Why Aren’t Republicans Forcing the Vote? Congressman Pat Harrigan Says It’s Time to Go on Offense
For years, conservative voters have asked the same question: Why aren’t Republicans forcing Democrats to take public, uncomfortable votes on popular issues like voter ID, border security, and parental rights? Why not pass simple, one-page bills that put the Left on record—week after week?
This week, Congressman Pat Harrigan joined the show and didn’t mince words: “We absolutely should be doing that.”
The segment was sparked by a tweet from Rasmussen’s Mark Mitchell, urging Republicans to pass weekly single-subject bills all the way through November 2026—bills that would force Democrats to vote against measures most Americans support. The hosts have asked dozens of members of Congress this exact question over the years, and the answer has rarely been this direct.
“There’s no reason we shouldn’t be doing it,” Harrigan said. “We should be putting Democrats up against the wall and making them come on the record—for very uncomfortable votes.”
Harrigan explained that Washington is often divided between lawmakers pushing hard legislation meant to pass both chambers, and those focused on messaging bills that rarely go further than headlines. His office has prioritized the former—but he’s now calling for both.
And he’s not talking about performative stunts. He’s talking about strategic contrast.
“The American people need to see exactly where the Democratic Party stands—and that hasn’t changed since 2024. It’s still a radical, leftist mindset. Voters deserve to see that distinction clearly.”
In a political landscape where most voters are tuned out until election season, Harrigan sees these short, targeted bills as a wake-up call. Even if they get filibustered in the Senate, they create political accountability—and clear the fog ahead of 2026.
Imagine: every week, Republicans pass a bill on a single issue—voter ID, energy costs, school choice—and every week, Democrats vote no. No hiding behind bloated omnibus bills. No media spin. Just clear votes and real contrasts.
It’s the kind of strategy that builds momentum, drives headlines, and forces uncomfortable truths into the spotlight.
To keep up with Harrigan’s legislative work and weekly video updates, visit Harrigan.house.gov or follow him across social platforms @RepPatHarrigan.
Because if Republicans want to win in 2026, Harrigan says it starts now—with action, not just outrage.
Transcript
Chuck Warren: One last question here, and we're going to lose time.
So Sam and I have been talking about this specific issue for four years since we've been on the air and before. And Mark Mitchell of Rasmussen Reports tweeted this out today. He said, I'm not going to stop saying it. Republicans should be passing popular one-page bills every week until November 26th,
make the Democrats vote no over and over again on things like voter ID. We've had probably 100 members of Congress on the show. We asked the same question. Why don't we do that? Why don't we pass a voter ID law? Why don't we just pass single-subject, one-, two-page bills that will pass the House?
We realize it will be filibustered in the Senate, but why aren't we doing that to put the Democrats on the defensive and let people know the difference between Republicans and Democrats?
Pat Harrigan: We absolutely should be. There's no reason we shouldn't be doing it. And, you know, there is always an argument up in D.C.
of, hey, you know, do we have messaging bills? Do we have common core legislation that we're going after? My office has, by and large, focused on core legislation, things that we need to get across the finish line to actually make life better. And it's not to say that the messaging bills don't.
And we should absolutely be putting the Democrats up against the wall and making them come on the record for very, very uncomfortable votes for him that will be very, very enlightening to the American people come November of 2026. And I genuinely hope that we start doing that because I think it's a valuable tool
to enlighten American people as to where the mindset of the Democratic Party is, which is unchanged since 2024. It is still radical leftist mentality, and the American people need to see that.
Sam Stone: Absolutely. Congressman Harrigan, tell folks how they follow you and keep up with all the work you're doing in your office.
Pat Harrigan: You can follow us on all the socials at at Rep Pat Harrigan, and that's H-A-R-R-I-G-A-N. You can also go to our website, Harrigan.house.gov, sign up for our newsletter. I do a weekly roll-up video at the end of every week. So a lot of different ways that we stay in touch.
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