After months of on-again, off-again negotiations, the Trump administration and Capitol Hill Democrats may finally agree on a fresh injection of federal aid amid high unemployment and a resurgence in coronavirus infections. It’s one of several opportunities for legislative cooperation in Washington—if both parties are committed to taking them, say two members of Northeastern’s faculty.
“Clearly there’s going to be some common ground around stimulus, because both sides have an interest in getting something done,” says David Lazer, university distinguished professor of political science and computer and information sciences.
Another law that could get a bipartisan update is the Affordable Care Act, which the Supreme Court is taking up on Tuesday. The case raises a new question about the constitutionality of the law’s individual mandate provision, which requires most Americans to obtain health insurance or pay a penalty. But even if the high court strikes down the Obama-era healthcare law over the mandate, the law could be reinstated if Congress makes a few minor tweaks.
