Budowsky: A successful bipartisan President, Biden forges on

During the deadliest pandemic in 100 years, and the most profound European war since World War II, the U.S. fortunately has been governed – and governed is the right word – by President Joe Biden. 

Biden often seeks bipartisanship and has achieved it several critical times in his highly successful first term. 

 Biden understood the requirements of the post, rose to the occasion and unified the American people and NATO with great skill and success. 

 As the U.S. enters one of the most important presidential elections in history, consider the sheer number of dramatic risks that all who govern must address. 

 Under Biden, the U.S. confronted a once-in-a-century pandemic and the disastrous economy that followed.  

We confronted the illegal Russian invasion of Ukraine, which caused extreme carnage and has resulted in war crimes charges now pending at the International Criminal Court. 

 We are confronted by climate change so extreme that the Earth recently endured the hottest day in recorded history along with deadly floods. The changing climate causes horrifying health care crises in many areas of the country.  

 We are challenged by our previous president, who is facing substantial criminal indictments, may well face significant additional indictments and is using his indictments as his political strategy to divide and gridlock the nation when much of it hungers for unity.

 Biden’s achievements are historic and impressive because they were achieved in large measure through an ardent commitment to bipartisanship — at a time when bipartisanship takes wisdom, judgment, patience and good faith. 

 Biden’s achievements with NATO are historic and unprecedented. Consider the diversity of NATO nations that Biden has brought together and expanded. Consider their different perspectives, difference interests and histories, and the different set of national perspectives to which he has brought leadership and unity. 

 This week, with the agreement by Turkey to accept Sweden into NATO, the alliance now reaches across Europe. It is a historic and profound diplomatic achievement for all concerned. 

 It is no coincidence that bipartisan Biden and the Democrats were on the winning side of elections in 2018, 2020 and even in 2022.  

 Nor is it a coincidence that Trump and other partisan Republicans were on the losing side of many of those contests.  

 It is no coincidence that bipartisan Biden achieved so much on infrastructure, lower prescription drugs, job creation, economic growth, lifting the debt ceiling and other critical matters. 

 Nor is it a coincidence that bipartisan Biden offered and gave substantial bipartisan credit to Republicans who joined Democrats in enacting bipartisan legislation. That is what true bipartisanship means. 

 At a time when a divided America seeks bipartisan unity and a divided world seeks the democratic confidence and faith of a NATO that reaches out across the continent for the shared democratic vision, there is a magic to Biden’s bipartisanship that rings true in 2023. 

 With Biden, bipartisanship is not a tactic or strategy, it is a cause and philosophy and way of political life. 

 In America, bipartisanship is not a convenience or political style, it is the only way to make our democratic nation work as it should, and as it has since July 4, 1776. 

 With bipartisanship, America was what was born on July 4 and destined to get greater and larger as we became a more perfect union. 

 That is what makes America, America. That is what makes America great. 

 The ultimate bipartisan moment occurred on July 4 many years later. From his death bed, John Adams said that Thomas Jefferson lived. From his deathbed Thomas Jefferson died.   

 At that moment that same day they both died, and America lives today. It is better today than yesterday and will be better tomorrow than today. 

Budowsky served as an aide to former Sen. Lloyd Bentsen (D-Texas) and former Rep. Bill Alexander (D-Ark.), who was chief deputy majority whip of the House of Representatives.