Sorry to beat a dead horse — but since Congress can’t seem to resuscitate the government and crawl out of the shutdown, in the latest episode of the AZ Political Podcast, I talk with an Arizonan who served in Congress the last time a complete federal budget was passed: 1997.
I do this with Matt Salmon, not to ruminate, but because it’s the lack of a complete, year-long federal budget that has put us in danger of — and now living through — shutdowns. Meaning, we need to explore how to recreate those days.
Maybe the most amazing thing about that time in America (besides the emergence of grunge) is that the U.S. House in which Matt served, like the Senate, was dominated by Republicans — and the budget they passed was signed by a Democratic president (Bill Clinton). And it happened three years in a row.
Unfortunately, when Salmon returned to Congress in 2013, Washington was already fractured — and it’s remained in that state ever since. Well, if we’re honest, it’s in a much worse state.
He fears it may be too late to even perform CPR on bipartisanship and get us out of this shutdown. At least, any time soon.
But really, would CPR work after a stake was driven into bipartisanship’s heart — pounded in there by the extremes on either side? Extremes that are egged on by a social media landscape that rewards insanity and punishes even taking a slight glimpse at the opposing side’s point of view.
The AZ Political Podcast is available at KTAR.com, the KTAR News app and everywhere you get your podcasts.
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