Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel: Energy bill failure is a prime example of a dysfunctional Congress
The bill, sponsored by Sens. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) easily cleared a procedural hurdle last week, and The New York Times reported that the bill had widespread support from members of both parties in both chambers of Congress. A companion bill in the House, sponsored by Reps. David B. McKinley (R-W.Va.) and Peter Welch (D-Vt.) also has drawn strong bipartisan backing, The Times said.
The Journal Sentinel's groundbreaking "Dividing Lines" series, which has been examining the growing political chasm that has turned metro Milwaukee into the most polarized place in swing-state America, concludes Wednesday with a look at the legacy of polarization. We think one of the results of bitter political divisions no matter where they occur can be an inability by government to function. Those who are unwilling to compromise because the politics of the day require ideological purity cannot achieve a consensus on sound policy. The result is gridlock. A small example of how that works occurred Monday with the failure of an energy bill in the U.S. Senate that had widespread and bipartisan support. The bill sought to tighten efficiency guidelines for new federal buildings and provide tax incentives to make homes and commercial buildings more efficient. Those are good ideas and should not be partisan. To read entire article, click here. |
