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Sen. John McCain recently reflected on the first five months of GOP rule in Washington, ticking off the partys greatest congressional achievements to date.

Theres the confirmation of Supreme Court justice Neil Gorsuch. Theres also the dozen Obama-era regulations that have been repealed. Im overjoyed. Sure. Thats what we promised, McCain said with a tight smile. Im really happy.

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Then he paused.

I was being sarcastic The fact is Im disappointed, the famously gruff Arizona Republican fumed in an interview late last month, calling his partys governing plans a train wreck set to hit Congress in September.

Everything piles up, we go to the edge of the cliff, shut down the government, then we have an omnibus or a continuing resolution where we can vote yes or no. No amendments, no improvements, nothing, McCain added.

Concerns are rising in Washington that Congress may be headed toward the economic and political disaster of a debt default and a government shutdown later this year. And the chamber most likely to get Congress out of the jam the Senate is failing to live up to its moniker as the worlds greatest deliberative body.

Rather than a honeymoon with a new presidency and Republicans firmly in the majority, the Senate has become a grinding churn of nomination votes constantly delayed by Democrats, and partisan warfare with little bipartisan cooperation other than averting an April government shutdown.

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Theres no budget, no funding levels for the fall and little talk between the two parties on how to avoid a shutdown and debt default in late summer or early fall, worrying senators in both parties.

No meeting, no anything and no plan. I look at September and its just: How are we going to get that done? said an exasperated Sen. Patty Murray of Washington state, the No. 3 Senate Democrat.

When are we going to do the appropriations? Were not talking about that, moaned Sen. David Perdue (R-Ga.). Its gonna go to a [continuing resolution] or an omnibus. We get an up-or-down vote on the whole thing, which is what Im yelling about.

Instead of focusing on a bipartisan spending deal to avert the blunt impending budget cuts of sequestration and lift the debt ceiling, the GOP Congress has been cranking away at a partisan agenda of tax cutting, repealing Obamacare and rolling back Obama-era regulations. Republicans arent yet close on health care and have barely started on taxes, though GOP leaders insist that a vote on an Obamacare repeal measure will occur before August.

They wont, however, guarantee that it will succeed.

Im very frustrated ... were going to do all these things by Sept. 30? Give me a break. Were going to cut taxes, pass health care, set aside sequestration? said Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.). We should have an agenda. We know were not going to pass a budget with sequestration caps. Im not.

The hawkish South Carolina senator said he hopes to start bipartisan talks on a spending deal when Congress returns this week, and Republican leaders are hoping to get the Senate back attuned to legislating after a fallow five months of the new Congress.

There have been zero amendment votes on regular legislation, with only a non-binding budget vote-a-rama in January to satisfy enthusiasts of the chambers often wide-ranging amendment process. Its the fewest such votes in a new Congress since 1981, a stark contrast to 69 amendment votes taken to date just two years ago, according to legislative statistics.

And while the Senate has passed more than 30 bills, most have been passed by unanimous consent, a procedure reserved for only the least controversial matters. The bulk of the Senates legislating has been a rollback of President Barack Obamas legislation, with Gorsuchs confirmation the crown jewel of the Senate agenda.

South Dakota Sen. John Thune, the third-ranking Senate Republican, called the progress so far in the Senate obviously sort of a mixed bag. He noted the Obama-era regulations rolled back by the Senate and the confirmation of Gorsuch, but added that on big-ticket bills, the Senate had to wait on the House.

So now, were in the throes of trying to figure out health care reform, Thune said. I think well get onto eventually the tax reform but we have to do a budget to do that, and weve got to start the appropriations process.

Still, Republicans generally blame Democrats for not allowing more to get done.

Weve done an awful lot, but the Democrats have stopped almost everything else. Anything, complained Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch, the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) was happy to shift the blame back on Republicans: When the Republicans are willing to work with us, we get things done. When theyre not willing to work with us, we dont get things done.

