Congress gets it right on veterans; why can't it on anything else?

In June 2016, Pew Research Center released a study, Partisanship and Political Animosity in 2016. It found that Republicans and Democrats in Congress have more mutual animosity and distrust now than any time previously recorded since 1992.

Opinions of those across the aisle, however, extend beyond political quarrels of a professional nature. Sixty-five percent of members of Congress believe that the affiliation to an opposing party is reason enough to pass a character judgement. The Legislative Branch has misconstrued partisan posturing for contempt, and the result is hurting the already agitated American people.

How can lawmakers solve our nation's most complex dilemmas of healthcare, immigration, social services, and more, if their disdain for one another keeps them firmly planted on their side of the aisle? As Congress begins its summer vacation, this question becomes increasingly frustrating because of the (almost embarrassingly) obvious blueprint of best practice for lawmaking success.

As in many other instances where veterans have exemplified exceptional leadership and civic engagement, the most recent bipartisan legislative victories were led by and focused on former and current service members. Veterans affairs continues to exemplify the power of compromise and pragmatism in Congress.

H.R 3218 passed last week with unanimous support in the House and Senate. This important piece of legislation was the largest expansion of the Post-9/11 GI Bill in a decade. The Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2017, commonly dubbed the Forever GI Bill, carried with it 29 provisions and a $3 billion price tag. Pay for strategies caused a heated debate, which left the bill dead back in April. This did not, however, dissuade lawmakers and veteran service organizations (VSOs) from tackling the problem. Instead, politicians and VSOs came together to hash out solutions through compromise. This resulted in a bill that took just 20 days to pass unanimously through the Legislative Branch.