Two lawmakers say bipartisan friendship model for overcoming ‘toxic’ year in Washington
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Democratic Rep. Debbie Dingell and Republican Rep. Fred Upton sat down for a joint CNN ‘State of the Union’ interview to reflect on a tumultuous year in Washington and call on Americans to, as put Dingell, “Going back to just remembering how much we have in common.”
“It’s pretty toxic, there’s no question about it,” Upton said of the climate in Washington. “It’s a pretty toxic place. I’ve never seen anything like it before.”
During the interview, Dingell reacted to a threatening voicemail message sent to his office. In the post, calling her insulting her repeatedly, calling her a “f ** king dirty bitch” and adding, “I pray to God, if you have kids they die in your face.”
“I want the American people to think about what’s going on in our country, that this kind of hate, this fear is happening in communities across the country,” Dingell said.
“I was in my office, but I have a balcony and I watched people walk down the mall and I saw them coming back, and I heard the noise and obviously I watched what happened. But it was real and shocking, “Upton said.
“I mean, it was a scary day,” Upton continued.
The two lawmakers highlighted their friendship as a model of bipartisan unity in Washington. Dingell said she and Upton regularly disagreed over the legislation, but Upton was quick to note that their friendship took priority.
“I can have very strong disagreements even with Fred over certain policies -” Dingell began to say.
Upton, cutting her off, clarified, “But I’ll always make her laugh in the end.”
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