Things always get a little less awkward after the first date.
In an effort to show they can get along, members of the Senate and House will pair up with “dates” from the opposite party for Tuesday night’s State of the Union. The initiative, led by Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Mark Udall (D-Colo.), marks the second year lawmakers have attempted to use the event as an opportunity to promote bipartisanship. Traditionally, seating on the floor has been divided by political party.
But after the attempted assassination of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) days before the address last year, congressional leaders hoped to portray a unified front.
Both senators agreed it was a small — but much needed — step in the right direction after a sharply divided political year.
“It’s a small, small, small gesture,” Murkowski said Tuesday in an interview on MSNBC. “But I think that every step we can take to help improve relationships is a good thing.”
Read the rest of this story at The Hill.
Fix Contributor Josh Fatzick is a senior at Coastal Carolina University. He is also the Student Free Press Association’s spring fellow in 2012.
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