It was a moment that summed up why everyone feels so hopeless about Washington. Before his State of the Union address earlier this month, President Donald Trump refused to shake the hand of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. After the speech was over, she tore up a copy of his speech. Hate doesn’t seem too strong …
A different kind of resistance is building in Washington Read More »
Having heard so much about hyper-partisanship and gridlock in Congress, you may be surprised to learn that there are regular meetings in the Capitol between Democrats and Republicans that are civil, respectful and even fruitful. Not only do these meetings include members from both parties, they include members from both the House and Senate. I’ve …
By certain measures, we’re now a stronger country than in we were last century. We’ve made progress on a whole range of fronts. But we’ve abandoned the sense of common cause that defined our politics while facing down the Soviets during the Cold War. In the absence of immediate tragedy, we’re a more rancorous nation, …
With presidential impeachment raining on holiday spirits, this isn’t the easiest time to tout the necessity and feasibility of returning to a more bipartisan way of governing. But here are two sobering truths: Our nation cannot function if we continue on this path of tribalism. And most Americans, despite what you might see on Twitter …
1. This year Congress extended the appropriations deadline to December 11. On October 1, 2020, after Congress failed to pass the appropriation bills that fund the operations of the federal government, President Trump signed a bipartisan continuing resolution, providing federal funding until December 11. Congress, now in a lame-duck session, must pass the 12 appropriation …
We all have moments that stick with us forever, crystallizing our view of something we’ve long cared about. Here’s one of mine, from several years ago: then Sen. Jim DeMint, a Tea Party-leaning solon from South Carolina, announced that he’d rather see the Republican Party shrink to 30 members who are “right on the issues” …
Chicagoans are undoubtedly sick of Washington’s dithering. The cycle of partisan retribution reflected on cable news shows and social media has driven faith in government to depressingly low levels. But in too many cases, rather than adding pressure for Republicans and Democrats to work together for the public interest, frustration turns to partisan rage. The …
The notion of “American exceptionalism” is under increasing scrutiny. Critics cite China’s rise, our prolonged entanglement in Middle East conflicts, Russia’s new assertiveness and other factors to dispute America’s clear-cut status as the globe’s most powerful, influential and admirable nation. Read more HERE…
After four years of hyper-partisanship, we have a rare window of opportunity this January to come together, heal our nation, and govern for all of America — not just one party. The question is: will we choose civility, or squander the moment? It’s infuriating to see members, from both parties, retreating to their respective corners. …
Democrats and Republicans, stop fighting and get something done Read More »
Despite the United States tallying more than a million new cases of COVID-19 last week alone, congressional leaders appear in no rush to approve a new package of financial relief for businesses and families hammered by the coronavirus. This just isn’t acceptable, not with America headed toward what infectious disease specialist Michael Osterholm calls a …
