Bipartisan possibilities
A few issues offer chance for some bipartisanship
President Donald Trump’s call for unity in his State of the Union address Tuesday night came amid a deep partisan divide. It followed a 35-day partial federal government shutdown, and it comes just as Democrats, who now control the House, begin to use their oversight power on the administration. ❚ But sprinkled in among the bitterness may be opportunities to work together on a handful of issues the conservatives and liberals have expressed interest in: lowering health-care costs, rebuilding U.S. infrastructure, ethics reform. ❚ After more than a month of Washington operating at a near standstill, Democrats, Republicans and the White House are all ready to notch some political wins. But to do that, they’ll have to work together.
“The president briefly talked the talk; now it’s time for us to walk the walk together.” Hakeem Jeffries Democratic Caucus chair
WASHINGTON – The president brought lawmakers from both sides of the aisle to their feet Tuesday night when he called for Congress to rebuild the nation’s infrastructure system and make health care more affordable.
“Many of us campaigned on the same core promises,” President Donald Trump said. “We must choose between greatness or gridlock, results or resistance, vision or vengeance, incredible progress or pointless destruction.
“Tonight, I ask you to choose greatness.”
But the call for unity came amid a deep partisan divide. It followed a 35day partial government shutdown, where the president and Republicans refused to agree on how to fund security along the southern border. And it came just as the Democratic-controlled House began to use its oversight power on the administration and Trump’s allies.
But sprinkled in among the bitterness may be opportunities to work together on a handful of issues both sides have expressed interest in: lowering health care costs, rebuilding U.S. infrastructure, ethics reform.
After more than a month of Washington operating at a near standstill, Democrats, Republicans and the White House are all ready to notch some political wins. But to do that, they’ll have to work together.
“It appears tangentially that, based on Donald Trump’s speech, that he agrees with parts of the Democratic agenda particularly as it relates to lowering health care costs and a real meaningful infrastructure plan,” Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic Caucus chair, told reporters Wednesday morning. “The president briefly talked the talk; now it’s time for us to walk the walk together.”
When Pelosi called Trump last week to reschedule the State of the Union address, the pair also talked about their desire to work together on legislation. According to Democratic Caucus vice chair Katherine Clark, Pelosi recounted the call during a House Democratic Caucus meeting last week.
Pelosi told the caucus “that he specifically confirmed that he is open to working on reducing the costs of prescription drugs and investing in our infrastructure,” recounted Clark, a Massachusetts Democrat. “Now it’s time to get to work, and it’s really going to be up to the president. We ran in the midterms not against him, but for a positive bold agenda.”
“Trump has shown us time and again that he is willing to work with anyone who wants the best for our country. It’s not a campaign strategy; it’s just who he is. When Democrats choose to work with him, there is no limit to what we can achieve,” said Erin Montgomery, a spokeswoman for the pro-Trump super PAC America First Action.
GOP Whip Steve Scalise, R-La., said there “are a lot of areas that we could have agreement” but in order for legislation to become law, Pelosi and Democrats must be willing to give the president credit, just as his 2020 reelection campaign heats up.