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17 freshmen GOP House members sent President Biden a letter offering to work with him

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In the hours before he was sworn in as the 46th president of the United States, then-President-elect Biden was sent a letter signed by 17 freshmen GOP members of the House of Representatives.

In sharp contrast to the 121 Republican House members who voted against the certification of Biden's electoral votes—a constitutional procedure merely check-marking the state certifications that had already taken place—this letter expresses a desire to "rise above the partisan fray" and work together with Biden as he takes over the presidency.

The letter reads:

Dear President-elect Biden,

Congratulations on the beginning of your administration and presidency. As members of this freshman class, we trust that the next four years will present your administration and the 117thCongress with numerous challenges and successes, and we are hopeful that – despite our ideological differences – we may work together on behalf of the American people we are each so fortunate to serve.

After two impeachments, lengthy inter-branch investigations, and, most recently, the horrific attack on our nation's capital, it is clear that the partisan divide between Democrats and Republicans does not serve a single American.

The constituencies we represent showcase the variety of thought across our great nation. From Texas to California and from Oklahoma to New York, Americans are tired of the partisan gridlock and simply want to see leaders from both sides of the aisle work on issues important to American families, workers, and businesses.

We hope to work with you to extend targeted, meaningful coronavirus relief for families and businesses, protect Americans with pre-existing conditions, strengthen and modernize our infrastructure, enforce our antitrust laws against emboldened technology monopolies, and restore our economy struggling in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic.

We firmly believe that what unites us as Americans is far greater than anything that may ever divide us. In that spirit, we hope that we can rise above the partisan fray to negotiate meaningful change for Americans across the nation and maintain the United States' standing as the best country in the world.

Sincerely,

Beth Van Duyne, Stephanie Bice, Madison Cawthorn, Scott Franklin, Andrew Garbarino, Carlos A. Gimenez, Yvette Herrell, Ashley Hinson, Young Kim, Nicole Malliotakis, Mariannette Miller-Meeks, Barry Moore, Jay Obernolte, Burgess Owens, Jerry L. Carl, Peter Meijer, David G. Valadao

It may be worth pointing out that 17 out of 211 is a pretty small number, and some of the names on this list overlap with those who voted to reject Biden's certification. It's also worth pointing out that referencing the two impeachments and inter-branch investigations in the same breath as the attack on the Capitol (which they mistyped as "capital") feels a bit off, especially when pointing to them as seemingly equal examples of "the partisan divide."

But hey, any formal acknowledgment that partisan gridlock sucks and serves no one is a step in the right direction. We have to start somewhere if there's to be any hope of getting anywhere.

George Washington tried to warn us of "the baneful effects of the spirit of party generally" and explained what would happen if we didn't heed that warning. (Spoiler: It's exactly what is happening in our politics right now.) Imagine how much more we could get done in our government if it weren't for lawmakers playing toxic partisanship like a team sport. Partisan politics itself is inherently divisive, and it would be fabulous if we could come up with a better system, but here we are. If we have to work within a two-party system, we need the people in it to approach bipartisanship in good faith.

Whether this letter was issued in good faith by all who signed it remains to be seen, but at least it's a start. With some Americans being unwilling to accept the legitimacy of Biden's presidency, we need leaders across government to step up and speak up, put an end to the lies and the partisan rhetoric that pushes people to extremes, and work across the aisle to solve the problems we all face.

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While you weren't looking, the Senate started trying to fix Obamacare for the first time.

On July 25, 2017, as Congress' zillionth (or so it seemed) attempt to repeal and replace Obamacare was careening gently off a cliff into a bed of spikes, Sen. John McCain rose to the Senate floor and delivered a clarion call for bipartisanship.

"Let's trust each other," the maverick Republican legislator cried. "Let’s return to regular order. We’ve been spinning our wheels on too many important issues because we keep trying to find a way to win without help from across the aisle."

Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images.

It was a stirring speech. A vital speech. A speech that, coming directly on the heels of McCain's vote to advance a bill that was being written by a group of Republicans in secret, seemed kind of like bullshit.

