If one were to sit in on session of Congress today, the scene would not be unlike one from a Kindergarten classroom: fighting over various territories, refusal to share, and argument for no apparent reason. Today’s Congress is highly polarized, and as a result, gets little to nothing done. In the American political system, it is expected that the Republicans and Democrats will have significant political differences.
In fact, it is that freedom of expression and association that Americans value about the political system. However, with increased polarization, the two parties have found that they can agree on little to nothing, and as a result have passed very few bills. Even a simple highway bill that provides funding for various construction projects across the United States failed to pass. If there is no agreement by the end of next week, when the bill expires, construction will halt on several important projects.
Likewise, the Senate also managed to drag out simple and largely bipartisan jobs bills that passed with ease in the House. Much of this can be attributed to the lack of moderates in the Senate and members willing to cross party lines to see a relatively simple and important bill passed. In December of this past year, Congress narrowly passed a one trillion dollar spending agreement 27 hours before a federal government shutdown would have resulted, just before a busy holiday season.
In a show of further decreased bipartisanship, the House voted down the Cooper/LaTourette budget proposal, 382-38. This action simply seems to reconfirm the suspicion that Republicans and Democrats can agree on less and less in this new polarized environment. Due to the nature of the divided House and Senate, it is not suspected that a large and comprehensive budget plan will pass anytime soon.
And neither side is willing to take the blame for the state of deadlock in which both parties of Congress often find themselves. Democrats blame Republicans for being too conservative, and Republicans blame Democrats for being too liberal. The irony is that both sides are right, but neither side is willing to give a little and meet somewhere in the middle for the sake of maintaining a functioning government. As John Farrell wrote in his article, "Divided We Stand", Republicans and Democrats "have their own mythic moments--times when they held out their hand in a gesture of fellowship, only to have it spat upon." The grudge-holding and bickering is a vicious cycle that ensures important legislation is nitpicked and rarely passed.
What does this mean for the 35%--over a third—of Americans that identify themselves as moderates? When more moderates in the Senate step down this election season, it means that the Senate will find itself in its most polarized state in recent history. And unfortunately for Americans, it means resigning themselves to a Congress of Kindergarteners that refuse to share.
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