Weak Trump, Strong Paul Ryan

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/12/opinion/donald-trump-paul-ryan-health-care.html

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The biggest priority for today’s Congressional Republicans is shrinking the size of government so they can cut taxes for the wealthy.

Donald Trump, on the other hand, managed to win the presidency on an agenda that promised robust government programs in health care, retirement and other areas.

Something was going to have to give, and it’s long been clear that the something would be Trump’s campaign promises. Trump doesn’t actually care much about the working class and has quickly abandoned his earlier commitments.

But he remains less ideological than Congressional Republicans like Paul Ryan — Trump cares more about “winning” than any coherent philosophy — and so there has still been uncertainty about how ideologically far Congress would be able to lead Trump.

The Russia scandal suggests that the answer may be: Very far indeed.

Paul Starr, the sociologist who wrote a Pulitzer-winning history of health care, has written a piece in The American Prospect making this point. “Former FBI Director James Comey’s testimony may have seemed like a boon to Democrats, but it has another effect that has been little commented on,” Starr writes. “Donald Trump is now totally dependent on congressional Republicans to avoid impeachment and therefore has no choice but to be a cheerleader for their policies and to sign whatever legislation they send him.”

Starr continues:

Currently, Congressional Republicans’ biggest wish is a reduction in health benefits for the middle class, poor, sick and elderly in order to finance tax cuts for the wealthy.

The House has already passed a bill. The Senate is trying to make progress this week — behind closed doors, without any of the public hearings that typically accompany major legislation. Republican leaders hope to rush a vote before the July 4 recess.

Don’t lose sight of this story.

On a related subject, Jonathan Chait writes in New York magazine about why Republicans won’t impeach Trump. And Michael Tomasky writes on today’s op-ed page about the backlash in Kansas against the same philosophy guiding Congressional leaders.