Last November, Americans sent a stern message to Barack Obama and the Democrats when they handed Congress over to the Republicans. Promises were made for GOP “guns to be a-blazin” when they controlled both legislative bodies. No doubt, these vows impacted the huge Democratic losses.

So what has our Republican-controlled Congress accomplished for the American people since gaining control? Well, it’s as though the elections never happened!

Let’s look at a few of the promises turned foul.

 BOEHNER MCCONNEL
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Virtually every GOP candidate running in 2014 promised to do everything possible to repeal Obamacare, beginning with its defunding. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell pledged that he, too, would support defunding and repealing the president’s signature healthcare law. A 2013 Newsmax article by Todd Beamon shares McConnell’s commentary from an exclusive interview.

“I don’t think it was a waste of time,” the Kentucky Republican said. “The American people do fully understand that still, not a single Republican in the House or Senate favors this awful new law — and if they will send us enough additional new members to get rid of it, we will.”

But when Republicans had their chances through defunding efforts, leadership buckled. McConnell and House Speaker John Boehner even criticized members of their own party who pushed the effort. A May blog in “The Hill” by columnist Brent Bozell went as far as to say “Boehner and McConnell could cost the GOP the White House in 2016”.

And as with Obamacare, the Republicans running in 2014 promised voters they would put a stop to Obama’s unconstitutional executive order granting amnesty to millions who entered the country illegally. Even now, a vast majority of voters who gave Republicans the Congress are still against Obama’s illegal actions, including 42 percent of Hispanic voters born in the United States, according to a December 2014 Gallup Poll.

But once again, Republicans sold out the American people. After a timid attempt to defund the part of the Department of Homeland Security bill that funneled taxpayer dollars to fund Obama’s illegal actions, members of the GOP argued within their own party, while Democrats stood firm. In the end, the “cromnibus” funding bill that included paying for illegal executive amnesty passed with GOP support.

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 Conservative voters were also promised by Republicans in the last election to pass a ban on abortions past the 20-week mark. For the first time since the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban was enacted in 2003, there was opportunity to restrict the murder of the unborn. The bill had already passed The House once in 2013.

But at the last moment, a number of Republicans withdrew their support claiming they feared it would alienate too many Americans, especially women, even though the majority of Americans support the ban according to a 2013 CBS News poll.

So what needs to happen? Well, part of it already has. John Boehner, sensing mutiny in the GOP camp, is resigning as House Speaker. I believe Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell should be the next to go.

It’s time for honest leadership — with a backbone.

Mark Caserta is a conservative blogger, a Cabell County resident and a regular contributor to The Herald-Dispatch editorial page.