Bipartisanship in Washington, D.C., seems as rare as a visit from Haley\u2019s Comet, former U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe told a UCF audience Thursday. But she said young people can help solve that problem by speaking up and insisting that government leaders abandon the politics of division and seek out compromises and consensus.<\/p>\n
Snowe\u2019s presentation about \u201cHow to Fix Congress\u201d was part of a daylong visit to campus that launched the Presidential Distinguished Visitors Series. President John C. Hitt established the series to spotlight a variety of solution-oriented speakers of national and international impact.<\/p>\n
Hitt introduced Snowe as a “distinguished moderate in the Republican Party” and a \u201cleading voice for bridging the growing partisan divide of recent years that has stymied progress on so many issues facing our country.\u201d<\/p>\n
Snowe, who represented Maine for 18 years in the Senate, said a sea change in Congress is necessary for the country to find long-term solutions for unsettled issues such as immigration and the future of Medicare and Social Security.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy mission now is to change political dynamics in our country,\u201d she said earlier during a Q&A session with students Thursday morning. \u201cWhat is lacking today is listening to others\u2026People are living in a more politically solidified world. Unfortunately, you get the results you have in Washington. They\u2019re not willing to obtain the view from the other side.\u201d<\/p>\n
During the Q&A session, Snowe fielded questions about her career, Washington politics and how to use public service to help others.<\/p>\n
While she served in Congress, Snowe said she made a point of working with Democrats.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou have to have willingness to sit down and engage the other side. That\u2019s the way it used to work; they don\u2019t do that anymore,\u201d she said. \u201cYou have to be resilient and see through someone else\u2019s eyes. Look at the facts; it might change your mind.\u201d<\/p>\n
Snowe urged students to push themselves outside their comfort zone to succeed and to take time to help others.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s about what can you do to make the world better for others. It\u2019s about connecting to the world around you,\u201d she said. \u201cIf we get locked down in our own world, it won\u2019t make a better world.\u201d<\/p>\n
Snowe is the author of \u201cFighting for Common Ground: How We Can Fix the Stalemate in Congress.\u201d She believes a citizens\u2019 movement holding government accountable is the primary solution to the gridlock that prompted her to leave the Senate instead of seeking re-election in 2012.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cLegislating has been replaced by messaging to political constituencies and to the ideological bases,\u201d with the perpetual goals of raising campaign contributions and winning re-elections, she said.<\/p>\n
Solutions include having independent redistricting commissions in states so that political districts aren\u2019t drawn primarily to make sure politicians can get re-elected. She said campaign finance reform also is necessary, and she said Congress should work five days a week.<\/p>\n
She also said young people need to get involved because they have so much at stake with the future of our country. She encouraged them to leverage the power they hold through social media.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo not underestimate your voice,\u201d she said. \u201cDo not underestimate the impact you can have.\u201d<\/p>\n
When Snowe was introduced, she praised the vision and leadership of Hitt, whom she called a \u201cdistinguished president\u201d and \u201ctremendous asset to the University of Maine,\u201d where he previously served as president before coming to UCF. She praised Hitt\u2019s pursuits of partnerships and innovation and UCF\u2019s focus on solving problems.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s the kind of spirit that should be adopted in the United States these days,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Bipartisanship in Washington, D.C., seems as rare as a visit from Haley\u2019s Comet, former U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe told a UCF audience Thursday. But she said young people can help solve that problem by speaking up and insisting that government leaders abandon the politics of division and seek out compromises and consensus. Snowe\u2019s presentation about \u201cHow to Fix Congress\u201d was…","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":57936,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"template-twocol.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"lazy_load_responsive_images_disabled":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":"","_wp_rev_ctl_limit":""},"categories":[6,21],"tags":[2510],"tu_author":[],"class_list":["post-57933","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community","category-opinions","tag-john-c-hitt"],"yoast_head":"\n