Article:
Washington Post
Image: Aftermath of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico
My question to all of you is: Do you think that politician's willingness to negotiate with the other political party in the face of disasters like the recent storms and wildfires is a good sign for bipartisan ship, or do you see it as a bad sign that the two political parties seem to only be able to work together when the country is literally falling apart?
8 comments:
Congress coming together to finally support the states and territories in need is a great step towards bipartisanship because it proves that in this "Trump era" of U.S. politics, politicians still find some common ground between themselves. That being said, however, with the vote standing at 80-19, it still shows that there are some politicians who don't believe in helping these wounded areas of our country, which still shows that in a time of need, there are still those who show opposition to something that would be morally right. This proves that even though the country could be argued as "literally falling apart", which is sort of subjective, bipartisanship is possible, but it doesn't come easy.
In my opinion, this idea of congress taking initiative to protect the numerous territories that were affected is good for the nation moving forward. It’s definitely a good sign that we are heading towards cooperation among political parties. I agree with Miguel in terms of finding this common ground among politicians. It’s obviously easier said than done. In terms of the final vote by the Senate, it’s clear that not everyone is on the same page which is expected, but the overall bigger picture shows that most politicians are willing to get out of their comfort zone and support the states and territories. Bipartisanship is ultimately a goal that may take more help than what we’re getting right now. It’s definitely within the picture and doesn’t seem farfetched but we have to work together for it to happen. Even though one may claim that it is only because the country is in danger right now that people are stepping up. I still feel that it’s better late than never.
In my opinion I agree it's a big step toward partisanship when two political parties are working together to deal with this issue. I believe that Congress should take this kind of mentality not only toward disasters, but toward all political issues. Coming together and compromising instead of being too stubborn to come to an agreement will solve many of our issues today. No matter what Congress does, it's inevitable that some group will be unhappy, so it's in our best interest to be rational and realistic when dealing with political issues.
I think that it is good that both parties are working together on this bill. However, I do not think that this means that is a significant step bipartisanship. With all natural disasters that have been happening it seems to be a no brainer to pass a bill for disaster relief. The fact that the there was 19 politicians who did not support this bill demonstrates that polarization is a huge issue. I would've thought that this bill would've got unanimous support. If the reasons for lack of support were ideological it would be extremely alarming. There is still a substantial minority who choose to avoid compromise and at times it could be at the cost of aiding our country.
I think it's because of the life threatening nature of natural disasters as well as the clearly correct thing to do that force politicians to work together and come up with federal support during these events. While this does show bipartisanship during emergencies (which is better than nothing), decisions regarding more fuzzy and long term issues will continue to cause political discourse. Up to a point this is good; we want legislators to think long and hard before passing bills that affect the country. But the level of political gridlock is so horrendous that some bipartisanship in the form of disaster relief is welcome indeed.
Congress working together is not an uncommon thing. Sure there were government shut downs because of lack of agreement between two different parties, but that should not create a view in people that the government is completely incompetent. If the US government was able to survive for more than 200 years, then why can't it survive for another 100 and more? People have this view that the government does not listen to the cries of the people, and though I believe this is true for some politicians, there are many out there who do try to help the country and its people survive and thrive. The politicians will have to work together, whether they want to or not. If they fail to do their job, then they will lose their job due to the public's lack of confidence in them.
I don't think natural disasters are a hugely controversial topic, therefore, I think it is easy for the two parties to come to an agreement. Whether it is a non controversial topic or not, I think that this partnership is a good step forward. It is valuable for Congress to go through the experience of being able to agree on an issue and hopefully moving forward they can make compromises. No issue will come to a complete consensus. By making the first step toward a partnership, hopefully Congress can see the importance in compromise.
I think that the two parties are able to come together easily when it comes to natural disasters. There is no argument, a disaster is a clear threat to safety, and no party would be foolish enough to ignore it. No side wants to be seen as the one who denied a relief bill and cause a countless number of deaths, so they are able to come to an agreement fairly easily.
Post a Comment