Democrats signaled earlier this year that they had little appetite to drag out debate for lower-profile nominations from President Donald Trump, yet theyve forced the Senate to go through the procedural grinder for relatively obscure nominees such as John Sullivan for deputy secretary of state and Rachel Brand for associate attorney general.

Democrats have forced procedural votes on 26 nominations so far this year a rapid pace that, according to the Pew Research Center, already surpasses nearly every single Congress since 1949, when the procedural maneuver first began being used on nominations. During the 113th Congress from 2013 to 2014, then-Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) was forced to tee up procedural votes on 150 nominations overall.

Maybe they could stop using the filibuster on everything that moves, said Don Stewart, a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). It doesnt have to be this way. Democrats have a choice in their behavior they choose to attempt dysfunction. Despite that, legislation is moving.

Party leaders say that the dearth of bipartisan legislation will end soon, with consideration in June of a veterans bill as well as possibly new Iran and Russia sanctions and extending user fees for the Food and Drug Administration one of a number of looming deadlines that hit at the end of September.

Hopefully when we come back from recess, said Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn of Texas of when the bipartisan legislating will begin. The leader has asked the committee chairmen to process bills that we can pick up and hopefully have bipartisan support.

The debt limit is likely to require lifting before the August recess, a significant escalation of the looming default deadline, according to Republican sources. And rank-and-file Republicans are eager to make progress on major legislation such as tax reform and are even lobbying others to cancel the lengthy August recess to get going on key GOP priorities.

How can I go home and work the state in August when were still sitting here with that yet to be done? Perdue said. My argument is, there are four or five weeks. Take three of those weeks and lets work tax to the ground.

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Senate Republicans fear 'train wreck' in September - Politico

Defending his decision to pull out of the Paris climate-change agreement, President Trump said he was elected to represent Pittsburgh, not Paris. However, his conception of Pittsburgh as a heavy-industry steel town is badly out of date. CBS News reports:

The one-time industrial center is now a thriving city focused on health care, tech and clean energy. In fact, Pittsburgh now has more jobs tied to clean energy than to steel. Mayor Bill Peduto has taken to news programs and Twitter to denounce Mr. Trumps decision.

As the Mayor of Pittsburgh, I can assure you that we will follow the guidelines of the Paris Agreement for our people, our economy & future, Peduto wrote. . . . More than 13,000 peoplenow work in renewable energy and related areas in Pittsburgh, according to a report from the Keystone Energy Efficiency Alliance and Environmental Entrepreneurs.

Pittsburgh plans to transition to100 percent renewable-energy sources by 2035.

Trump and his populist puppeteer Stephen K. Bannon seem to think Republicans will cheer climate-change denial. Again, their conception of America is badly out of date. Last October, the Houston Chronicle reported:

The UT Energy poll of 2,043 Americans by the University of Texas at Austins Energy Institute found that 89 percent of self-identified Democrats and 62 percent of self-identified Republicans accept the overwhelming scientific consensus about global warming. In 2012, only 45 percent of Republican accepted climate change science as fact.

Thats in direct contrast with Republican leaders, both nationally and in Texas, who still question whether humans burning fossil fuels for the last 250 years has contributed to a warming planet and rising sea levels.

Oh, and the University of Texas at Austin is one of the worlds premier schools for climate science. (Texass U.S. senators should drop by and learn something UT has some great professors at the top of the field.) Major energy companies including ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillipswanted the United States to stay in the Paris agreement.Again, the right-wing pols seem oblivious to the 21st-century economy, current public opinion and the state of scientific knowledge.

In the minds of Trump and his allies, coal jobs are coming back. Nope. Industry experts say coal mining jobs will continue to be lost, not because of blocked access to coal, but because power plant owners are turning to natural gas. At least six plants that relied on coal have closed or announced they will close since Trumps victory in November, including the main plant at the Navajo Generating Station in Arizona, the largest in the West. Another 40 are projected to close during the presidents four-year term.

