ICYMI: Whip Clark Pens Boston Globe Op-Ed on the Bipartisan Path Forward in the House

Op-Ed

"For the second time this year, the U.S. House of Representatives is without a speaker and unable to conduct the business of the American people. Instead of governing, the Republican majority is mired in chaos.

To be sure, Kevin McCarthy was unworthy of presiding over the House, and his removal was a straightforward, unanimous vote for Democrats.

But the circus enveloping the House Republican Majority is much bigger than one man, and McCarthy's actions were ultimately dictated by a larger plague: the extremist takeover of the Republican Party. Since they took the majority in January, House Republicans haven't been guided by the needs of their constituents or the duties of public service, but by a desire to out-MAGA one another.

With unanimous support from their conference, the Republican majority has twice careened America to the edge of economic catastrophe -- first threatening to default on our country's bills and then refusing to fund the federal government.

The Republicans have defended violent insurrectionists, bullied trans kids from the House floor, and tucked racist provisions into must-pass legislation. They have introduced funding bills that would gut Social Security and Medicare, cut child-care programs, defund public schools, and slash food assistance. And with virtually every piece of legislation they bring to the floor -- from the defense budget to the farm bill -- they have attempted to push us closer to a nationwide abortion ban.

Again and again, Democrats have provided legislative vehicles for "moderate' Republicans to join us and take commonsense action on the most urgent issues facing our country. Each time, we've been greeted with silence.

House Democrats are clear-eyed that we are in the minority. That's why we have consistently stood ready to work across the aisle and do right by our constituents -- whether voting for a bipartisan budget agreement or delivering the votes to keep our government open and our troops paid.

That's what the American people expect of us. For us, bipartisan isn't a dirty word.

Republicans need to accept the fact that voters sent President Biden to the White House. Last year, they widened Democrats' majority in the Senate. And despite massive electoral advantages, Republicans only carried a slim majority in the House.

Any Republican candidate for speaker selling MAGA policies continues to be out of step with the American people and reality.

There's one path out of the House's incapacitating chaos. Republicans must decide to put people over politics and start working with Democrats to enact real-world, bipartisan solutions that prioritize working families.

Congress has incredible power, and we have big issues to tackle -- from the climate crisis to America's gun epidemic to our broken immigration system to horrific violence in Israel. Under a new speaker, we must turn a corner and get back to work.

Democrats stand ready to make progress, but one thing is clear: The path of extremism is a dangerous dead end."

Source