6/1/2016 PressReader - The Wall Street Journal Asia - 1 Jun 2016 - How the U.S.

Senate Is Supposed to Work

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Articlerank 1Jun2016 TheWallStreetJournalAsia

ByMitchMcConnellMr.McConnell,aRepublicanfromKentucky,hasbeenSenatemajorityleadersinceJanuary
2015.Thisopedisadaptedfromhisnewbook,TheLongGame:AMemoir,outthisweekfromSentinel.

How the U.S. Senate Is Supposed to

Work
Onissuesofgreatnationalsignificance,onepartyshouldneversimplyforceitswilloneverybodyelse.

PeopleoftenaskmewhatPresidentObamaislike.Ialwaystellthemthesamething.Hespleasant
enough,buthesalsolikethekidinclasswhoexertsalotofenergytryingtomakesureeverybody
thinkshesthesmartestguyintheroom.Heisalsoaveryliberalguywhoisdeterminedtoforceour
countryintothekindofprogressivemodelthatWesternEuropeansocietiesembracedyearsago,
whethertherestofuslikeitornot.

TheU.S.Capitol,withtheSenatechamberintheforeground.

Nowherewasthismoreevidentthanduringthefightoverthe2010AffordableCareAct.Asan
outspokencriticofthebill,Irepeatedlywarnedthatthepromisesitwassoldonwouldnotwithstand
contactwithreality.AssomeonewhocaresdeeplyabouttheSenate,Ialsobelievethislawhasplayed
anunderappreciatedroleinerodingtheSenatescorefunctionasaplacewheregreatnational
challengesarehashedoutopenly,andultimatelyresolved.
AchanceencounterwithLyndonJohnsonsdaughterLucihelpedclarifyallthisformejustbefore
theObamaCarefightbrokeout.WewerestandingintheCapitolrotundatomarkthe100thanniversary
ofLBJsbirth,andIapproachedLucitosaythatwhilewehadnevermetbefore,Irememberedseeing
herasarecentcollegegraduateintheverysameplacedecadesearlier.Itwasthedayherfatherhad
signedtheVotingRightsActof1965.Sherememberedthatontherideover,hetoldherthatSenate
MinorityLeaderEverettDirksenwouldalsobeatthesigningceremony,andthatthiswasimportant,
notonlybecauseDirksenhadbeenkeytogettingthebillpassed,butbecauseitwouldhelpensurethe
lawwasbroadlyaccepted.Bothpartyleadersstandingtogetherwouldguaranteeit.

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6/1/2016 PressReader - The Wall Street Journal Asia - 1 Jun 2016 - How the U.S. Senate Is Supposed to Work
Thelessonwasclear:Onissuesofgreatnationalsignificance,onepartyshouldneversimplyforce
itswilloneverybodyelse.MedicareandMedicaidwerebothapprovedin1965withthesupportofabout
halfthemembersoftheminorityparty.TheVotingRightsActpassedwiththevotesof30outof32
membersoftheRepublicanminority.OnlysixsenatorsvotedagainsttheSocialSecurityActof1935.
AndonlyeightvotedagainsttheAmericanswithDisabilitiesActof1990.Allofthesewerethemirror
imageofObamaCare,whichpassedtheSenatewithoutasinglevotefromtheminorityRepublicans.
Whatseemstohavebeenforgottenisthatitsnotanactofbetrayaltoworkwithonespolitical
adversarieswhendoingsoisgoodforthecountry.ThatstheviewIadoptedwhentheAmericanpeople
askedanewRepublicanmajoritytoleadtheSenateduringthelasttwoyearsoftheObama
administration.IknewthatBarackObamawasnotlikelytosignmypartyslegislativewishlistintolaw,
soIfocusedonthingswecouldagreeonthatwerealsoworthdoing.
Despitehugedifferencesbetweenthetwoparties,wevehadsuccess,passing,amongother
legislation,abillaimedatcurbingthescourgeofhumantrafficking,afreetradeagreementthatwould
enableapresidentofeitherpartytoexpandthemarketforU.S.goods,thefirstfiveyearhighwaybill
innearlytwodecades,andarewriteofNoChildLeftBehindthatsomehavedescribedasthebiggest
devolutionofpowerfromWashingtontothestatesinmemory.
Admittedly,noneofthebillswevepassedwouldgettheaverageprimaryvoteronhisorherfeet.
Butcomparedwiththelegislativegraveyardofthepriorseveralyears,thenewRepublicanledSenate
lookedlikeanAmazonfulfillmentcenter.Allthiswasgoodfortheinstitution.And,thoughmanyhavent
noticedyet,thebipartisancooperationhasbeengoodforourpolitics.
Astandardcriticismofthisapproachisthatitelevatesprocessoverpolicyor,worse,thatit
amountstoakindofideologicalsurrenderbyRepublicans.ButifyouwanttobeaU.S.senator,you
needtobeatpeacewithimperfectoutcomes.Apartyisnotachurchitisatoolforachievingshared
goals.Thepointisnttogetcomfortablewithfailure.Itistorecognizethatfailuretodayoftencarries
theseedoftomorrowssuccess.Itstoseethewisdomofthehitchhiker:Ifthefirstcarthatstopsis
onlygoinghalfwaytoyourdestination,takeit.
Ifirstinternalizedthislessonfromstudyingthegreatlegislativebattlesofthemid19thcentury,
whichmaketodayspoliticalfightslooktamebycomparison.ItsalessonIthenlearnedfirsthandina
decadeslongbattleofinchesovercampaignfinancereform.AnditsalessonIverelearnedinrecent
yearsasarestivefactionofRepublicanshaveturnedtheirgunsoneachotherinfrustrationovertheir
inabilitytohaltthemarchoftheleft.
TheanswertoBarackObamaandtheleftisnottorailagainstonesfellowconservatives.Itisto
makebetterarguments,buildcoalitionsandwintheWhiteHouse.Thechangesweseekwontcome
quicklyorallatonce,buttheywillbemoredurablewhentheydoarrive,becausetheywillhavebeen
achievedthroughpersuasionand,ideally,onabipartisanbasis.Thismeansviewingthelegislative
processnotasanendlessgameofgotcha,butasthebestmeanswehaveformakinggooddecisions
collectively.
ItmayturnoutthatAmericansontheleftandrightdontwantthetwopartiestoworktogetherin
anefforttoreachconsensusonthegreatchallengesweface.Ifso,thenIfearconservativeswillhave
succumbedtotheprogressiveimpulseofwantingtostampoutdifferencesratherthanworkthrough
them.AndtheSenatewillhavebecomeirrelevant.
IlovetheSenate.ItstheoneinstitutionthatbestcombinesMadisonsrealisticrecognitionof
humanfrailtywiththeloftyaspirationsofasocietythatsorderedtowardlibertyandopportunityforall.
Atitsbest,itisaplacewherethedivisionsandhopesofourbig,messy,pluralisticcountryare
channeledandresolvedintosomethingresemblingconsensus.AndifyoubelieveasIdothatconsensus
amongbitterlydisputingpartiesisnotonlypossiblebutalsonecessaryforAmericatoflourish,the
Senateissomethingweneednowmorethanever.
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