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A Bidenesque aisle-crossing in Congress

As lawmakers near a consensus on a coronavirus aid package, they also reinforce the president-elect’s promise to bind “the wounds of division.”

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Reuters
U.S. Senators' Lisa Murkowski (R), Jeane Shaheen (D), and Mitt Romney (R) listen as Bill Cassidy (R) speaks about a framework for coronavirus relief legislation Dec. 1.
  • By the Monitor's Editorial Board

US President-elect Joe Biden, who has promised to “bind the wounds of division” among Americans, must be pleased with a change of tone in Congress a month after the election. Top leaders in both parties are not only talking to each other about a new coronavirus relief package, but also nearing a compromise that would give close to $1 trillion to individuals, businesses, and states.

Perhaps by ending their long divide over a second aid package, lawmakers will help the next president achieve even greater feats of bipartisan consensus.

Mr. Biden also says he “doesn’t see red states and blue states.” That befits his 36 years in the Senate cutting deals with rivals he warmly embraced as family. “I love you,” he told Republican Sen. Jesse Helms in 1999 after the two passed a measure to restore funding for the State Department. Genuine affection between opponents, built on honesty and respect, is a proven lubricant for successful legislation.

As a lawmaker, Mr. Biden had a knack for focusing on realities that neither side on Capitol Hill could ignore. COVID-19, like the Cold War during his time in Congress, has helped force Congress to overcome some “wounds of division.” The proposed relief package won’t satisfy everybody, Mr. Biden says, “but the option is, if you insist on everything, we’re likely to get nothing on both sides.”

Some call that pragmatism. Mr. Biden suggests such bipartisanship is national healing. While the former vice president won the election decisively, he recognizes many voters split their tickets, giving victories to Republicans in state races and gains in the House. Both parties also saw voters giving a thumbs-down to many extreme candidates.

“Americans are inherently optimistic,” concludes Time magazine’s wrap-up of the year 2020. “It’s why our allies like us, even if they secretly mock us behind our backs – but we don’t care!” Mr. Biden’s own optimism will probably lead him to focus on many bipartisan opportunities, such as infrastructure. His tenure in the Oval Office could be remembered like that of Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush, all of whom passed major bills with the opposing party.

Being “a president for all Americans,” as Mr. Biden promises, might already be off to a good start in the lame-duck Congress.

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