NW Reports -- Winter 2014 | Page 17

PARTISANSHIP AND CAPIITOL GRIDLOCK Partisanship and Capitol Gridlock Necessary to Evolve With the Capitol in turmoil and an argument erupting over procedural rules, one senator charged toward another until his pistol was drawn. With that, the Senate adjourned for the day. In a seperate instance, a speech on the Senate floor launching salacious charges toward a member of the House caused the Congressman to enter the chamber and attack the good senator with a cane. The beating lasted a full minute, leaving the senator bleeding severely and nearly dead. No, these stories are not from the 2013 government shutdown. These refer to the 1850 showdown between Senators Thomas Benton (D-MO) and Henry Foote (D-MS) and the 1856 rumble between Senator Charles Sumner (R-MA) and Representative Preston Brooks (D-SC), respectively. There are many stories of strife and conflict in our nation’s capitol. Thankfully, we’ve learned to bypass violence in favor of more constructive ways of managing conflict, but partisanship and capitol gridlock are part of our history. As often as people grow frustrated with Washington, let’s not forget this: Much of it is by design. The framers deliberately built gridlock into the process, with corrective mechanisms, to provide checks on the party in power. Single-Source. Custom-Engineered Solutions. That’s Vanmark Equipment the perfect blend of organization and equipment. For food processors of all sizes, it means real value, the right equipment and customized answers for unique primary and secondary process line needs. Whether potatoes or other root crops, nuts, fruits, or vegetables, ask for the Vanmark team, the new precision powerhouse. »Peeling »Destoning »Scrubbing »Feeding »Washing »Conveying »Cleaning »Storing »Hydro-cutting .Booth #1600 [email protected] www.vanmarkequipment.com 740-201-0004 Does that excuse a government shutdown over budgeting, VM 4h x 5v nwfpa NewsLetter #9.indd the debt limit, and the implementation of the Affordable Care Act? Of course not. NWFPA joined 251 organizations in a joint letter to Congress urging swift action on the debt limit along with the immediate and necessary corrective actions to restrain both discretionary and mandatory federal spending. Lurching from one budget and debt crisis to the next is irresponsible governing. To feed our growing world - Together 1 10/10/13 11:13 AM The Ted Cruz-Barack Obama