As a result of the 2016 elections, the Republican Party has unified control of the federal government of the United States. Donald Trump was elected president on November 8, while Republicans maintained their majorities in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate. The election brought to an end six years of divided partisan control, when President Obama, a Democrat, faced a Republican Congress.
Typically, presidents can more easily enact their legislative priorities when their party is in the majority of both houses of Congress, since presumably they are on the same page with regard to what should be done.
Since President Trump took office, Republicans have made it one of their legislative priorities to repeal the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) and replace it with a Republican alternative. The House passed a repeal and replace bill in May. However, the process has been more complicated in the Senate, with many Republican senators balking at the idea of reducing insurance coverage for millions of Americans.
The Republican leaders have given up on trying to replace the ACA, and are now focused on repealing it and seeking out a replacement at a later date.
During the negotiations over the Republican health care legislation over the past few weeks, President Trump and Republicans have not consulted with Democrats over their plans or solicited ideas on ways to pass a health care replacement plan that would not result in a loss of coverage for people.
Do you think a president should focus on convincing only members of his or her party to support important legislation, or is it a good idea to seek out compromises with members of the opposing party to achieve legislative and policy success? Discuss.