From civility to hostility: Congressional correspondent reflects on his four decades on the Hill

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

Alan Fram

ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON (AP) — In the waning moments of Democrats’ four-decade hold on the House, I saw a gesture that seems unthinkable today. On the evening of Nov. 29, 1994, they let the top Republican preside, briefly, over the chamber.

It was a display of respect and affection toward Minority Leader Bob Michel, a Republican from Illinois who was retiring after a 38-year House career served entirely under Democrats. He embraced with outgoing Speaker Tom Foley, a Washington state Democrat. Republicans were taking over in January under the combative Rep. Newt Gingrich, the Georgia Republican, abandoning Michel’s consensus-building style.

Those feelings among leaders are all but gone. In their place are suspicion and even hostility, most starkly symbolized by magnetometers lawmakers must pass through before entering the House chamber.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat, presided over the installation of the metal detectors against GOP objections after the brutal Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack by supporters of then-President Donald Trump. Democrats also expressed concerns about Republican lawmakers who carry guns.

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https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/from-civility-to-hostility-congressional-correspondent-reflects-on-his-four-decades-on-the-hill/ar-AA11ecbh