A recent poll showed Americans want elected officials to set aside partisan differences to address the country's challenges, according to a new report released by the Informing America Foundation (IAF). Despite rapid inflation, economic turmoil, and foreign policy troubles, the White House and its Democratic allies in the House and Senate are refusing to work with the newly-elected Republican majority in the House, setting the stage for more partisan fights.
The report notes that last year's national poll conducted by various media outlets like NPR and PBS NewsHour, showed that around 74 percent of Americans favored bipartisanship in Washington over standing on principle, with voters wanting inflation, democracy stability, immigration, and crime addressed.
Additionally, the efforts by the Biden administration to enact progressive policies and authorize trillions of dollars in federal spending without any Republican input have led to his approval rating dropping heavily.
In a Marist poll conducted in early December, around 31 percent of U.S. residents say inflation should be the top priority for the new Congress, with 18 percent favoring preserving democracy, 11 percent immigration and crime 9 percent, while issues like healthcare, climate change, abortion, and gun policies had fewer percentages.
The top three concerns for Democrats are preserving democracy, inflation, and climate change, while Republicans are concerned about inflation, immigration, and preserving democracy as their top three issues for the new Congress.
Before the Biden presidency, a series of bipartisan bills were passed in Congress, like the 2018 First Step Act which included measures that allowed thousands of federal inmates to leave prison earlier than they otherwise would, easing some mandatory minimum sentences and giving judges more leeway in sentencing, among other things.
Another law that was passed before the Biden administration was the 2018 Opioid-Related Support for patients and Communities Act which aimed at curbing the devastating opioid addiction throughout America, requiring the United States Postal Service to track international packages and test them for drugs, target China and its deadly synthetic opioid fentanyl, and allow physician assistants and nurse practitioners to prescribe addiction treatment medication.
In 2019, Congress approved the Natural Resources Management Act that added 1.3 million acres of new wilderness, expanded several national parks, and created several new national monuments. Congress also made progress on border security through a bipartisan compromise that dedicated $1.4 billion to the border. In 2020, Washington passed the $2.2 Trillion Coronavirus Rescue Plan as the COVID-19 pandemic took a devastating toll on the American economy and healthcare system.
Following these bipartisan bills, Congress today has yet to pass anything that both sides agree on. While President Biden claims that he wants to collaborate with Republican legislators, he has relied heavily on executive authority to pass progressive agenda items and pushed through trillions of dollars in federal spending without any Republican votes.
In March 2021, the President signed the Covid-19 Economic Relief Package Called the American Rescue Plan, with not one Republican lawmaker in either chamber voting in favor of President Biden's $1.9 trillion economic aid package.
According to reports, more than $1 trillion of the bill went to bailouts for Democratic constituencies, expansions of progressive programs, pork, and unrelated policy changes.
In August of last year, when the President signed the $750 Billion Inflation Reduction Act, he claimed it was passed with bipartisan support. However, according to media reports, it was passed entirely along Democratic Party Lines with no Republicans in either the House or Senate.
The IAF report notes that throughout his Presidency, the President has demonized Republican politicians, governors, and state legislatures, labeling them as "extremists" that threaten the very life of the Republic itself.
Before the 2022 November Midterm Election, the President argued that should Republicans control one or both chambers of Congress, nothing will get done, and the GOP would pass harmful legislation and lead to the destruction of democracy in America.
While Republicans did not take over the Senate, they did win the House, marking an end to the Democratic Party's Control of both chambers.
Despite campaigning against Republicans and insulting specific Republican politicians, the American public has disapproved of the administration's rhetoric and policies and instead wants the administration to collaborate with Republicans to pass legislation that addresses the country's needs.
Currently, there does not seem to be any bipartisanship on the horizon with Republicans in the House investigating the President and his administration's response to the border crisis, foreign policy, and potential corruption concerning his son, Hunter Biden.
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