According to The Independent, during President Joe Biden's final major address on the economy, he harked back to a time when the United States Senate was a place of dialogue and compromise.
He reminisced about the Senate dining hall, where Democrats and Republicans would gather around a central table. "You walk in a long table sitting, I guess, 16, 18 people on the right, parallel with the table, Biden recalled. And you walk through an archway, and there was a table going the other way. One was the Democratic table. One was Republican table. And when there werent enough to sit at any one table, then they all sit together.
Biden's nostalgic narrative may seem trivial to some, but it underscores a significant issue. The political divide in Washington is wider than ever, with the Senate, once a bastion of bipartisanship, now more contentious than at any time since the Civil War. Its hard to really dislike an individual that you strongly disagree with when you find out his wife is dying of breast cancer or he just lost a child or hes having serious physical problems himself, Biden said, reflecting on the days when senators from both parties were compelled to interact daily.
The tradition of the Senate dining table, where senators had the opportunity to connect on a personal level, has been replaced by a "French work week." Senators now typically arrive for voting on Tuesday and strive to wrap up by Thursday evening, reducing their interaction to just three days a week. This shift has diminished the opportunities for senators to mingle and understand their colleagues, thereby exacerbating the political divide.
The dwindling days around the communal table have led to a loss of unity, which could significantly impact future Senate relationships. Senators now tend to dine with members of their own party, further deepening the divide. Despite this, senators within their caucus do manage to form bonds. For instance, Republicans often bring food from their home states to caucus lunches. Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska once sent Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell a halibut recipe from her state after he had a fall. Senator Mitt Romney of Utah, despite his clean-living Mormon lifestyle, confessed his fondness for hot dogs, particularly those from J Dawgs, a company based in his home state.
Democrats, on the other hand, rely on the culinary skills of the Senate kitchen staff. The cooks do a marvelous job, Senator Jon Tester of Montana told The Independent. They'll serve everything from beef to shrimp to everything. Tester, a farmer and dealmaker, appreciates the variety offered by the Senate kitchen and usually orders from the menu provided by Congress's culinary workers.
However, the trend of senators dining in their own silos could be detrimental. Former senator Chris Dodd, a liberal Democrat from Connecticut, once advised an incoming Republican senator to find a Democrat to share meals with, asserting that such interactions could facilitate productive collaborations. Workplace relationships, Dodd argued, are crucial in politics, and shared meals can foster these relationships.
There may yet be a glimmer of hope. The new Senate calendar indicates that incoming Majority Leader John Thune wants the Senate to work five days a week. This change could potentially provide more opportunities for Democrats and Republicans to share meals and work together for the benefit of the country.
Despite the political divide, unlikely friendships can still blossom in the Senate. Senator Mitt Romney and Senator Jon Tester, despite their stark differences, have collaborated on various issues, from infrastructure to Covid relief. However, with Romney's impending retirement and Tester's election loss, two more seats will be left vacant at the metaphorical table that once served as a powerful mediator in Washington.
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