Van Hollen: Republicans have had plenty of opportunities in the minority

Republicans have had more opportunities in the minority than Democrats did under GOP control of the House, a Democratic leader argued Thursday.

Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), the assistant to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), said that Republicans have been given plenty of opportunities to voice their opposition since Democrats won control of the chamber in 2006.

"Having been in the minority under Tom DeLay, I know what a lockdown is," Van Hollen said during an appearance on TBD television. "And I believe there have been a lot more opportunities for alternative views over the last few years."

Van Hollen said that while a number of regional delegations to Congress have had success at working across the aisle, on national issues, the House had become increasingly polarized.

"On national issues, right now, there are strong differences," he said.

Van Hollen pointed to the lack of Republican votes for Wall Street reform, healthcare reform and the stimulus in the House, and blasted Republicans in the Senate for being "obstructionists" and holding up legislation. 

Republicans have offered a number of alternatives in the House to Democratic-led bills and initiatives, and have been occasionally allowed votes on substitute amendments, privileged resolutions, and motions to recommit. But House Democrats, usually under pressure from their leaders, often easily shoot down those efforts. It's been a rarity that the GOP has been able to pick off enough Democrats to win a vote.

That opposition, Van Hollen said, fit within Democrats' election year messaging warning that a return to Republican majorities in Congress would mark a return to policies sought during the Bush administration.

"What we're hearing from our Republican colleagues is that their economic plans are no different than the Bush economic policies," he said.