Cooperation proves key to getting things done

Much work remains, but there is reason for optimism on two important budget items. In Washington, President Joe Biden said he is confident he will be able to reach a deal with legislative leaders to raise the debt ceiling and avoid a possible economic disaster. He made the remarks before leaving on a trip to Japan which was in jeopardy of being cancelled because of the budget fight. There has been reported progress in the talks, although a deal is far from done even as the nation gets dangerously close to defaulting on its debt. In Madison, Governor Tony Evers is similarly optimistic about the chances a new state budget will get approved. He pointed to breakthroughs in his discussions with the leaders of the Senate and Assembly, praising them for putting their differences aside and operating in good faith. For those of us who still believe in bipartisanship, this is good news. It shows that despite our differences we can work together to accomplish a shared goal. But this deal too is not done. The two sides remain far apart on many issues and a budget needs to be approved soon. But at least our lawmakers at the state and national level finally seem to realize the necessity of cooperation.