Republicans Must Turn Dallas Rhetoric Into Washington Results

President Donald Trump had the right idea to bring Republicans together in Dallas for a midterm convention. On opening night of the event, GOP leaders struck the right notes, projecting confidence, unity, and a governing vision for the country.

But speeches alone will carry Republicans only so far when voters head to the polls in November.

That makes it imperative for the Republican-led House and Senate to follow words with action when lawmakers return to Washington next week. Voters put Trump and the GOP in charge of the executive and legislative branches with the expectation that they would deliver results for the American people and reverse the disastrous policies of the Obama and Biden years.

Trump wasted no time doing so last year. His executive actions during his first 100 days, followed by passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill in July 2025, gave voters a glimpse of what is possible under unified Republican government.

Unfortunately, much of that momentum came to a screeching halt this year when the Senate failed to advance legislation passed by the House. Most notably, Republicans squandered a golden opportunity to pass the SAVE America Act. GOP leaders trotted out one excuse after another rather than putting the bill on the floor and forcing Democrats to explain why they opposed voter ID and proof-of-citizenship requirements for voting.

Americans overwhelmingly support both policies, with polls showing support from more than 80% of voters, including a majority of Democrats.

Sadly, the SAVE America Act is not on Senate Majority Leader John Thune’s agenda in the waning days that senators remain in Washington.

There is still hope, however, that Republicans will back up their words from the midterm convention by passing legislation that addresses the affordability concerns that remain top of mind for many Americans.

No issue animated voters more in the 2024 election than the cost of living. Trump successfully portrayed President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris as out of touch with millions of Americans struggling to pay for gas, groceries, housing, and health care.

Two years later, many of those concerns remain.

That reality helps explain why Rep. August Pfluger, R-Texas, and the Republican Study Committee have spent much of the year advancing policies aimed at lowering the costs of housing, health care, energy, and other necessities. The RSC’s “Making the American Dream Affordable Again” plan should be the centerpiece of the party’s governing agenda.

The urgency is reflected in a Heritage Foundation report, “Setting the American Opportunity Agenda,” which warns that “the cost of living has become prohibitively high for too many working Americans” and argues that “Americans need relief now, not after the election.” The report’s authors contend that policymakers should make life more affordable by reducing wasteful spending, restructuring the social safety net, and pursuing policies that promote low taxes, light regulation, and abundant American energy.

I made a similar point Wednesday during an interview with NewsNation’s Connell McShane. Discussing Republicans’ message heading into the midterms, I credited Pfluger and the RSC for advocating that Congress pass another reconciliation bill focused on affordability and kitchen-table concerns.

There are concrete steps that Republicans can take right now, and there’s an opportunity for Congress to act next week. They have to show movement before November.

That’s precisely the challenge facing Republicans.

The House is scheduled to be in session for just one more week before leaving town for an extended recess. Republicans will use that time to campaign for reelection in a year when Democrats are the odds-on favorite to reclaim the House. I can think of no better selling point than actual legislative accomplishments that improve the lives of the people who sent them to Washington.

Republicans can produce campaign ads and deliver convention speeches. But there is no better argument for retaining power than pointing to tangible results.

During that same NewsNation discussion, Democrat strategist Chris Hughes offered an biblical observation with which I agree: “Faith without works is dead.”

He’s right.

The American people will judge Republicans not by what they said in Dallas, but by what they did in Washington. If affordability remains the defining issue of the 2026 midterm elections, voters will want proof that the governing party used its majority to address the challenges facing working families.

Republicans still have an opportunity to make that case. But time is running short.

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