But now, not two months after the dust from the GOP's last, best shot at the law finally settled, it actually might be ... happening?

For the first time in seven years, Democrats and Republicans are trying to figure out how to patch up the Affordable Care Act. Together.

The result of the effort, if successful, would be the first major bipartisan change to the law since it was passed in 2010.

At least one Republican senator — Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander — is trying to make it happen by next week, according to the Washington Examiner.

OK, but just because it's bipartisan doesn't mean it's a good idea. What are they actually trying to do?

Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images.

Something very minor, but hey! Under the current law, the U.S. government pays health insurance companies to keep individual premiums down. President Trump has repeatedly threatened to stop these payments.

Alexander, Sen. Patty Murray, and others on the HELP Committee are trying to come up with a "stopgap" package that can continue the funding without having to rely on Trump, preventing premiums from spiking.

That sounds nice! But ... they must disagree on some stuff?

They sure do!

Alexander wants to roll back some of the ACA's essential health benefit requirements, which dictate what plans have to cover. Murray, meanwhile, hopes to properly fund reinsurance, in order to help insurers pay out claims to the sickest individuals.

They do, however, seem committed to reaching a deal.

Great, so everything's good now!

Not exactly. The same John McCain who righteously urged bipartisanship just two months ago? He just announced his support for a new "repeal and replace" bill that would "block grant" Medicaid to the states, potentially amounting to huge cuts to the program.

The Arizona senator told The Hill that, despite his earlier words, crafting the bill without Democratic input "doesn't mean I wouldn't vote for it." That doesn't just put the current bipartisan effort in jeopardy, but it potentially provides another last-ditch avenue to gut the law completely.

Still, for the first time in what feels like forever, it seems Congress might take July John McCain's advice and start working together again.

Sens. Patty Murray (D-Washington) and Lamar Alexander (R-Tennessee). Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images.

Working, that is, to try to make things better, not worse, for sick people.

Sound good to you? Give 'em a call and make sure they stick to it.

Fingers crossed, knock on wood, throw salt over your shoulder, punch a Komodo dragon they don't get any ideas from September John McCain.

Update 9/6/2017: McCain later clarified his position on the Graham-Cassidy proposal through a spokesperson, noting that while he endorses the "concept," he is waiting to see a bill before committing his support.

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Obama's message responding to the Senate health care bill is a must-read.

3 important lessons from the former president's latest message.

The Affordable Care Act is perhaps the most significant piece of legislation former President Barack Obama enacted — and he's not giving up on it just yet.

As Senate Republicans introduced their ACA replacement bill earlier today, Obama published a thoughtful note to his Facebook page. Clearly, he opposes the bill, but it's about much more than that.

Our politics are divided. They have been for a long time. And while I know that division makes it difficult to listen...

Posted by Barack Obama on Thursday, June 22, 2017

In fact, there are three key takeaways from his post.

1. "This debate has always been about something bigger than politics."

While he recognizes that repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act has been one of the Republicans' top priorities for the past several years, he hopes that the Senate will "step back and measure what's really at stake, and consider that the rationale for action, on health care or any other issue, must be something more than simply undoing something that Democrats did."

"I hope that our Senators, many of whom I know well, step back and measure what’s really at stake, and consider that the rationale for action, on health care or any other issue, must be something more than simply undoing something that Democrats did.
We didn’t fight for the Affordable Care Act for more than a year in the public square for any personal or political gain — we fought for it because we knew it would save lives, prevent financial misery, and ultimately set this country we love on a better, healthier course."

President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act into law on March 23, 2010. Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images.

2. "While the Affordable Care Act represented a significant step forward for America, it was not perfect, nor could it be the end of our efforts."

For the first time in history, more than 90% of Americans have health insurance, people can't be discriminated against on the basis of pre-existing conditions or age, and a number other benefits have resulted from the ACA's passage.

"If Republicans could put together a plan that is demonstrably better than the improvements we made to our health care system, that covers as many people at less cost, I would gladly and publicly support it."

