Biden '20 Should Look to Biden '80 on Bipartisanship

President-elect Joe Biden has promised to govern as a president for all Americans, not just those who voted for him. He knows what he's doing. The incoming administration will either be working with a divided Congress or with slim majorities in both houses, all while the country faces extraordinary challenges. To succeed, we need to deescalate the political tension.

Some pundits dismiss Biden's bipartisanship as naïve in today's hyper-partisan climate, but the opposite is true. Seasoned leaders understand that entrenched problems demand consensus-building solutions. In fact, the president-elect can look to a landmark 1980 law — which he himself co-sponsored — as a prime example.

The end of 1980 and the end of 2020 have much in common. A one-term president lost his bid for reelection. Republicans would control the Senate, while Democrats would maintain control of the House. And Congress convened its post-election "lame duck" session at a moment of national malaise and political pessimism.

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