House, Senate GOP going separate ways in an election year

Congressional Republicans are meeting in Baltimore for their annual issues retreat, and the divergence between the two congressional majorities in an unpredictable election year is on display.

None of the GOP contenders was present, as Sens. Ted Cruz or Donald Trump – who could reject any carefully laid plans for 2016. You know why? Because it’s the Republican primary voter who makes that decision.

“The only thing we can do is what we do here, and what we do as individual members of Congress”, he said. “While we’ll continue to make that a priority, because many members missed this important vote, it was vacated and we’ll revote when we return”, Ryan spokeswoman Ashlee Strong told CNN.

He said Obama’s arguments defending his record – and dismissing as “political hot air” accusations that the nation is in economic and military decline – didn’t square with the realities many Americans see in their own lives.

One day after President Barack Obama made his final State of the Union address, Paul Ryan – speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives – criticized the event by stating that “it was a fairly typical speech” for the Democratic occupant of the White House, who “glossed over the economy” as well as his “foreign-policy failures”.

“I think he believes it’s better, or I think he believes that his policies are succeeding when they’re not”, Ryan responded. Haley, the daughter of immigrants from India, had urged Americans to resist “the siren call of the angriest voices”. “I think what she’s ultimately trying to do is show how do we have a message that’s inspiring, hopeful and optimistic”, Ryan said.

Still, the House approach represents “the blueprint for where we would go with a Republican president in 2017, even though we may not be able to get those through the Senate in 2016”, said Sen.

The Nevada Senator said Democrats would seek floor votes on Trump’s policies themselves if Republicans are “afraid” to bring the proposals up for votes.

Obama didn’t mention Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump by name in his Tuesday address, but took several thinly-veiled jabs at the real estate mogul.

“What’s good for the goose is good for the gander”, McConnell, dressed unusually casually in jeans, said with a smile.