Democrats are set to take over the House of Representatives. They should resist the urge to spend their time exclusively on holding hearings and investigating President Trump, his 2016 campaign, and his associates.
For one, it’s in their political self interest to do so. They need to be able to take more to voters in 2020 than a list of investigations. They need accomplishments.
And divided government can produce good results. Just two examples: It gave us the famous 1986 tax reform and the 1996 welfare reform.
One obvious and much-discussed compromise would find permanent legal status granted to the “Dreamers” — immigrants who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children — along with funding for the president’s “border wall.”
In a press conference last week, the president said that “if the Democrats come up with an idea for tax cuts — and I’m a big believer in tax cuts — I would absolutely pursue something even if it means some adjustment.” The president even said he was open to raising the corporate tax rate.
Contra Mr. Trump, the corporate tax rate should stay right where it is. But the president’s apparent willingness to tweak the tax code creates space to improve its design. For example, the code could do better at encouraging and supporting work among low-income and working-class households by expanding earnings subsidies.
I flesh all this out in my latest Bloomberg Opinion column, published this morning. I conclude the column:
Republicans and Democrats alike might remind themselves — and the American people — that Congress is a co-equal branch of government. By working together on legislation to address some of the nation’s many pressing concerns, there’s a chance that Congress might lead the country at least some distance out of our current hostile, partisan stalemate, restoring some civility and sense of common purpose.
That’s a chance worth taking.
You can read the whole column here. As always, your comments are very welcome.