The following column is the opinion and analysis of the writer:
Congratulations President-elect Joe Biden! Let the healing and work begin. It’s going to take more than kind words though that’s certainly a good place to start.
Here are the two things I’d like you to publicly request of Congress as soon as you take office. You’re going to have to be the ultimate arbiter and insist that people follow these expectations. You’re also going to have to use the bully pulpit to demand help from the American people. You’ll have to publicly call out certain members of Congress if they refuse to follow these guidelines, and then let the voters decide their fate.
First, you must insist on a return to fact-based discussions based on the best available science at the moment. Second, you must insist that each member of Congress be willing to focus on single issues where we can build agreement, instead of letting congressional leadership determine all the priorities. Neither will be easy.
The return to fact-based discussions based on science shouldn’t be partisan or controversial, but unfortunately it is. Questioning science and presenting alternative “facts” is a time-honored way to derail discussions and one party has recently used this strategy much more than the other. You cannot let that continue.
You must categorically dismiss anyone who tries to deny the science and you must ignore media outlets that continually spread misinformation. Objections to a clean energy bill because the science of climate change is “still in doubt,” are simply unacceptable. Objections to a clean energy bill because “it’s too expensive” are something to be negotiated.
The second expectation will be much harder to achieve. I believe a majority of Congress could negotiate agreement on a majority of the issues, if they each had equal voice and equal vote and if they were allowed to take each issue one at a time. But all too often this aspiration is blocked by idealogues and a congressional leadership that is beholden to powerful, well-financed interests that only care about one or two issues.
Congressional leadership, that through gerrymandering and the way we fund elections, is unaccountable to the American people. This is particularly true in the Senate. The only way this will change is if you, as the president for all the people, make an issue of it.
You’ve got to publicly demand that Congressional leadership focus on one issue at a time and then let all the people’s representatives vote. You must put pressure on congressional leadership to create the space so individual members of Congress can do their job.
The party leaders and idealogues are not going to willingly give up power. Democratic leaders are not going to want to play small ball with Republicans for fear that compromise will leave them with half the loaf and all the blame.
Republican leaders will fight to maintain the united front they feel is necessary to block Democratic initiatives and deliver on the one or two issues they hold dear.
And in the meantime, very little of the people’s business gets done. Right now, you’re the only one who can change this. We gave you the bully pulpit and you must use it or lose it.
You’ve got to call on your fellow politicians to change the way they conduct business, and call out those who won’t. And you have to trust that when you do, the democratically elected representatives of the American people will find common ground and innovative ways to move forward.
