The Senate isn’t as gridlocked as you think
We’re at something of a crossroads – with a fairly ambitious Democratic majority in Congress take on a sizable agenda that will take some time to draft and pass if done correctly, but the cries of those who wanted their wishlist swiftly met are being amplified, particularly by pundits who are desperate to play up any partisan drama they can find in the absence of Donald Trump. Finding bipartisan support on voting rights or establishing an independent Jan 6 commission and not finding much of it, has led many pundits to declare bipartisanship officially dead and the country ungovernable with neither side able to agree on anything.
There are of course important differences between Democrats and Republicans that make us the good guys, but the notion that the Senate is entirely gridlocked and not accomplishing anything with bipartisan support right now is fundamentally untrue. If it weren’t, then Tuesday’s vote on the Endless Frontier Act wouldn’t have been 68-32, with the bill garnering overwhelming support in the Senate.
The bill allotted $50 billion to the Commerce Department for boosting production in semiconductors and artificial intelligence technology, making it easier for the U.S. to compete with China in the tech industry. The bill has been debated with hearings since April and is expected to be voted on by the House some time at the end of the month and go through some changes but it will likely pass before it arrives at President Biden’s desk for signing.
There are of course people like Rand Paul that still oppose it and lie about it, however, but this is a prime example that the Senate is still capable of functioning and making consequential decisions – but because it takes months for bills to reach the point where they can be voted on, they don’t always fill the time span for cable news ratings. It’s yet another reminder that President Biden and Democratic leaders in Congress know what they’re doing and they are doing things to improve your life, even if it’s not fulfilling your wishlist on your own schedule.
James Sullivan is the assistant editor of Brain World Magazine and an advocate of science-based policy making