The Challenge of Legislation: Bipartisanship in a Partisan World
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All too often in Washington, partisanship holds sway. Clashing political agendas combine with inflated egos to produce posturing and gridlock. Meanwhile, the challenges facing the nation go unresolved. But it doesn't have to be this way, as John Hilley argues in The Challenge of Legislation. Our recent history shows that bipartisanship can succeed even under the toughest conditions.In the mid-1990s, the outlook for bipartisanship looked equally bleak. The budget standoff between Democrats and Republicans forced the government to shut down, not once, but twice. Yet two years later, a Democratic White House and a Republican-controlled Congress passed the first balanced budget in a generation. This historic legislation not only brought an end to a period of massive federal budget deficits, but it also provided health insurance for five million children, created the HOPE scholarship for postsecondary education, enacted a child tax credit, increased funding for environmental programs, strengthened incentives to move people from welfare to work, and provided new incentives for saving and investing. Hilley tells the inside story of this dramatic turnaround, drawing on his experience as the Clinton administration's chief liaison to Congress. He offers vivid portraits of the key players—including then Speaker Of the House Newt Gingrich, Senate Republican leader Trent Lott, and President Bill Clinton—as well as unique insight into the legislative process. Equally at home with the arcane rules of Congress and the realities of political combat, he explores the highly charged relationship between party leaders and their rank-and-file, the interplay between electedofficials and their professional staff, the delicate art of partisan negotiations, and the role of uncertainty and surprise. The result is a compelling look at how public policy is made, rich in lessons for both policymakers and students of legislative politics. A decade ago, bipartisanship triumphed against daunting odds. The Challenge of Legislation shows how it happened and what it will take for bipartisanship to take hold again.
Acknowledgments ixIntroduction xiWe're Fixing a Hole 1Launch 23Circle 'Round the Consumer Price Index 41The Handoff 57Staking Out Territory 71Offer and Counteroffer 85An Agreement 98What Was That We Agreed To? 116The Center Must Hold 129The Challenge of Reconciliation 137House on Fire 157Tax Tribulations 168Into the Hands of the Leaders 188Taxes and Death 202The Triumph of Responsibility 215Postscript: The Limits and Potential of Bipartisanship 226AppendixesPrimer on the Budget Process 235Key Budget Terms 240Chronology of Important Dates 249List of Participants 251Notes 255Index 269
