That’s just dumb campaign moves. Passing legislation doesn’t happen on the spur of the moment. I can’t think of any examples of Republican Congresses passing legislation and then that being the direct cause of an election loss. Democrats, on the other hand, have been severely punished only two years after winning Congress and the Presidency three times in a row, under the last three Democratic Presidents. The Republicans don’t tend to seek such radical changes that the public isn’t on board with so quickly. The Republicans held the Senate under Reagan for six years, and both chambers under Bush for six. If they had rushed to pass conservative priority after conservative priority because they thought they had only a small window in which to act, then they would actually have ended up with only a small window in which to act. By being more cautious, they were able to maintain their majorities a little longer. Imagine how long REpublicans can stay in power if the President isn’t a screwup or doesn’t go senile.