When Government Works

Bipartisanship is a rare thing these days. Examples are everywhere. A government shutdown ensued when Democrats and Republicans were unable – or unwilling – to find an agreeable way to fund the government. There is fiery rhetoric from both sides, from Ted Cruz’s marathon filibuster to Alan Grayson’s rather infamous likening of tea party activists to the KKK. But without much fanfare, there is a small group of legislators passing good legislation with broad support across the political spectrum. The leader in this is Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York.

Gillibrand recently took one of America’s most pressing and least addressed problems head on: infrastructure. She forged a coalition to pass the Building and Renewing Infrastructure for Development and Growth in Employment Act, or BRIDGE. The name is a mouthful, but the substance of the law is worthy of praise. It establishes an independent organization to put money toward infrastructure projects. Sponsors of the bill included Democrats Mark Warner, Roy Blunt, Gillibrand, Chris Coons, Amy Klobuchar, and Claire McCaskill. They were joined by Republicans Lindsey Graham, Dean Heller, Mark Kirk, and Roger Wicker. Wicker, a Republican from Mississippi, was particularly pleased with a provision ensuring that rural states received funding. “I am particularly pleased that the legislation sets aside dedicated funding to rural states, such as Mississippi,” Wicker said. “Attracting private investment in infrastructure is oftentimes too cumbersome and complex for many small towns and counties. This bill would address that problem by streamlining the process and providing much-needed assistance for these rural communities to get the funds they sorely need,” Wicker said in support of the bill.

A statement from Gillibrand’s office said that the law helps to address the nation’s alarming investment shortfall in maintaining and improving our transportation network, water and wastewater systems and energy infrastructure. The legislation would provide an additional financing tool for states and localities which can create new jobs here at home while also increasing our nation’s economic competitiveness.

The group of supporters covers the entire political spectrum and would address several issues with infrastructure spending. Firstly, by having an independent organization control the finances it would cut down on the rather corrupt practice of senators and congressmen inserting funding for their district – and often to their donors – into legislation. This bill will do much to prevent another “bridge to nowhere”. As Wicker mentioned, the bill contains language specifying that considerable money goes to rural states. This is a rarely reported on but very serious problem. Large cities and metro areas are often home to powerful corporations and unions which can use their considerable sway over politicians to bring public works projects to their cities. This bill, if properly implemented, could bring better infrastructure and new jobs to areas of the country hit hard by the recession.

The BRIDGE law is not the only piece of bipartisan legislation championed by Gillibrand. She had long sought to bring attention to the recurring problem of sexual assault in the military. This is, sadly, a daunting issue in our armed forces, and the method of dealing with it currently in place is ineffective. For many years, sexual misconduct was reported by the victim to their superiors, who would then be responsible for taking action. It’s easy to see the flaws in this system; it is very possible that the commander involved could be close to the victim or the accused person. This unfortunate situation makes it difficult to reach a sound judgment. It is heartbreaking that many of our bravest young people have to deal with abuse while serving the country. Many said that a solution couldn’t be found and that there was little enthusiasm for the bill. But Gillibrand kept fighting. The fight was joined by Democrats Claire McCaskill and Carl Levin. Soon the bill gained widespread Republican support from Susan Collins, Chuck Grassley, and Lisa Murkowski. More recently, a pair of tea party backed conservatives, Rand Paul and Ted Cruz, became two of the bill’s strongest supporters. Gillibrand said she expects a vote to occur in January, and judging by the broad bipartisan support she has received, it seems to stand a strong chance of passing.

All this seems to prove that bipartisanship isn’t impossible. Gillibrand is the leader of a quiet revolution to make government work. It’s a change that’s occurring all across the country and supported by politicians of all ideologies and parties. This rejuvenation may be taking hold; a bipartisan budget bill was recently passed in the house. Neither side was fully satisfied, but both agreed it was a good start.