Congress is fractured. So Democrats, Republicans went to family therapy – together. We were there.
Braver Angels, a pro-civility group, is counseling members of Congress on lowering the partisan temperature on Capitol Hill. The challenge is convincing lawmakers that compromise is in their interest.
Ledyard King- Partisan rancor among Capitol Hill lawmakers is pervasive and obstructing legislative compromise.
- A pro-civility group, Braver Angels, is meeting with Democrats and Republicans to lower tensions.
- USA TODAY sat in on two sessions where lawmakers shared personal stories of triumph and heartache.
- Skeptics say the well-meaning strategy won't go far when members are rewarded for being partisan.
WASHINGTON – They spoke of alcoholic fathers and cancer-stricken daughters; immigrant grandparents who inspired them and abusive parents they escaped. They shared jokes, comforted one another and even choked up.
For a few moments recently, seven House lawmakers – five Democrats and two Republicans – gathered in a high-ceilinged hearing room near the U.S. Capitol to shed their partisan armor and ditch their talking points. In two separate sessions moderated by a trained family therapist, they spun personal stories of triumph and heartache, engaging in the simple act of getting to know each other better.
The intimate get-togethers are part of a pilot program coordinated by Braver Angels, a group that works to bridge political differences among Americans, and the bipartisan congressional Problem Solvers Caucus.
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