The first Commerce Department report after the Republicans took over the House and many of the statehouses of the USA, shows a decline in the rate of growth to 1.8%. This was under what was predicted by many economic forecasters, and is a substantial drop from the 4th Q. progress.
The Commerce Department points to "negative contributions" by federal, state and local government as one culprit in the diminished growth rate, and that means the first impact of the Republican austerity programs (budget-cutting), has been, unsurprisingly, to lower the rate of growth of the economy.
There isn't much reason to think that the current economic situation, advanced by right-wing extremists, and too often enabled by Democrats, is going to get better any time soon. But the point made by Paul Krugman and others, that Keynesian ideas of providing stimulus when the economy is in a rut are being negatively affirmed by Republicans, seems all too true.