Trent Lott's advice to Mitch McConnell: 'Deal sternly' with GOP obstructionists
'I wouldn鈥檛 put up with some of the stuff that they鈥檙e doing,' said Lott, a former Republican Senate majority leader, speaking at a Monitor breakfast with Tom Daschle, a Democratic former Senate majority leader.
Former Senate Majority Leaders Tom Daschle, Trent Lott of the Bipartisan Policy Center and Center President Jason Grumet. speak at the St. Regis Hotel on Thursday in Washington, DC.
Michael Bonfigli /海角大神
Washington
From a former Republican Senate majority leader to an incoming one, Trent Lott has this advice for Mitch McConnell: Deal 鈥渟ternly鈥� with renegade conservatives and quickly 鈥渃oopt鈥� new GOP senators so they don鈥檛 drift over to the obstructionist side of the party.
That鈥檚 important to breaking the gridlock in Congress, according to Mr. Lott, the former senator and majority leader from Mississippi. His advice was dittoed by another former senator and majority leader, Democrat Tom Daschle of South Dakota. Both spoke at a Monitor breakfast on Thursday.聽
Through their engagement with the Bipartisan Policy Center in Washington, the two have been promoting ways to return Congress to a more productive era.聽
When they were both in leadership positions under President Clinton, they passed welfare reform, a balanced budget, some tax reform, telecommunications reform, and safe drinking water legislation, among other issues. Under President George W. Bush, they dealt with the 9/11 attacks and the anthrax scare that followed.
鈥淭he leadership is going to have to find a way to deal sternly with some of these members鈥�. I wouldn鈥檛 put up with some of the stuff that they鈥檙e doing,鈥� said Lott. He characterized last year鈥檚 partial government shutdown 鈥� spearheaded by tea party favorite Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas 鈥� as a 鈥渇raud.鈥�
It鈥檚 harder to reward and punish members of a caucus when earmarks are no longer available as sticks and carrots, Lott admitted. But Senator McConnell of Kentucky 鈥渋s a very smooth operator.鈥� He pointed to McConnell鈥檚 close relationship with Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky 鈥� also a tea party icon and a potential presidential candidate 鈥� as an example of how to work with senators who would rather stand their ground than find common ground.
Meanwhile, he said, the incoming majority leader should quickly deputize people to work with the new Republican senators, 聽bring them in the loop and close to leadership, 鈥渢o make sure they don鈥檛 slip away from them鈥� to the right flank.
Senator Daschle agreed: 鈥淭he more you can include, the more you can engage, the more you can bring them in 鈥� the more likely it is that those stand-your-ground types will look at the advantages of finding common ground.鈥澛�
Lott and Daschle also spoke highly of McConnell鈥檚 stated goal to return the Senate to 鈥渞egular order鈥� 鈥� to give power back to committee chairs, to allow amendments from both sides to come to a floor for a vote, and to work a full work week. Of all the leaders in Washington, Lott said, he鈥檚 setting 鈥渢he right tone.鈥�
Change in Washington 鈥渂egins at the top,鈥� Lott said and he encouraged President Obama to engage more with Congress. House Speaker John Boehner (R) of Ohio needs to 鈥渕ove aggressively鈥� to keep his conference going in the right direction, turning more often to Democrats for votes.聽
As a House or Senate leader, he said, 鈥淵ou can follow your conference or you can lead your conference, and if you just follow them, you鈥檝e got trouble.鈥�
When asked what the task is now for Sen. Harry Reid (D) of Nevada, who is moving from Senate majority leader to head up the minority, Daschle said, 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 to lead; I think it鈥檚 to find ways to achieve some common ground.鈥�
Daschle said he was encouraged by Reid鈥檚 recent comment that he would not pursue pay back.
鈥淚t鈥檚 in Harry Reid鈥檚 interest to accomplish as much as he can in the final two years of the Obama administration,鈥� he said. It鈥檚 also in Congress鈥檚 interest.聽
Gridlock, he said, has shifted power away from Congress 鈥� exactly the complaint that Republicans have about what they characterize as the president鈥檚 power grab. And dysfunction undercuts the American message overseas that democracy is the model to follow.聽
Both men pointed to an array of issues ripe for compromise: taxes, immigration, health care, energy. In the end, congressional leaders may find more support for compromise from lawmakers than many think, added Jason Grumet, the president of the Bipartisan Policy Center.
鈥淭he people who are absolutely the most frustrated with Washington are members of Congress,鈥� he said. 鈥淭his is not what they signed up for.鈥澛