How the GOP’s Microscopic House Majority Will Shrink Trump’s Big Ambitions

“They can’t even extend government funding,” Sen. Josh Hawley told NOTUS of House Republicans. “Good luck.”

Donald Trump

President-elect Donald Trump watches a video screen at a campaign rally at the Salem Civic Center. Evan Vucci/AP

Ever since November, when Republicans swept both chambers of Congress and the White House, GOP lawmakers have been bullish about making the most of what they see as a clear mandate to reinvent Washington.

But as Republicans try to shake off a close call with a government shutdown and prepare for Donald Trump’s first 100 days, lawmakers are starting to grapple with a simple reality: They may not be able to do much of anything.

“They can’t even extend government funding,” a frustrated Sen. Josh Hawley told NOTUS in December, as the House GOP nearly imploded over a stopgap spending bill.

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