Rank-and-file lawmakers have a surprising amount of bipartisan overlap when it comes to ideas about how to make Congress work even just a little bit better.
Take Reps. Chrissy Houlahan and Randy Fine, a Pennsylvania Democrat and Florida Republican who rarely agree on anything. On Wednesday, they were among the dozen lawmakers offering input at the House Rules Committee “member day” hearing. It’s a biennial event that resembles an open-mic night — anyone can offer up ideas they think will make the House function more efficiently.
Houlahan, an Air Force veteran serving on the House Intelligence Committee, proposed mandatory training for all lawmakers on how to handle classified information. She considers the current lack of training a glaring oversight given how many lawmakers come to Washington with no background in national security.