Staying to Fix the Problems

Senator Evan Bayh’s article in the Sunday Times, “Why I am leaving the Senate,” was an excellent statement of the problem facing Congress, particularly the Senate. He offered several well reasoned remedies to help the Senate work better, but what I didn’t see was why he is leaving.

Now is exactly the time for people who understand and care about the state of decline to renew their efforts and make our legislative bodies work.

On Wednesday, I began my re-election campaign for Congress – not despite my concerns, but because of them. It would be tempting to pursue other interests and a more stable way of life. The problem is that the stakes are higher than ever, the vision has expanded, and time to make positive reforms is short. This is what I see as the “decade of decision” – when we must act to address the most pressing issues, from health care to global warming.

There may have been significant progress on many of my signature issues, such as the environment and transportation, but we understand the challenge has expanded beyond livable communities to the task of rebuilding and renewing America, saving the planet and healing the frayed political process. America has avoided some of the most dire economic threats, but all our best efforts and some luck will be required if we are to avoid another economically “lost decade.”

We may have a new president, but unfortunately the policies and practices of the previous administration continue to burden our economy, the government, and public confidence. While America’s image abroad has certainly improved over the last two years, there are still fences to be mended and work to be done.

Without exception, the most pressing issues of the day are more urgent than even a few years ago, and they are interdependent. Our floundering economy, frayed infrastructure, runaway entitlement spending, dysfunctional health care, energy and climate challenges all threaten our fiscal and physical well-being, as well as our national security.

For me the path is clear. All the simple commonsense steps suggested by Senator Bayh should be pursued, but as part of a larger effort to renew and rebuild America. We should not pursue bipartisan cooperation for its own sake, but as part of a strategy to identify common, broadly supported efforts that will establish a shared agenda to deal with needs of every community - from transportation and water to energy and education needs. Even if one does not believe the majority of scientists about the threat of climate instability, there is no dispute that America can no longer afford to waste more energy than any country in the world and remain dependent on the fluctuating price of the decreasing supply of global oil. We can either remain on the sidelines of this and other vital issues, or end up being China's best customer for green products.

This is our decade of decision. Even as time runs out, we in Congress know what has to be done and how to do it. Rather than wait for the ever-shifting political tides to somehow cease in the future on someone else’s watch, now is the time to act. I am betting the next three years of my life that we won’t have to wait.