This is an opinion column
Sen. Katie Britt (R-AL) made national headlines after delivering the Republican response to the State of the Union Address. Britt’s critics in Alabama and across the country had a field day at her expense. Most of them have since moved on to calling Republicans “weird” and arguing about whether Trump will become an authoritarian dictator on day one or wait until a later point in his next term.
You’d think that those who care so deeply about our republic might care to highlight areas where it’s working as advertised. Unfortunately, a legislator building a bipartisan coalition to address the cost of childcare doesn’t have the same sizzle as clarifying that Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) didn’t have sex with a sofa.
Alabama Democratic Vice Chair Tabitha Isner recently applauded one such bipartisan effort by Britt and Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) on the Child Care Availability and Affordability Act which enhances tax credits and deductions to make childcare more affordable.
“This is a solid proposal,” Isner wrote. That got my attention. “I’d prefer a solution that doesn’t rely on employers & that doesn’t make parents pay up front and wait on reimbursement, but it’s a step forward nonetheless,” she continued. “More of this, please!”
When Democrat Party brass praise the work of an Alabama senator, it’s worth a deeper look.
The Britt/Kaine bill isn’t sexy, but it’s the kind of work that actually matters to everyday Americans. I wondered whether the legislation was just a one-off effort or something more. Like the policy nerd I am, I looked through Britt’s legislative track record.
As it turned out, the Alabama Republican has also paired with Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) on legislation requiring age verification for social media to address the myriad harms to developing minds of America’s children. Parents across America are concerned about this issue.
Britt also connected with Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Tina Smith (D-MN) to introduce the Rural Obstetrics Readiness Act, improving the capacity of rural health care facilities to provide urgent obstetric care. The legislation would be a huge win for Alabama which has the highest maternal mortality rate in America.
Other than a handful of press releases that hit my inbox, Britt’s efforts on common sense legislation across the political aisle haven’t gained much media traction. Most politicians frantically balance competing interests and coalitions to safely navigate the current political landscape in hopes of retaining their jobs. Leaders do what’s right even when it’s not politically expedient.
Britt is leading where few red state politicians dare tread.
In addition to the aforementioned pieces of legislation, the media commentary class has flatly ignored Britt’s bipartisan efforts to improve access to breast cancer screenings, increase savings for middle class families, and even procure ballistic body armor that can better fit the Department of Homeland Security’s female agents.
I’m no exception.
Praising the nuances of bipartisan policy leadership in the dead zone of an election year doesn’t generate the clicks, likes, and rage views of writing a snarky column about what can be unburdened by what has been.
We shouldn’t claim we want excellent leaders who lift up the American republic when we’re singularly focused on the ghastly, bizarre, and outrageous aspects of our political class. Our current media environment incentivizes strange political performance art over effective leadership that is, quite frankly, a bit boring.
Politics is a contact sport. Everyone is offended when their preferred politicians are skewered in public, but holding power accountable is the reason the First Amendment exists. In that sense, criticizing Britt’s national debut was and is fair game.
She isn’t crying about it.
Alabama’s junior senator regularly engages the grind of pressing for legislation that might actually become law. Right now, that won’t happen without leadership which spans the political chasm between Democrat and Republican.
We’ve seen inspired leadership before, but it’s been a while. Britt takes a page from President Ronald Reagan’s playbook by adhering to her conservative principles even as she’s actively seeks common ground. Without Democratic Speaker Tip O’Neill, Reagan’s famed 1986 tax reforms would have been dead on arrival. As it turns out, we need each other to make progress more than most of us would like to admit.
Democrats like Isner, who might argue over legislative particulars, seem to notice Britt’s efforts. It’s time those of us who comment on politics do as well. If these are the results of a rough State of the Union experience, I certainly hope Britt never develops the ability to deliver political pablum with any finesse.
Smith is a recovering political attorney with four boys, two dogs, a bearded dragon, and an extremely patient wife. He’s a partner in a media company, a business strategy wonk, and a regular on talk radio. Please direct outrage or agreement to [email protected] or @DCameronSmith on X or @davidcameronsmith on Threads.
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Publish date : 2024-08-07 23:59:00
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