Likewise, Trumps fetish with manufacturing jobs suggests he hasnt gotten out much since the 1970s. (Despite the presidents promise to bring jobs back to the United States, technology has caused massive upheaval in the manufacturing industry. Labor-intensive manufacturing is rapidly disappearing from communities like Erie and economists say traditional factory jobs are not coming back.) Hes pushing for jobs in a sector of the economy that employees a declining segment of the workforce:

Economists say that automation is by far the biggest factor behind the decline in manufacturing jobs across the country. Technological advances mean that fewer factory workers are required to maintain the same level of output.

Since 2001, roughly one-in-three manufacturing jobs have been lost in Erie, but manufacturing output has remained relatively steady. Manufacturing represented 28 percent of Eries GDP in 2001. In 2015, it was 26 percent.

This pattern holds true across the country, according to Mark Muro, the director of policy at the Metropolitan Policy Program at the Brookings Institute. Today, it only takes six workers to generate $1 million in manufacturing output, says Muro. The same level of output would have required 25 workers in 1980.

Republicans are paying a price for cocooning themselves in the Fox News fact-free bubble and vilifying cities where some of the most dynamic parts of the economy are based. While they accuse elites of being out of touch, the GOP climate-change deniers and non-college-educated voters especially those who reside in poorer, rural and small-town America are increasingly oblivious to the world outside their ideological bubble. Rather than level with voters, their GOP representatives cater to their ignorance and mislead them about the state of science and of our economy.

The more out of touch these voters become, the more they come to resent and distrust people who tell them facts contrary to their isolated world view. (Dont call us ignorant!) They elect people equally clueless, or willing to feign cluelessness. Even educated right-wing pundits resort to ad hominem attacks on Hollywood stars, meaningless buzzwords (a raw deal!) and flat-out untruths about the Paris deal rather than addressing the facts. The If you cant convince them, join them attitude seems to have infected conservative outlets terrified of losing readers/listeners.

So, the gap between those participating in the 21st-century economy and those hiding from it gets wider and wider; the politics of the latter group gets less and less grounded in reality. The result is counterproductive policy decisions and tribal politics with Trump leading the race to the bottom.

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Rip Van Winkle Republicans - The Washington Post - Washington Post (blog)

Washington Post

Republicans and Democrats react after Trump's tweets on London attack Washington Post June 4, 2017 12:09 PM EDT - Republicans and Democrats on June 4 commented on President Trump's tweets calling for a travel ban and criticizing the mayor of London after an attack in Britain's capital left seven people dead the day before. (Bastien ...

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Republicans and Democrats react after Trump's tweets on London attack - Washington Post

CARSON CITY The legislative session has come down to a big game of chicken. At stake is the funding thousands of Nevada children need to improve their education.

As I told you about first last week, an unexpected twist has given legislative Republicans the opportunity they need to force Democrats to pass funding for a modified version of education savings accounts.

Democrats and Republicans were on the cusp of a compromise just a few days ago when Sen. Majority Leader Aaron Ford blew up negotiations by forcing a vote on a marijuana tax. Since tax increases need two-thirds approval, Senate Republicans had been withholding their votes until leaders reached an ESA deal.

After Fords move, Sandoval signaled that he was satisfied to sign the budget bills even if no Republicans voted for them, issue veto after veto and send lawmakers home.

A straightforward, if anticlimactic, end to the session looked near.

But in a correct, but unexpected change from 2015, the Legislative Counsel Bureau ruled that the Capital Improvement Projects budget contained a tax increase and needs two-thirds approval. Senate Republicans held to their promise not to vote for budget bills unless there was an ESA compromise, and CIP failed.

Then the Las Vegas Review-Journals Sean Whaley broke the news that not passing the bill would create a $270 million hole in the states general fund and could hurt Nevadas bond rating.

Hello, leverage. No longer can Sandoval and Democrat leaders alone just call it a draw and walk away. If a CIP budget doesnt pass by Monday at midnight, Sandoval would have to call a special session, because the budget wouldnt be balanced, as required by Nevadas constitution.

