GOP House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy is plotting out all the things Republicans can't wait to do, including clearing the way to warm the planet, exploding the deficit through "tax reform," and weaning some 20 million people off their health care, likely without an alternative in sight. Politico writes:
House members and staffers can say goodbye to their three-day weekends and lengthy recesses — at least for a while. Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, who’s currently devising the 2017 House schedule, is likely to keep lawmakers in D.C. on Mondays and Fridays, a stark departure from the three-day weeks that have become routine in the chamber. [...]
Weeks before the 115th Congress even begins, House Republicans are laying the groundwork for a major push to repeal President Barack Obama’s most recent regulations, using the Congressional Review Act. The 1996 law allows the House to reverse regulations enacted within the previous 60 legislative days — and the Senate to pass a repeal by simple majority instead of the upper chamber’s typical 60-vote threshold.
House Republicans are reportedly racing to the end of the session and leave town as soon as possible, thereby stopping the clock with as many executive actions in play for repeal as possible. First on the chopping block: President Obama's overtime rule requiring time-and-a-half payment for employees working more than 40 hours per week but making less than about $47,000 per year.
Republicans also want to reinstate the policy of ripping families apart by undoing Obama's order to grant deportation relief to parents of kids who were born in the United States. Also a priority: nixing further transparency requirements for financial professionals to disclose conflicts of interest to their clients.
While they’ll already be three months into fiscal 2017, congressional Republicans are looking to pass a fiscal 2017 budget, potentially right away in January. That’s likely to include instructions to repeal Obamacare, a top priority for the right.
Republicans are intent on having a health care law replacement ready to avoid the chaos that could be caused by leaving millions of Americans without insurance or the means to pay for it.
Can't wait to see that "replacement," since Republicans have been promising a serious and detailed proposal for six years running.