Deadlock or Cooperation

Well, we have a new President of the United States. Feel any different? We still have COVID raging, a vaccine-fueled recovery in the works, a bitterly divided electorate and an impeachment trial going on. While that may not seem vastly different from last week, we might want to keep our eyes open to look for changes.

One place to look would be Congress, because that is where the new agenda will land. And while the agenda itself is particularly important, the reaction of Congress to the agenda will be very telling. For the past several years, Congress has been as bitterly divided as the electorate. And while there has been a lot of noise about both houses being “controlled” by one party, the truth is that the Senate is also very divided at 50-50.

So, will the agenda be a knock-down drag-out fight, or will there be an air of dialogue and compromise? More likely, the reality will be somewhere in-between. Even that might be considered progress. We are likely to see a new agenda and it would be nice if it is shaped by more participants in a show of unity. We could use it.