By promoting bipartisanship, the Biden Administration plans to unite the country, but their efforts to do so are stunting progress that they promised during the campaign.
During his campaign, President Biden made many promises to make strides in racial justice, climate issues and in managing the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to NBC News, the first bipartisan effort the Biden Administration launched was a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill. The bill included stimulus checks, unemployment money and an increase to a $15 minimum wage.
The bill went through several negotiations in the House and Senate and ultimately, some benefits were scaled back and the $15 minimum wage was lost. The bill was not passed with any Republican support in either the House or Senate.
According to Vox, many Republicans later tried to claim the success of the relief bill, despite not supporting it while it was under review.
Biden’s attempts for bipartisanship will most likely stall more of his efforts in the future. Over the next two years, Democrats will definitely control the House and Senate and the Biden Administration should try to be as proactive as possible.
The rift between liberals and conservatives in the government has become irreparable over the past four years. While liberals continue to try to improve and maintain the country, many conservatives are in denial over former President Trump’s loss in the 2020 election, according to The Washington Post.
Democrats need to take advantage of their control over Congress while they have it. Otherwise, they will continue to delay progress in the name of superficial bipartisanship.
As Democrats have changed over time to be more inclusive and accepting, Republicans have stuck to a more rigid, homogeneous ideology. According to The Washington Post, while many Democrats in elected positions are moderate, more Republicans have taken their views to the extreme.
The expectation of bipartisanship with such opposing parties is unrealistic. The reality of the situation is that a two-party system creates stagnation and polarization.
Even George Washington did not want a party system in America because it would lead to division and he included this in his farewell speech. The two party system has created a ‘pick a side’ debate and forced people into rigid beliefs to maintain party loyalty, instead of doing what they believe is best for Americans.
The severity of party loyalty is what has caused the rift in Congress, and making efforts for bipartisanship clearly are not helping.
If the Biden Administration wants to make progress in the next two years, they need to put their plans for bipartisanship on the backburner and complete the agenda they promised to Americans.