For the last few years, our government in Washington, D.C. has been plagued by gridlock, with Republicans and Democrats in Congress at odds, unwilling to work with each other in any form.

On far too many issues, votes in the Senate come down roughly along the party lines of the 52 Republicans and 46 Democrats and two independents who caucus with them.

In many ways, this is inevitable, considering the process of creating the bills voted on.

In the recent health care debate, Republicans, under Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, largely shut out the opposition from drafting the Senate health care bill, resulting in a “skinny repeal” bill that failed to garner the vote of even one member of the other side.