Will Congress Get Anything Big Done?

Pareene isn’t holding his breath:

It has become incredibly difficult even to pass the recurring omnibus bills — like the farm bill, which took a few years to make it through the House, and the transportation bill, which will likely cause Congress to melt down in acrimony and dysfunction once again later this fall — that Congress uses to keep the government funded and operating. The idea that new initiatives and major reforms might be possible with this Congress is just fantasy.

Beutler agrees:

Republicans have basically foreclosed on doing anything proactive. They can’t do immigration reform because Obama is a lawless tyrant it badly divides their members. They won’t pass the Employment Non Discrimination Act because trial lawyers it badly divides their members. They won’t extend emergency unemployment compensation because it’s unpaid for it badly divides their members. They probably won’t even patch the Voting Rights Act because ACORN it badly divides their members.

This is not a party ready for government. It’s a hot mess.