Top US Republicans put on a brave face this week after a series of surprise setbacks, some suffered at the hands of their own archconservative political shock troops in the Tea Party. "We're in a new era," House Speaker John Boehner told reporters, shrugging off his woes as the new majority's growing pains. "That means that the leaders may not get what they want every day."
Republican aides declare they are winning the war over slashing government spending - saying it's about how much, not whether, to cut - and rolling back regulations they charge smother job growth in red tape. But individual battles have resulted in some embarrassing high-profile setbacks: the House of Representatives on Tuesday defeated an extension of high-profile surveillance powers designed to thwart extremist attacks.
The measure fell short in part because 26 Republicans, including many Tea Party-affiliated members, sided with Democrats in opposing the measure. And the House failed Wednesday to approve a bill demanding the return of surplus US payment into an obscure UN account - a measure Republicans had touted as a symbol of their resolve to cut government outlays.
Finally, on Thursday, a Tea Party insurrection forced Republican leaders back to the drawing board when the fired-up activists rebelled against a spending blueprint they said fell short of drastic austerity steps they promised in last year's campaign.
Boehner shrugged again: "We've been in the majority now five weeks. We're going to have a long year. You're going to see more spending cuts come out of this Congress than in any Congress in the history of this country." Democrats, now the minority in the House after a November elections rout, enjoyed their opponents' struggles, with Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi pointedly referring to "the disarray in the Republican Party." "I think what they're finding out is that it's easier to talk about cutting than it is to actually do it," she said.
The Republican-led House could approve the cuts in a vote expected next week on a measure to fund the US government to the end of the current fiscal year on October 1.
But that would set up a battle with the Democratic-led Senate, which has shown no appetite for the kinds of massive, painful cuts Republicans say are necessary. And President Barack Obama, who still holds the veto pen, has called for a blend of cuts in some areas and investments in education and infrastructure, part of a plan to slash the massive federal deficit by $1.1 trillion over 10 years, according to his White House budget chief.