New Opportunities for Bipartisanship

Posted by Infra on Wednesday, November 14th, 2018

The Art of the Possible: Bipartisan Possibilities - U.S. ChamberWritten by Thomas J. Donohue, President and CEO, U.S. Chamber of Commerce

The results of last week’s election are in – Americans delivered a split decision on the makeup of the next Congress. In the House, Democrats won control from the Republicans and now hold the majority. In the Senate, Republicans maintained power and even added seats to their majority. This means that we’ll be operating under divided government for the next two years. But it doesn’t mean that nothing will get done.

Throughout our history, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce has worked with all types of majorities to advance a pro-growth policy agenda. We’ve notched wins with Congress under Republican control, under Democrat control, and everything in between.

Even in today’s hyper-partisan environment, there are still areas where consensus exists in the middle. And we’re calling on our new and reelected leaders from both parties to claim that middle ground and reject the extremes on both sides. We will work with Democrats and Republicans to focus on the art of the possible – those issues that are most likely to attract bipartisan support and the president’s signature.

Here are two examples of priorities that are ripe for progress.

First, infrastructure. Members on both sides of the aisle have long agreed on the need to modernize the physical platform of our economy. They’ll have to make some trade-offs, but there is a real chance to finally do it. Republicans are going to have to accept that we need more revenue from dedicated user fees. Democrats are going to have to accept that private investment must be a big part of the solution. Both sides should look at this as an investment in our nation’s long-term competitiveness and future prosperity.

Second, immigration, which can help address our nation’s worker shortage. Employers must be able to hire the workers they need at every skill level—when and where they need them. So we must fix America’s broken immigration system. If lawmakers find the middle ground, work through the tough issues, and finally address this long-simmering challenge, they will help solve the people gap in our country and reaffirm our legacy of welcoming the world’s best talent and hardest workers.

We’ll also push our leaders to strengthen the U.S. workforce, adopt smart trade policies, advance energy, and support other pro-growth priorities. We’ll fight against efforts to roll back important policy gains from the previous two years, including tax reform and regulatory relief. Unraveling those policies would undermine our economy.

The bottom line is that while the composition of Congress may change, our objectives never do. We’re focused on working with both political parties to push for policies that grow the American economy, create good jobs, and advance free enterprise.

Article originally published on Above the Fold, a blog of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce

Tags: , ,

Comments are closed.

Follow InfraUSA on Twitter Facebook YouTube Flickr

CATEGORIES


Show us your infra! Show us your infra!

Video, stills and tales. Share images of the Infra in your community that demands attention. Post your ideas about national Infra issues. Go ahead. Show Us Your Infra!  Upload and instantly share your message.

Polls Polls

Is the administration moving fast enough on Infra issues? Are Americans prepared to pay more taxes for repairs? Should job creation be the guiding determination? Vote now!

Views

What do the experts think? This is where the nation's public policy organizations, trade associations and think tanks weigh in with analysis on Infra issues. Tell them what you think.  Ask questions.  Share a different view.

Blog

The Infra Blog offers cutting edge perspective on a broad spectrum of Infra topics. Frequent updates and provocative posts highlight hot button topics -- essential ingredients of a national Infra dialogue.


Dear Friends,

 

It is encouraging to finally see clear signs of federal action to support a comprehensive US infrastructure investment plan.

 

Now more than ever, our advocacy is needed to keep stakeholders informed and connected, and to hold politicians to their promises to finally fix our nation’s ailing infrastructure.

 

We have already engaged nearly 280,000 users, and hoping to add many more as interest continues to grow.

 

We require your support in order to rise to this occasion, to make the most of this opportunity. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to InfrastructureUSA.org.

 

Steve Anderson

Managing Director

 

SteveAnderson@InfrastructureUSA.org

917-940-7125

InfrastructureUSA: Citizen Dialogue About Civil Infrastructure