Taking one for the “team” will never be more challenging – and easier – than in 2025
“Just do it.”
Most people are probably familiar with the famous Nike slogan where a commercial announcer lurks silently while something sports-related takes place in the foreground, showcasing a talented athlete’s triumph that everyone realizes already happened – and was all-but inevitable. I’m specifically referring to the Tiger Woods spot where the golfing legend is shown at different points in his career before finally concluding, as a child, that “I’m going to beat Jack Nicklaus.”
“Just do it” flashed on the screen as the young Woods articulated his prophecy.
I’ll confess I’ve never been particularly fond of Woods, his personal fall as a role model for millions of kids worldwide having tarnished his “brand” in my estimation. But there’s little doubt that when it came to golf, time and again, Woods “Just [did] it.”
Instead, in today’s context, there apparently is much consternation among congressional Republicans on how to go about summonsing the courage – and votes – to pass president-elect Donald Trump’s MAGA agenda once the calendar turns to next year and all the suits (and pantsuits) return to the capital to grouse over the business of governing the country, which, to them, often includes raining money down on their favorite special interests.
But the thinking must change now. There shouldn’t be any kvetching or gnashing of teeth regarding Trump’s plans for the United States after the contentious but crystal clear result of the 2024 election. What to do? How about “Just do it”?
In an article titled, “Republicans clash over how to pass Trump 2025 agenda”, David Sivak and Cami Mondeaux reported at the Washington Examiner the other day:
“Congressional Republicans are at odds over how to pass President-elect Donald Trump’s agenda, with a spat over taxes consuming the final weeks before he takes office. Congress is weighing competing priorities as Republicans prepare to assume unified control of Washington in January. Incoming Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) wants a quick win on energy and the border, announcing a plan on Tuesday that would pair the legislation with a larger defense bill.
“But the proposal has been met with a cool reception in the House. Thune plans to punt a deal on tax reform until later in the year, prompting concern from members of the Ways and Means Committee who fear their bill will get sidelined. The timing matters because Republicans could only have two opportunities to pass their agenda without Democratic support…
“In theory, Republicans could tackle taxes in October, once the new fiscal year begins, but House tax writers believe the strategy is an unnecessary risk. The tax cuts Trump signed in 2017 expire at the end of 2025.”
I want, I want, I want… there’s a whole lotta “I” muttered on the Hill these days when members and senators should really be talking about “we” as it relates to the American people, MAGA voters and the end goals of the folks who struggled so long and hard this past year and change sizing up the non-senile Joe Biden candidates and came up with a repeat White House appearance for Donald J. Trump.
The casual politics observer, if there are any left, doesn’t care about the petty trepidations of individual members of Congress. Most people are aware Republicans have a razor-thin (to say the least) one seat margin in the House, which, for a while, necessitates Speaker Mike Johnson and every Republican giving up a piece of themselves to strive for “team” wins.
Two years ago, you may recall, Republicans made a spectacle of themselves by taking x number of votes (anyone truly remember?) settling on a new Speaker while Democrats took delight at the public displays of backbiting and discord in the GOP caucus. Back then, with two more years’ worth of president senile Joe Biden’s term left to endure, Republicans enjoyed the luxury of taking their proverbial time ironing out the wrinkles in their unity fabric.
No such allowance exists now. “Just do it” must be the new attitude, something that will be incredibly difficult for a building/chamber full of egos and pontificators to accept. Many congressmen are used to getting whatever they want (at least when they’re in the majority), but there’s no margin for error now. It’s an all or none proposition and the political incentives to conform to the will of the majority will be intense.
Needless to say, the situation isn’t much better on the senate side, though Republicans should be able to agree on the “big” things once you take Trump administration confirmations out of the picture.
The fact is, Republicans will face each day with the 800-pound gorilla – Donald J. Trump – at their side bearing his teeth and pulling at the bars, with focused eyes on the problem members/or senators. And here’s thinking Trump won’t be hesitant to call out or name names.
Who wants to be the next Liz Cheney in the Republican congressional caucus? Any volunteers?
For those members and senators who are so worried about (literally) saving their seats in the next election, they’d better give consideration to what happens to their political future if they’re seen by the whole MAGA country as upsetting the agenda purely for selfish personal concerns. Self-centered partisanship is what it is, but parties and majorities only work if you use them.
Politics may not be a “team” sport, but there is such a thing as a platform and, particularly this year, an agenda. Trump taught Republicans how to win. Will they “take one for the team” or look like donkeys (asses?) by holding out for a micro fuss? Put differently, will Republicans finally give up the title of “Stupid Party” under Donald Trump?
Just do it part two
Now that it’s been settled that Republicans simply need to “Just do it” on the 2025 Trump agenda, they’ll need guidance on how to go about it. How to get everyone to get along? How to keep everyone happy? Plan a retreat? Take everyone to McDonald’s? Fly the House and Senate caucuses over to Rome and have them go at it in the Coliseum and fight to the death?
Or just don’t try too hard?
Perhaps Republicans should take a page from the movie character Kunu in the classic off-beat comedy “Forgetting Sarah Marshall”, who advised his surfing student to learn how to ride the waves… by doing less. “Don’t try to surf… just do it!”
There’s one line of thought that suggests Speaker Mike Johnson will have an easier time of reaching consensus by doing little or nothing and letting public opinion and pressure do the convincing for him. He won’t be trying too hard to get something that members, with the right persuasion, would come to naturally.
Should Johnson take a page out of former Democrat Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s instruction book for how to get the “big things” through without heed of hers or the party’s position? As you may recall, Pelosi all-but sacrificed the political careers of a handful of her members to get Obamacare passed in 2010.
Thankfully for Johnson, what he’s attempting to motivate his members to do isn’t unpopular or monstrously expensive like Obamacare was. It won’t be a stretch to get all Republicans on board for stringent illegal immigration reform, energy exploration, or to renew the Trump (2017) tax cuts. Republicans should also be in the mood to “get to yes” on the major Trump campaign planks from 2024.
Budget savings can and must be achieved by ditching a healthy slice of some of senile Joe Biden’s big boondoggle spending programs.
The concept isn’t really that hard here. “Just do it”, Republicans.
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