Does It Take Two to Be Bipartisan?
GOP leaders won’t play; Dems should do it anyway
The hard-fought bipartisan Infrastructure Deal announced June 24th faces criticism from members of both parties for a variety of reasons, but don’t ignore its obvious opponents. The main obstacle is Republican leadership — specifically Minority Leader McConnell and former President Trump. Their track record is clear.
Intransigence is a habit
Trump glories in revenge and retribution against those he sees as his enemies. The idea that he would allow any sort of “win” for the man who beat him soundly in the 2020 election — especially if he thinks his followers can block it —is as implausible as the Big Lie.
Minority Leader McConnell has a more straightforward goal — take back power in Congress — but tactically it amounts to the same thing. He openly intends to block any major Biden legislation.
I expect the final arbiters of the future of this infrastructure deal will be the Commander of the Senate Faithful and the Master of its Voter Base, deciding whether to allow any bipartisan ship visible on the horizon to pass peacefully into law, … or sink it.
If they do sink it, Republicans will have effectively ceded all bipartisanship on hard issues. Democrats should seize that position. If Republicans choose to surrender the moral high ground, take it!
Show the nation that bipartisanship on contentious, important issues can still happen — but for now only Democratic leaders are willing to do it.
There’s a fine opportunity to make this point
Speaker Pelosi set a good example in her final proposal for a bipartisan January 6th commission, which GOP leaders then spurred their members to reject.
Déjà vu, y’all.
So, is that it?
If they won’t play, is bipartisanship dead?
Not necessarily. Pelosi’s moved ahead with a House Select Committee, and she can try her best to make it function in a bipartisan, and nonpartisan, manner.
The 9/11 commission was perhaps not the best model to follow. That was an attack on democracy from outside; January 6th was internal, an attack from within. Another internal conflict might be a better guide.
Take, for example, the Reagan-era Iran-Contra scandal. Ken Ballen was staff counsel to the House select committee to investigate the Iran-Contra affair. In this opinion piece from the Washington Post, Ballen explains how it was done then.
The chair of the select committee had full authority to issue subpoenas, compelling the production of documents and witnesses with the force of law. The committee also took the unusual step of conducting some 250 depositions — sworn testimony under oath — by its staff attorneys.
Only after that did the committee hold public hearings. As to how it could be adapted to the current situation, Ballen says:
Chairman Hamilton also worked diligently to cooperate with the minority Republicans on the select committee, but given the intractable Republican opposition now, Speaker Pelosi should endeavor to only accept the appointment of Republican members, such as Rep. Liz Cheney, committed to a professional investigation.
It’s a thought. 😉
If Republican leaders won’t do bipartisanship — or even allow it to occur — then Democrats should take up that burden, make a virtue of it, and show the country that government can work for the entire nation.
Cast a wide net for members of the committee and its staff, among conservatives as well as liberals, even among <gasp> moderates, who are by definition more inclined to be bipartisan.
The Republican Party leadership is surrendering a vital stretch of high ground in the moral landscape. OK fine. Take it from them and use it proudly. Make the House Select Committee a Democratic example of bipartisan and nonpartisan work in the service of this country.