If there was an ESA deal, the CIP budget would pass both houses unanimously. If there isnt an ESA deal, at least two Republicans in the Senate and one in the Assembly must break the unified front and vote for the CIP budget stabbing in the back both their colleagues and children desperate for educational options for the session to end on time. Sandoval could could use the leverage of setting any special-session agenda to force an agreement on ESAs.

Sen. Ben Kieckhefer, R-Reno, looks to be the key swing vote. Its a good sign that hes already voted down the CIP budget, but the pressure is mounting. He played his cards close to the vest when questioned. There are still a lot of ongoing discussions, was all hed tell me via text.

Sandovals spokeswoman Mari St. Martin was just as opaque.

The governor is working with legislators to complete the states work on time, she said in a text.

As an aside, if President Trump is looking for help on stopping leaks, Sandovals office has been tight-lipped all session. Not so helpful for a columnist looking for scoops, but an impressive show of discipline.

As the final hours approach, were waiting on the same question: Do Republicans stand together or hang separately?

Victor Joecks column appears in the Nevada section each Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Contact him at vjoecks@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4698. Follow @victorjoecks on Twitter.

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If legislative Republicans stand united, ESAs get funded - Las Vegas Review-Journal

CARTERSVILLE, Ga.Several miles off Route 41 in Bartow County, Georgia, is the downtown area of Cartersville. It's a throwback place with brick-face storefronts, independently owned businesses, and railroad tracks that bring freight trains straight through the center of the town every 30 minutes.

The Myth of the Kindly General Lee

Here, the firing of James Comey arouses not support or opposition, but rather, indifference. Nobody I spoke with cared either way; it doesn't affect them or their families. People shrugged when asked about Trump's tweetstorms. Most agreed that press treatment of Trump is too harsh. Overall, the focus for Trump voters here is the big picture: the economy, jobs, and border security.

Bartow County is 885 miles from Manhattan, but this is Donald Trump country. He took 46 percent of the vote here during the primary, trailed by Ted Cruz at 25 percent and Marco Rubio at 18 percent. In the general election, Trump trounced Hillary Clinton, winning 75 percent of the vote to Clinton's 21 percent.

Currently, however, President Trumps job approval is clinging to the 40 percent threshold. And while Republican members of Congress, save for a select few, are backing the president, his legislative agenda appears stalled, with the prospects of health-care reform tenuous at best. Tax reform, at this point, looks like a pipe dream.

Trump's struggles have left Republicans, who had once hoped to gain seats in 2018, worrying they might lose control of both the House and Senate. "Obviously no one knows what is going to happen in next year's midterm elections, but analysts who have watched congressional elections for a long time are seeing signs that 2018 could be a wave election that flips control of the House to Democrats, Charlie Cook wrote recently in National Journal.

Trump keeps adding gasoline to fires, yet House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell behave as if its business-as-usual in Washington, D.C. If there is anything to explain their reticence in publicly rebuking Trump, it likely comes from GOP fears of alienating Trump voters across the country.

Ross's Diner has been a Cartersville fixture since 1945. There are no tables (save for one or two outside), just two long counters with stools that hold a total of 30 people. On any given morning, a dozen or so are there at one time, eating breakfast, reading the newspaper, and chatting with each other about a variety of topics, including politics.

Several said Trump hadnt been their first choice. Tony Favero and his wife Elizabeth, owners of two "Larry's Giant Subs franchises in town, initially supported current Housing and Urban Development Secretary, Ben Carson. "We wanted somebody who was a real outsider."

Both backed Trump in the general election, but at this point, Tony is handing Trump mediocre marks. "I would say a C. I'm disappointed he's focusing so much on Syria and North Korea instead of focusing on domestic issues, such as tax reform and repealing Obamacare." Elizabeth was more optimistic, but she also offered a mixed review. Although she believes Trump has achieved more than she thought possible, she also complained Trump is often immature, needing to dial back his impulsive behavior.

