Bipartisan Support For Healthcare Legislation

In a significant bipartisan move backed by President Obama, the House agreed on changing the formula for doctors’ fees and extending the Children’s Health Insurance Program.

We heartily applaud Mr. Boehner and Ms. Pelosi for working together to put this healthcare bill together and President Obama for supporting it. While both Republicans and Democrats see flaws in the legislation the view that moving ahead on points of agreement was better than pushing for purity won the day. That is what the Founding Fathers envisioned. The bill is perhaps most noteworthy for demonstrating that today’s highly partisan Congress can work together to make progress rather than blast opponents using sound bytes and emotional arguments. Here at Common Ground Committee it is a good day, indeed. We look forward to seeing more results like this one.

Politicians and Citizens Talking Without Shouting? It Can Happen.

The cynical view of political discourse is that, in these polarized times, members of Congress can’t really persuade their constituents. If talk does anything, leaders can only mobilize their supporters and tell them how they should think and vote. But in a new study, my collaborators (Kevin Esterling, David Lazer, William Minozzi and the Congressional Management Foundation) and I found something potentially much more encouraging about how political leaders and citizens can talk to each other. Read more