None of the Trump scandals necessarily preclude policymaking, but...

Just a quick note, but it is worth pointing this out.  Congress doesn't seem to be working very hard on much of anything, either in terms of healthcare or tax policy, or anything else.  If you ask around, the general explanation is that Trump's scandals just overshadow everything.

Here's the thing.  There is no logical connection between Trump's scandals and the legislative process.  None of Trump's craziness stops legislators from drafting or introducing legislation, none of it stops committees from marking it up, none of it stops the floor from debate or amendment, etc.

You will read analogies between the legislative process and political oxygen being taken up, or some such nonsense, but things don't work that way.  Very few people in Congress are actually devoting their time to the Trump scandals.  What's really going on is simple fear-induced paralysis.

Whatever confidence congressional Republicans claim to have in Trump or how this will turn out, remember that.

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