Sharon Ross was another early Carson supporter. "He really had it together. His answers to debate questions were thoughtful." She appreciated Carson didn't have a political background. After he dropped out, she voted for Trump to oppose Hillary Clinton. Ross didn't have much to say about his performance so far; she's tuned out of the news entirely, she said. "It's only been four months. Come back and ask me in four years and I'll give my opinion on how he's doing."

The word establishment never surfaced. People spoke only of political insiders and outsiders.

"I was with him the moment he came down that escalator," Debra Cagle, a server at Ross's, said with a smile. Cagle, like the Faveros, wanted an outsider for president. "He can't be bought like those career politicians," she said. She dressed as Donald Trump for Halloween, and readily produces a photo to prove it. Thrilled with the nomination of Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court, Cagle said the biggest problem facing Donald Trump is the mainstream media. "I don't trust anything they report."

She wasnt alone. Ken Wilbur of Powder Springs grew up on a farm near the Cobb County Airport. "I've worked to elect politicians from the local level to the federal level," said Ken Wilbur of Powder Springs. I have no idea why people do it. Hes appalled by what he sees as the medias unfair treatment of Trumps family. If you went after my family, there'd be big trouble. I don't know why he wants that job. I sure wouldn't want it."

"I wish they'd leave him alone, already," said Hugh Siniard. The 61-year-old had recently retired from a utility company after 40 years. He hadnt had a preference in the Republican primary; he'd been prepared to vote for anybody that was not Hillary Clinton. "I'm glad he's holding the liberal media in line," he said.

But for all his discontent with the media, Siniard was still waiting to see Trump deliver on his campaign pledges. "I'm happy with Neil Gorsuch," he said, "but I want Trump to focus on what he promised, such as securing the border and putting people to work here in the United States." Siniard supports the construction of a border wall and Trump's infrastructure proposal.

This is the predicament now facing conservatives and Republicans in Congress. Trumps supporterstheir own primary votersare standing by him. But while Trump supporters want him to focus on the big picture issues such as health care and tax reform, the president spends most of his time consumed with the kind of trivialities other presidents leave for spokespeople to handle. Trump still sees the presidency as a brand to sell, rather than a political office in which to shape an overall agenda for the country. Instead of talking about his tax reform plans when asked questions, the president is still reminding people he won the election.

A 70-year-old man, who spent 50 years cultivating an image and personality, isn't going to adjust it, even while occupying the Oval Office. When Rod Rosenstein named Robert Mueller to as special counsel, the Trump administration released a brief, level-headed statement reiterating its belief no collusion between Trump's campaign and foreign entities existed and looked forward to the end of the investigation. The following morning, Trump took to Twitter, lashing out at the investigation, calling it the "single greatest witch hunt of a politician in history." He followed it up with another tweet, complaining about the lack of the appointment of a special counsel in the Obama administration.

At this point, it does not appear that anybody in the White House can communicate to Trump the urgency to dial down the tweetstorms and outbursts. (Kellyanne Conway defended Trumps tweeting as going directly to the people.)

That leaves leaders like Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell in a bind. They worry about Trump alienating the swing voters some of their members will need to win reelection but if they make their concerns public, Trump supporters may see it as an attempt to undermine the president. In March, Trump threatened lawmakers who didn't back the AHCA with a primary opponent. Many Republicans represent districts that went strongly for Donald Trump in 2016, and while they hold safe seats for the general election, none of them want to waste time and resources beating back primary opponents.

Much as Trump voters may detest insiders, the presidents ability to enact his agenda now rests on Ryan and McConnell. Theyre left to perform a high-wire act of politics and personal persuasion, trying to rein in their presidents excesses without alienating their own voters. If they cant pull it off, voters in places like Cartersville are likely to be unforgiving. Couple that with a resurgent Democratic electorate, and the wave election Charlie Cook warned about comes closer every day.

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The Republican Dilemma - The Atlantic