Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer began a new session of Congress on Tuesday by vowing to reach across the aisle to achieve bipartisan victories but suggested the onus will be on House Republicans to compromise.
The New York Democrat touted the various bipartisan achievements under the previous Congress, which came despite a 50-50 split Senate and a narrow Democratic House majority, as evidence that a Republican House and Democratic Senate can secure similar wins.
“For whoever ends up becoming speaker of the House, I hope they will find a way to work with us in a productive way this Congress,” Mr. Schumer said. “Senate Democrats are ready to reach across the aisle and Capitol to accomplish big things that will benefit all Americans.”
His remarks came amid a battle on the other side of the Capitol, where GOP leader Kevin McCarthy of California failed to secure majority support on the first round of votes for House speaker. It was not yet clear if in subsequent votes Mr. McCarthy would win over enough conservative holdouts to clench the speakership.
Despite an evenly split chamber over the past two years, the Senate passed several major pieces of legislation in a bipartisan fashion that included government spending, infrastructure, gun regulations, protections for gay marriage and health benefits for veterans exposed to toxic burn pits.
Among the things Senate Democrats will no longer be able to do with a GOP House is pass a spending measure using a process known as budget reconciliation that only requires a simple majority rather than the usual 60-vote Senate threshold.
Democrats used it last summer to force through a tax-and-climate-spending package called the Inflation Reduction Act with zero Republican support, which drew outcry from conservatives.
“Democrats will no longer be able to use budget reconciliation to circumvent the normal legislative process and with it the reckless spending that has helped fuel inflation over the last two years,” said Sen. John Cornyn, Texas Republican.
“Instead, they’ll have to work in earnest. They’ll have to work with Republicans to find common ground and move legislation using the regular order,” he said.
The Senate is now split 51-49 after Democrats gained one seat in the November elections. But their caucus now includes an additional independent, Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, who left the party following the elections.
“After everything we accomplished in an evenly divided Senate, there’s no reason both sides can’t keep working together for the good of our beloved country,” Mr. Schumer said. “That doesn’t mean we’ll agree all of the time or that we will compromise on our values. But party differences do not absolve either side of the need to work together when the good of the country is on the line.”
He also extended an olive branch in the form of congratulations to his Republican counterpart, Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, who became the longest-serving party leader in the Senate on Tuesday.
• Ramsey Touchberry can be reached at rtouchberry@washingtontimes.com.
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