all."

So in 2016 we gave Republicans the White House. The Republican Party, the self-proclaimed party of personal responsibility, smaller government, and Judeo-Christian moral values, is now in charge of the House, the Senate, and the White House. They are in charge of the entire federal government.

In other words, we have given them everything they told us they needed to make America great again.

President-elect Trump has promised to nominate only constitutionalist, pro-life judges. Republicans have no excuse not to confirm them. If the Democrats filibuster, the Republicans can simply change the Senate rules and confirm them with a simple majority. This is exactly what Democrats did to allow Obama to stack and pack every federal court other than the Supreme Court with activist judges.

Trump has pledged to sign a bill defunding Planned Parenthood. The Republicans have no excuse not to send a bill like that to his desk.

Trump has pledged to sign a bill making the Hyde Amendment (which prohibits use of federal taxpayer dollars to pay for abortions) a permanent federal statute. Republicans have no excuse not to get that done.

Trump has pledged to sign a bill banning abortions after 20 weeks, when medical science tells us that a baby in the womb can feel pain. The Republicans have no excuse not to send a bill like to the Oval Office..

Bottom line: the Republican Party is now officially and utterly without excuse. There is no place left for them to flee, no place of refuge to hide from the responsibility to fulfill their own promises. They have no place to run from their own constituents, the people who delegated to them every bit of political power they have.

Here is the mantra that should be on the lips of every American for the next four years and beyond: no more excuses. No more excuses. NO MORE EXCUSES.

(Unless otherwise noted, the opinions expressed are the author's and do not necessarily reflect the views of the American Family Association or American Family Radio.)

© Bryan Fischer