As I write this column, news of the tragic shooting of Rep. Scalise (R-LA) and others is fresh in my mind, having just occurred hours ago. Early reports indicate the shooter was angry over politics in this country and had set out to kill or maim politicians as a result.
Thankfully the horrible event ended with limited casualties, however the scars from this senseless act run deep and will be hard to erase. While it is clear the shooter was unstable and his actions unspeakably horrific, the event unfortunately highlights in the most extreme fashion the anger and divisiveness currently plaguing this country. No finger pointing, just an observation that the divide in our nation is real and it’s growing worse and it’s having a tremendous impact on all of us in so many ways.
I worked for almost 10 years for a Republican member of Congress – former Congressman Norman F. Lent (R-NY) from 1983 to 1992. Rep. Lent was the Ranking Republican on the House Energy and Commerce and as the leader of one of the most prolific committees in Congress he oversaw a myriad of diverse and complicated legislative initiatives from telecommunications to product liability to clean water and healthcare.
Rep. Lent worked closely with another leader on the committee – former Rep. John Dingell (D-MI) – a noted moderate liberal who was chairman of the committee at the time. Theirs was a potentially combative relationship given the deep party differences but despite the divisive, complicated and polarizing issues before them they worked together in such a constructive and bipartisan manner that they managed to pass such comprehensive and lasting laws as Superfund hazardous waste cleanup, Clean Water Act among many other important legislative initiatives.
Over the years I watched two leaders from diametrically opposing backgrounds come together time and time again to overcome their basic differences and forgoing expedient political solutions to forge meaningful, bipartisan answers to some very, very tricky national problems.
My point is simple. Bipartisanship is not a pipe dream and it is absolutely critical to the effective and positive workings of our government. All of us – not just our elected officials – are responsible for the divisive nature of our government right now. How we discuss the values we hold dear and the issues that we care about matters. We can all work to promote a more bipartisan atmosphere by simply looking at how we have conversations on the issues of importance to us – whether it’s on Facebook, Twitter, or even in conversations with our friends and family and colleagues.
The Webster Dictionary definition of “bipartisan” states “of or involving the agreement or cooperation of two political parties that usually oppose each other's policies.”
The challenges we face are many and the solutions varied but if we are to meet these challenges and move forward as a nation it will undoubtedly be because we found that sweet spot … “the agreement or cooperation of two political parties that usually oppose each other’s policies.” We can do this.
Anne Holloway
Alexandria