Senate GOP Plan to Pressure Vulnerable Democrats Backfires
Getty/Drew Angerer
Republicans in the U.S. Senate had hoped to put their vulnerable Democratic colleagues in a tough spot by forcing them to take uncomfortable votes on controversial Biden administration policies. However, the strategy backfired, leading GOP leaders to abandon their original plan.
The Republicans intended to use Congressional Review Act (CRA) votes to tie Democratic senators to President Joe Biden’s policies, particularly those unpopular in their home states. This strategy was meant to pressure senators like Jon Tester (D-MT) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH), who represent more conservative states, to either support Biden or alienate their voters by opposing him.
However, according to a report by Axios on Tuesday, Senate Republicans have now scrapped these plans after experiencing what was described as an “unexpected backfire.” The votes, instead of cornering Democrats, provided them an opportunity to distance themselves from Biden’s administration and showcase their independence to their constituents.
Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) explained the decision, telling Axios that the votes were “not actually getting anything done.” He acknowledged that rather than trapping Democrats, the votes allowed them to take stances opposing Biden’s policies, which helped them “send a message” to their voters that they are not blindly aligned with the administration.
A Senate GOP aide further noted that part of the decision to shift the strategy was to avoid giving vulnerable Democrats “free votes” that allowed them to signal moderate or right-leaning positions. This change of course reflects a recognition that the planned CRA votes were not serving the intended political purpose.
Both Tester and Brown, who have successfully won elections in their conservative-leaning states for nearly two decades, have made it a point to distance themselves from certain Biden administration policies. The CRA votes could have further allowed them to reinforce that image.
In fact, earlier this year, Tester secured a major victory when the Senate voted to overturn a Department of Agriculture rule that would have lifted a ban on beef imports from Paraguay, a policy Tester opposed. Both Tester and Brown also voted to overturn a Biden administration rule related to greenhouse gas emission standards, further highlighting their willingness to break from the president on certain issues. What started as a GOP strategy to pressure Democrats instead provided vulnerable Democrats an opportunity to appeal to more moderate and conservative voters in their states.