ACA supporters demonstrate outside the Supreme Court on June 28, 2012. Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images.

3. "There’s a reason we all chose to serve in the first place, and ... it’s to make people’s lives better, not worse."

Members of Congress should consider what led them to a life of public service, and as constituents, we should remind them.

"[I]t remains my fervent hope that we step back and try to deliver on what the American people need.
That might take some time and compromise between Democrats and Republicans. But I believe that’s what people want to see. I believe it would demonstrate the kind of leadership that appeals to Americans across party lines. And I believe that it’s possible — if you are willing to make a difference again. If you’re willing to call your members of Congress. If you are willing to visit their offices. If you are willing to speak out, let them and the country know, in very real terms, what this means for you and your family."

Demonstrators outside the Supreme Court on March 4, 2015. Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images.

We, the people, can use this as an opportunity to let our elected leaders know exactly what we expect for them. We, the people, can urge them to move beyond Democrat and Republican and instead fight for all of us as Americans.

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Has your Facebook feed become an echo chamber? This app can fix that.

Just 5% of us regularly see views we strongly disagree with on social media. Here's how to change that.

Getting out of your filter bubble can be a useful experience, and thanks to a new app, it's as easy as pressing a button.

"But I don't live in a bubble," you might say. "I listen to a wide range of views." And maybe you'd be right! But a new exercise from the Kind Foundation puts that to the test with their "Pop Your Bubble" campaign and app.

Because as it turns out, just 5% of us regularly see posts on social media that we'd say "differ greatly" from our own worldview. And because of that, most of us aren't seeing the whole picture.

[rebelmouse-image 19526374 dam="1" original_size="750x390" caption="All images from the Kind Foundation/YouTube." expand=1]All images from the Kind Foundation/YouTube.

Social media makes information more readily available than ever before, but it also lets us choose what information we do or do not want to see.

In many ways, this can actually be a good thing — for example, it allows a lonely gay kid in a homophobic household to connect with a community that validates and supports their identity, while filtering out the kinds of anti-gay messages they already hear at home. The unintended side effect of this, however, is the way it can warp our perception of what the world outside is really like or how many people actually feel a certain way on an issue.

It's a phenomenon called the "filter bubble," a term coined in 2011 by Upworthy CEO Eli Pariser, and describes a distorted view of the world resulting from this über-personalized experience. Partially the result of our own choices and partially the result of social media algorithms, we all exist in our own filter bubbles that feed us information that fits our existing world views without challenging them too much.

The Pop Your Bubble app scans your Facebook profile for Likes, shares, and friends to get a sense of who you are and what sort of news you're regularly exposed to — then it offers up radical change.

The app offers you a slew of suggestions of people to follow that will add some ideological diversity to your news feed.

The question is: Are you up to the challenge?

More than half of all adults in a survey by the Morning Consult and the Kind Foundation said this is something they'd be interested in trying out. And, of course, if it's not working out for you or taking too much of a personal and emotional toll on your well-being, it's easy to unfollow any of the new additions to your newsfeed.

Getting outside our bubbles can help make us better, more effective and persuasive participants in political conversation. Even better, it can make us better, more empathetic people.

You won't agree with everything you see in your new post-bubble feed, and that's the whole point. And you certainly don't need to engage with every post you disagree with (in fact, maybe it's best to start just by listening and following the conversation).

Whether you're progressive, conservative, moderate, or something else entirely, it's a good idea to — at least occasionally — see what others are saying about the latest hot topic in politics, even if just to remind yourself that not everyone thinks the same way you do.

Of course, it's not anyone's responsibility to expose themselves to views they find abhorrent, or views that are dehumanizing or degrading, nor is it to suggest that those other views are necessarily right or worth giving equal consideration to. But for those who are interested in stepping outside the filter bubble, this can be a really useful tool worth giving a try.

Learn more about the Pop Your Bubble app on its website, and check out the cool video below from the Kind Foundation about the project.

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