It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of the television series The West Wing. And one of my favorite quotes from the series is a stark reminder of the differences between campaign politics and governing politics. In season 5, White House Chief of Staff Leo McGarry summons the real world’s late Governor of New York, Mario Cuomo:
“You campaign in poetry. You govern in prose’…. We run a country; we deal in abstractions.”
Leo McGarry, The West Wing, #519 “Talking Points”
This realistic take has always resonated with me. And the context of that line is just as important. In the moment, McGarry is trying to absolve one of the White House staffers in the wake of a tough decision, one that resulted in the White House abandoning a campaign promise to a key group of supporters.
I’ve straddled the line between official government roles and political campaign roles for the last decade. Before that, I saw the complex interplay between politics and policy as I watched the presidential transition between George W. Bush and Barack Obama while wearing the nation’s uniform and attempting to divine what that transition would mean for pressing challenges like total force strength and the future roles of the various military branches.
Now, weeks into the Biden administration, we’re seeing the gritty reality of governing politics come to fruition again, as we do with every new administration. Progressive advocates have clamored for years that the country should adopt a $15/hour national minimum wage. But in the face of congressional procedure, negotiators had to choose between the broader American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (the $1.9 trillion dollar coronavirus relief bill barreling through the legislature) and a minimum wage provision that didn’t meet the mark to remain allowable under budget reconciliation.
And that’s part of the beauty of the federal budget process; no one really knows how it works. This may not be literally true, but it is practically true. And for better or worse, the negotiators and parliamentarians made a meaningful move to cast off a poison pill to advance a major win for the administration. This kind of nuance is what so often confounds those not in the political arena. So it’s probably helpful to explain briefly what budget reconciliation is.
Simply put, budget reconciliation, established under the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, creates a pathway for some spending, tax or debt limit bills to be considered in the Senate without being subject to the filibuster – needless to say the reconciliation process will stand as a major tactic for the administration and congressional Democrats who hold the slimmest of margins in the US Senate.
This will not be the last “big deal” in this congress or administration to advance through budget reconciliation. The process has big implications for President Biden’s team to advance key campaign promises like tax reform and sweeping climate change policy. Despite their wins in November and January, Democrats are nowhere near the super majorities they need to govern in poetic verse.
No, we will see continued grinding in Congress. Thankfully, that raises the stock of those in the middle. Those seeking common ground are poised to benefit from the checks and balances so dear in our system. For those who can find a linkage to budget reconciliation processes, their policies are well positioned for the administration and congressional leaders to leverage their initiatives in order to secure early wins.
But where does that leave the poets? Frustration is the name of the game for litmus-test driven purists – well, at least for those who actually want to accomplish an agenda. For some, simply having the ongoing fight is good enough. They’ll want the issue to help them remain competitive in the next election too. In the meantime, bridge builders will once again shoulder the burden of governing.
As an advocate, you’re likely asking yourself a host of questions about how you can bring your policy proposals to the front. Now would be a good time to tune into the local event schedule of your elected officials. While others throw stones for abandoned promises, provide insight on visible wins you can help a legislator bring into their district.
Right now, the size of the win won’t matter, Democrat and Republican elected officials alike are probably looking around, wondering what positive news they can share. After all, campaign season is just a few months away again. They’ll need new verses of poetry, and some triumphant lines help balance the doom and gloom.
Part of the Possible 