'No excuse for failing': Republicans hammered by WSJ for 'grandstanding' return to work

Despite House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) finally calling Republicans back to work, the editorial board of the conservative Wall Street Journal is still not happy because, by their words and deeds, GOP lawmakers do not appear interested in actually working for Americans.

In a blunt-speaking piece on Friday, the editors made the case that Johnson’s caucus is more interested in “grandstanding” than in making lives better and tackling the nation’s extensive problems.

Nothing that, until the 2026 midterm elections, Republicans retain control of both chambers of Congress and the White House, the editors pointed out that doing Donald Trump’s bidding and re-litigating the past with pointless investigations will cost them dearly with voters.

Asking, “Is there something that Republicans would like to accomplish in the next vital year while they still control the House, Senate and White House?” the editors answered their own question with, “It isn’t obvious there is, at least not anything consequential.”

The editors did note that Republicans do seem interested in putting restrictions on their own stock trading, but noted, “This is one of those grandstanding populist ideas that won’t do much beyond deterring good businessmen and women from running for office. It certainly won’t do anything to help make daily life affordable for voters.”

“Democrats will run against Republicans next year on the cost of healthcare and enhanced pandemic-era subsidies for ObamaCare,” they predicted. “Republicans can dodge the subject and hope voters don’t notice, which is a losing strategy. Or they could offer a health freedom agenda that would create more private insurance options. If any Republicans have been thinking about this, we haven’t heard it.”

Adding, ”Republicans whisper privately that they can’t make politically difficult votes because they have a narrow House majority. But that’s no excuse for failing to have ideas to promote and debate and take to the voters even if they can’t pass them,” the editors claimed the real problem seems to be, “... too few members today care about policy. They run to burnish their personal brands and be an Instagram star. It takes time and effort to become knowledgeable enough to propose sound tax and regulatory policy, and especially to sell it to other Members and the public.”

“Why run for Congress if not to do something good for the country? If Republicans don’t find an agenda to stand for in the next 12 months, they will soon find themselves in a position to pass nothing at all,” they warned.

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