Civility
The issue of Civility is important to our district and my work in Congress.It is no secret that Congress faces a political climate full of frustration and hostility. Our failure to come together to solve our nation's problems continues to put our shared future in jeopardy.
We have come to think about compromise as capitulation. Some even see free speech as a tactic to suppress their outrage at government recklessness, rather than a reasonable approach to cordially debating our differences. One thing I've learned—and I have said this to Republicans and Democrats and everyone in between—is, bees cannot sting and make honey at the same time. They have to make a choice. Either they can sting other bees, or they can make honey with other bees. You cannot do both.
Unfortunately, Congress spends too much time fighting itself and too little time fighting for our constituents and the issues we believe in. We are a better, more compassionate, and caring nation than our current behavior portrays. We must be able to discuss our disagreements without allowing our discourse to deteriorate into this habit of hostility. While partisanship is a vital component of democracy, only healthy disagreement can propel us forward, to better ideas and better days. Embracing a civil exchange of ideas and respectful differences of opinion fosters real debate, and allows our best ideas to thrive.
That is why I have formed the Working Group for a Working Congress with my good friend and colleague, Congresswoman Kay Granger. This working group is comprised of Democrats and Republicans, and will work to demonstrate how we can be ardent in our advocacy without the cantankerous tone that is all too common. We will focus both on relationship building with lawmakers themselves and examine the committee process to create opportunities for bipartisan work on a small scale, and advocate for a return to regular order on a large one.
The founders designed our American Government anticipating partisanship. It is embedded in our country’s DNA, the Constitution. We thrive on our differences and on our diversity. But our differences only become virtuous when we discuss them with civility and statesmanship. When we allow hyper-partisanship to control the conversation, what once was a virtue becomes the downfall of a divided nation.
You can keep up with my weekly civility messages below, or by clicking Civility Message. You may also follow me on Twitter @repcleaver. Every Friday, I tweet a series of civility-themed messages. I encourage you to follow along, retweet, and share your own thoughts.
More on Civility
As we watch President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence begin their selection process of the next White House administration, one can only hope that the future cabinet is a representation of the interest and benefits of all Americans.
The American people have spoken. The country has elected Donald Trump as the 45th President of the United States. Election Day is now over and the job before us is to keep America moving forward. The only way to do that is to work together with humility and respect for one another despite our differences. I’ve talked many times about civility. Now is the time to practice that very act of decency and respectful conduct.
Dear Friends,
During the seven years my family spent in public housing, my buddies and I had some of our greatest adventures in a wooded area we called “The Pasture.” We had an opportunity to play war and jungle games because there were unlimited hiding places and if we had a moment of bravery, we could cross the creek and never be found.
Perhaps our thrill was to sneak a potato, an egg or two, and a chunk of Spam from our parent’s kitchen and cook an extravagant omelet. The rich people never had something so good.
Dear Friends,
There is absolutely nothing that stunts the momentum of a democracy and hammers the heart and soul of the body politic like political absolutism. It is scary when anyone suggests that they understand and that they are doing God’s will in public office. My certainty is that there is great annoyance in Heaven when we, Members of Congress, view ourselves special agents of God.
Dear Friends,
A woman walked up to the supervising pharmacist in a major drug store and said, “You are the top guy here are you not?”
“Yes,” said the man, wearing a long white hospital looking coat.
“Well,” said the woman, “I need a big bottle of arsenic.”
“Ma’am, arsenic is a very dangerous substance so I must ask you – why do you need it?” he said.
“To poison my no-good cheating husband,” she replied.
This week, President Obama completed his responsibility that Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution outlined, to appoint Justices to the Supreme Court. On Wednesday morning he announced that he is nominating D.C. Circuit Court Chief Judge Merrick Garland to serve as the next Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, to take the seat of the late Associate Justice Antonin Scalia.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, President Obama announced that he is nominating D.C. Circuit Court Chief Judge Merrick Garland to serve as the next Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. Congressman Cleaver called on the Senate to hold a fair hearing and timely vote on Judge Garland’s nomination to the Supreme Court.
For more than five years, I have written a weekly commentary treatise promoting the need for an elevation in congressional civility and a denunciation of the notion that compromise means capitulations. Four hundred and thirty-four Members of the House of Representatives receive the weekly congressional communiqué. Hundreds, over the years, from both sides of the aisle, have expressed enlightenment in the ruminations.