That neither of these causes was in fact hopeless was clear possibly only to him, as few Americans in our history have matched Johnson's knowledge of how to move legislation, and legislators.
First, Emanuel and the legislative-affairs team thought that it would be impossible to move legislation of that size, and dismissed the idea out of hand.
Thursday evening, senators were eyeing a wide range of options to move legislation forward.
The aftermath saw a push to revise club safety, but little has been done so far to move legislation forward.
"If there are new needs," Mr. Hastert said, "we would move legislation as soon as the need arises".
Instead, they said, they were hoping to quickly move legislation that would help homeowners facing higher mortgage rates and foreclosure.
The House, which is working feverishly on a bill, is hoping to move legislation as early as Friday.
The two already have great political clout and can often move legislation through both Congress and many state houses.
Activists, frustrated by the partisan gridlock in Washington, are pushing their agendas in state capitals that are dominated by a single party and thus can swiftly move legislation.
They were able to move legislation that had been blocked for years, even allowing the chamber's first vote on same-sex marriage.
They also have a strong incentive to work together to move legislation: going into 2016, they want to show that the G.O.P. is unified and capable of governing.
