GOP Plans Legislation Blitz in Statehouses and US Congress

Republicans are getting ready to introduce a wide swath of new legislation at both the state and federal level in the aftermath of last year’s midterm sweep, according to new reports.

With both houses of Congress now under GOP control for the first time in President Barack Obama’s time in office, Republicans are planning to focus on the economy—but equally important will be controlling their public image, a strategy which was hinted at in the party’s first address of the new year on Saturday.

“GOP leaders will focus on bolstering the economy and cutting the budget — and oh yes, avoiding self-inflicted calamities that make voters wonder if the party can govern competently,” the Associated Press writes.

Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Illinois), who delivered the address, promised a “new start on the people’s business.” Yet despite promises of collaboration with Democrats, Davis made clear who would deserve credit in the event of any successful economic legislation, such as the upcoming jobs bill he said “will have bipartisan support but were never considered by a Democrat-run Senate.”

Davis noted a proposed bill called the Hire More Heroes Act, which Republicans say would incentivize businesses to employ veterans by excluding those who receive VA coverage from the worker insurance mandate in President Barack Obama’s signature healthcare law. The bill, which Davis introduced, passed in the House last year but stalled in the Senate.

In addition to healthcare and the economy, Republican leaders are addressing the negative attention their party’s dramatic tactics have accumulated over the years, promising to lead without “government shutdowns and other chaotic standoffs,” as the AP describes.

The AP continues: