Inaction in Republican-controlled DC bewilders Arizona congressman

PHOENIX — An Arizona congressman said he has been left bewildered by the lack of productivity by his counterparts, despite Republican control of both Congress and the White House.

U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Reality Check with Darin Damme on Wednesday that it seemed as if Republicans were being timid when it came to following through on longtime promises, such as removing the Affordable Care Act.

“I think what’s happening here is there is a significant number of people in Congress – many who ran on ‘Repeal Obamacare,’ for instance – and many voted for Obamacare repeals over the years,” he said. “When it became time — we have somebody in office who will actually sign that bill — they go wobbly.”

Biggs said Republicans need to put their nose to the grindstone to follow through on their promises.

“You promised you would advocate for certain principles and one of which was an absolute repeal of Obamacare and then a move to make health insurance affordable for everybody in America,” he said. “Well, hey, you know what? Do it.”

Biggs said it was important for Republicans to accomplish goals to keep the trust of the American people.

“The only way you get trust is to be trustworthy,” he said. “You evidence your trustworthiness by keeping your promises and doing what you say you will do.”

The congressman said if Senate Republicans were struggling to get bills passed, it should consider altering its rules to a simple majority vote as it did earlier this year when confirming President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court pick, Judge Neil Gorsuch.

“You don’t need 60 (votes) if you change your rules to go with a simple majority so that every American knows that their U.S. senator is representing them proportionally,” he said.

But Biggs was aware the problem does not simply lie with his own party. He said D.C. has seen a “massive slowdown” by Democrats who were dragging their feet on confirming appointees to positions in the Trump administration.

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