The Hill News

The "silver lining" in Democrats' midterm election losses has been forcing Republicans to take responsibility for governing, a key Democratic lawmaker argued Tuesday.

Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), the incoming ranking member of the House Budget Committee, said that by virtue of the GOP's control of the House for the next two years, the new Republican majority will have skin in the game for the coming Congress.

"If there's any silver lining to this, it's that the Republicans, for the first time in a very long time, now share some responsibility for governing the country," Van Hollen said on the liberal Bill Press radio show.

The Maryland Democrat's comment underscores his party's hope that the GOP, now officially in control of a key lever of government, will be held accountable by voters for some of the problems facing the country.

Many Democrats felt in the immediate aftermath of the election as though their party was blamed! by default for the poor economic situation because of their control of the House, Senate, and the White House. To make matters worse, Democrats complained that Republican "obstructionism" derailed their attempts to address high unemployment and other economic anxieties.

Republicans will assume control of the House of Representatives on Jan. 5, the same day additional GOP senators are sworn into the Senate (though Democrats will retain control of that chamber).

Van Hollen said he knew that incoming House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) had been in "some communication" with his Democratic counterpart, outgoing Speaker Nancy Pelosi (Calif.). He also said he'd been in touch with Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), the incoming chairman of the House Budget Committee, on which Van Hollen will serve as ranking member.

"I do think the incoming speaker has a lot on his hands with this incoming Republican freshman class," Van Hollen said of Boehner. "It'll be i! nteresting to see how he'll be able to bring them together to ! actually govern."