On the other hand, if Democrats think they can sit back and sling arrows at the new majority leadership their ranks may dwindle even more in 2012. The only smart course for Democrats is to relentlessly pursue common ground and try to get things done even in an increasingly divided Congress.
To be sure, potential for bipartisan agreement is limited, but it does exist. Smart Democratic maneuvering can lead Republicans to reauthorize the nation’s bedrock education legislation, finance the rebuilding of the nation’s infrastructure and spawn more private-sector investment in alternative energy.
Our legislative history books show that even during raging partisan battles, substantive movement on federal policy is possible. Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) and President George W. Bush found common purpose and paved the way for the landmark No Child Left Behind education reform bill nearly 10 years ago. Neither liberals nor conservatives loved the bill, but its passage has proved that performance-based models and targeted federal investments can boost student achievement.
Rep. John Kline (R-Minn.), the likely new chair of the House’s education committee, and future House speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) are both on record supporting much of Education Secretary Arne Duncan’s initiatives to link teacher pay to performance and make fundamental changes in the most troubled schools. We’ve seen real student achievement gains in the last 10 years, but Democrats should urge Republicans to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act to increase the pace of progress. We must significantly improve our educational outcomes if we hope to maintain America’s competitiveness. For this reason alone, Congress can and must do this work, and do it now.
Democrats should also prod Republicans to act on the $3.2 trillion in road, bridge and port repairs needed around the country given a history of solid GOP support for transportation infrastructure investment. Conservatives are unlikely to reject their party’s pro-infrastructure legacy and incur the wrath of major corporations who are wasting money trying to run 21st century businesses in outdated cargo containers, through antiquated ports and over dangerously unsafe bridges.
President Ronald Reagan in 1983 approved the largest infrastructure investment bill since Dwight D. Eisenhower funded interstate freeways in the 1950s. In both cases, the country was saddled with a bitter partisan divide and sluggish economy. And George W. Bush and a Republican Congress dramatically expanded transportation infrastructure investments to $286 billion in 2005.
On the energy front, recent Tea Party attacks on potential energy committee chairman Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.) for his support of energy-saving light bulbs gives Democrats an opportunity to form an alliance with reasonable Republicans in support of green-energy firms. While right-wingers like Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas) rail against “little, squiggly, pig-tailed” eco-friendly bulbs, pro-business Democrats and Republicans can join forces to deliver financial incentives to an emerging sector that is creating new jobs. Which position will resonate more with the public: bizarre rants against technological innovation or support for homegrown businesses that reduce our dependence on foreigners?
“If I were the Republicans, I would pick some issues where you can … build a coherent majority if it’s bipartisan,” former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, a Florida Republican, told NPR the day after the election. If the new GOP leadership heeds the advice of its former congressional boss
Democrats should use that opportunity to get things done and regain the public’s trust. Partisan mud-slinging makes for great sound bites, but it won’t restore our nation’s competitiveness or put Americans back to work.
Democrats and Republicans who behave like adults in the next two years will be rewarded for working in the nation’s interest. That’s smart politics, and it’s good for the country.
Donna Cooper is a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress and the former secretary of planning and policy in Pennsylvania.