Sen. Klobuchar Touts Bipartisanship in Discussion With Former Sen. Rob Portman

At a time when political polarization is at an all-time high, it’s refreshing to see former Republican Senator Rob Portman and current Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar come together to discuss the importance of cooperation across party lines. During their discussion, they found common ground on a few points regarding President Trump and President Biden’s leadership in the federal government.

Bipartisan Successes

Portman, who retired from the Senate this year after serving two terms, spoke about the many bipartisan successes he had during his time in office. “Working with Amy, we passed a lot of legislation together,” he said, citing the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill passed during the last Congress as an example.

Initially, President Biden’s proposal for infrastructure was met with resistance due to its high taxes and non-infrastructure spending. However, with the help of the Biden White House, the bill was eventually passed. Despite the media’s focus on the sniping between Democrats and Republicans, Portman and Klobuchar remained focused on their objective of getting the bill passed.

Portman contrasted this achievement with what had happened to infrastructure bills under previous presidents from both parties, including Trump. He recalled a meeting with Senate Democrats where they wanted $1 trillion in infrastructure spending, and Trump responded by saying, “I’m a builder–we’re going to do $2 trillion.” However, nothing was accomplished during Trump’s presidency.

Trump Troubles Klobuchar

During their discussion at American University, where they were receiving the Madison Prize for Constitutional Excellence, Klobuchar spoke about the Electoral Count Reform and Presidential Transition Improvement Act of 2022 as an example of a bipartisan success. The measure passed roughly two years after the contested 2020 election as part of an omnibus bill.

Klobuchar appealed to the memory of Jan. 6, 2021, recalling how the events shaped her thinking on the electoral process. The Electoral Reform bill affected the way electors are counted, undercutting some of the challenges to the 2020 presidential election that culminated in the incident.

The Importance of Compromise

The Madison Prize for Constitutional Excellence honors national legislators who have recognized the necessity for compromise in our politics and have shown that the public interest is more important than party doctrine. During their discussion, Portman and Klobuchar emphasized the importance of compromise and bipartisanship in achieving success.

As Vicky Wilkins, dean of the American University School of Public Affairs, said in her introduction, “Thanks to Senators Portman and Klobuchar for having the courage to seek compromise as one way to achieve success.”