Inching towards collaboration
A New Seating Chart
Sens. Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut and Susan Collins of Maine are mixing it up at the Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee.
For future hearings, Democrats and Republicans won’t sit on opposite sides of the dais but rather, next to each other — alternating Democrat, Republican, Democrat, Republican etc.
In a joint statement , Chairman Lieberman, an independent, and ranking Republican Collins, said “In the last election, the voters said they were sick of the partisanship that produces gridlock… So, as a start, instead of sitting on opposite sides of the room like a house divided, we want the American people to see us sitting side by side as our committee members work together make our nation more secure and our government more efficient.�
They credited Sen. Claire McCaskill (D., Mo.) a new committee member, with hatching the idea.
Bravo to wise leaders who value open minded interaction. Let’s hope this small idea catches on throughout Congress.
Civility is the accumulation of thousands of small gestures of respect.
