Biden deserves support in a quest for unity

We’re on the cusp of a new presidential administration as Joe Biden is sworn into office to take over the White House.

It’s certain that we’re going to see different policies pursued and enacted in Washington in the coming weeks, months and years, as Democrats have control of the presidency and both houses of Congress. But those predicting a sea change may be in for a surprise.

Democrats hold only a slight majority in the House, and they have control of the Senate by the thinnest possible margin — 50 senators plus the vice president to break ties. A single defection by a Senate Democrat can derail any piece of legislation or attempt at changes in procedure.

That’s particularly important on the crucial issue of the legislative filibuster. As long as the Senate minority has the ability to halt progress on legislation, it will require 60 votes to get most measures enacted. Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia already has stated that he would not support eliminating the filibuster.

It’s in the best interest of both parties and Americans in general to keep the filibuster in place. Yes, it’s frustrating to see important measures held up due to this tactic, but its existence ensures that the minority party has some say and leverage in what goes on.

Democrats should have learned their lesson after eliminating the filibuster for judicial appointments when they last had the majority, then later watching helplessly as a Republicancontrolled Senate easily confirmed one judicial nominee after another, including three Supreme Court justices.

Any party holding the majority should let their actions be guided by the realization that someday it will be in the minority again, perhaps sooner than they might expect.

The first order of business for the Biden administration will be tackling the COVID-19 pandemic by expanding the availability of vaccines, working to coordinate states’ responses to the crisis and making sure there are sufficient resources to support these efforts and keep the economy functioning until things get better.

Of course setting policy isn’t the only issue facing the new president. Just as crucial is keeping the promise that might very well have won Biden the election: to seek to unite rather than further divide our fractured nation.

That was always going to be a tall order. Our lack of unity didn’t just start four, eight or even 12 years ago. What we’re seeing today is a continuation of an ongoing argument that took root in the 1960s. Even those of us who didn’t experience that turbulent era or the political turmoil that followed in the 1970s are experiencing the legacy of a time from which our nation never completely healed.

The Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol and subsequent impeachment of President Donald Trump have made Biden’s task of healing that much more difficult. It’s sad to contemplate seeing a new president deliver his inaugural address without any crowd present except a tremendous contingent of soldiers and police providing security.

But Biden must do his best to take on the challenge. We can be confident that he’ll take a few simple steps in the right direction: avoiding hostile rhetoric toward his political opposition and not being tempted to stir up controversy on a daily basis as his predecessor has done. Not having to think about what’s going on at the White House all the time could go a long way toward soothing the psyches of the many Americans who are exhausted from political warfare.

In the long run, however, it’s all going to depend on how Biden governs. The situation in the Senate could prove helpful in this regard. The narrow majority could turn the handful of moderates in both parties into power players, leading to more compromise and greater productivity. Partisans on both sides may be disappointed at times, but it would thrill the many of us who put a higher priority on a well-functioning government than on scoring points in a political game nobody wins.

Let us all unite in wishing our next president well in this most difficult endeavor. On this, there should be no taking sides.