The Administration has laudably spoken the language of unity and cooperation.

Unfortunately, the policy to follow did not fulfill that vision. What might be the saddest part of that is the missed opportunity. An agenda that unites is sitting out there. Leaders would just have to want to pursue it.

I have have two examples: immigration and COVID-19 relief.

IMMIGRATION

The following concepts are popular with something close to 80% of Americans: legally immigrating to the US should be less time consuming, less expensive, and less difficult. It’s still widely popular across the political spectrum to say we should be admitting more immigrants (though I recognize many Americans want to limit immigration).

Reforming our legal immigration system to those ends is both popular and prudent. Those proposals would sail through Congress with very little controversy.

Conversely, how to handle the 11-20 million people who are here illegally is deeply divisive. Unlawful migration has been an issue that has riled tempers for decades in the US.

Nevertheless, the administration sent an immigration bill to Congress that attempts BOTH to reform the immigration system (popular) AND to offer amnesty to illegal migrants (divisive).

It didn’t have to be this way. A “unity agenda” would choose to accomplish the former without forcing the latter. Instead of taking the easy win, the administration is choosing to pick a fight the culture doesn’t need.

COVID-19 + MINIMUM WAGE

Another broadly popular idea (even if I don’t like it) is spending (more accurately digitizing/printing) another $2 trillion in COVID-19 relief. Members of both parties love spending money. Again, this would largely be uncontroversial and unifying.

The administration, however, couldn’t help itself. They could not focus on the task at hand. They included a long-held — and economically illiterate — liberal hobbyhorse: the minimum wage. Not only is it a proposal to increase the federal minimum wage; it is a proposal to DOUBLE the federal minimum wage.

Put aside for a moment that it is obviously idiotic for the minimum wage to be the same in Manhattan, NYC as it is in Manhattan, Kansas.

The more important point is that, again, it didn’t have to be this way. A “unity agenda would choose to provide relief to those affected by Covid-19 WITHOUT trying to sneak in a liberal priority and a bad idea. Instead of taking another easy win, the administration CHOSE to pick a tired, boring fight that we don’t need.

If they’re going to speak the language of unity, the agenda should match the language. If they just want the typical partisan fights, they should continue on this same path.