Progress in a Split Congress - Key Takeaways from the Page Conversation on the Business Impact of the 2022 U.S. Midterm Elections

Considering the speculation of a red wave, the results of the midterm elections in the United States reflected a far more balanced electorate. Despite the divided Congress and hyper-partisan environment, business leaders are cautiously hopeful that Congress can find common ground across the aisle on issues below the level of  “cable chatter.”

Page members recently convened on this topic for a Page Conversation on the business impact of the 2022 U.S. midterm elections. Panelists included Michelle Russo, CCO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Ashlee Rich Stephenson, senior political strategist at the U.S Chamber of Commerce, Erin Streeter, executive vice president at the National Association of Manufacturers, and Michael Steel, SVP of communications at Business Roundtable.

Here are some of the key takeaways from the call:

1. Progress in the lame-duck session (and beyond)
   While outgoing members may feel apathetic or disgruntled about losing their seats, the current 117th Congress should do everything in its power to keep the country in running order for the incoming session, while laying the groundwork for bipartisan progress in 2023 and beyond. As Russo noted, the U.S. Chamber wrote an open letter to Congress, outlining both the urgent and long-term issues that Congress should make a concerted, bipartisan effort to tackle. And as Steel pointed out, the first priority should be to tackle things like the debt ceiling and permitting reform, negotiating and finding compromise on the issues that have large downstream implications.
2. Getting discourse back on track
   As Stephenson pointed out, seven out of 10 Americans believe the country is heading down the wrong path. Coupling this with the fact that election-deniers and other extreme candidates fared worse than predicted in the elections, it is clear that voters are growing weary of vitriolic sparring overtaking sensible debate. 
3. Look to previous wins for inspiration
   One of the most significant pieces of legislation passed in the current Congress was the CHIPS and Science Act, which significantly increases U.S. investment in the manufacturing of semiconductors. As Erin pointed out, the broad bipartisan support for this bill proves that when parties come together and acknowledge a shared concern for the country, the real work can begin. In a split Congress, finding smaller bipartisan issues with outsized impact is the clearest path forward.