Even though opposing politically, perhaps we could become Friends

If they can, all of us could, ...if we so choose

Excerpt: "WASHINGTON—Every morning Congress is in session, a bipartisan group of lawmakers meets in the House gym at 6:30 a.m. for an hour of cardio and weights.

Discussing politics is forbidden.

Lawmakers who transgress are forced to do burpees.

“That’s the standing rule. Everybody knows that,” said Sen. Markwayne Mullin. 

The Oklahoma Republican, a former professional mixed martial arts fighter, has led the group of 15-20 lawmakers through the Crossfit-like workout for a dozen years. 

The gathering, where for once groans aren’t directed at one another, is a rarity on Capitol Hill these days. 

During the second Trump administration the political distance between Democrats and Republicans has increased, particularly in Congress, where petty squabbles are common and across-the-aisle friendships are rare. Threats to censure lawmakers and yank them off committees had already abounded. One House committee hearing last year descended into chaos after Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R., Ga.) asked Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D., Texas) if her fake eyelashes were impeding her ability to read, prompting Crockett to fire back about a “beach blonde, bad-built, butch body.”

“In [mixed martial arts], if you get hit in the back of the head, you got a point taken away from the person who did it. In politics, it’s just called Tuesday,” Mullin said at a late April event.

The bipartisan workout group in 2019 included, in photo from left, former Rep. Martha McSally (R., Ariz.), Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D., N.J.), former Rep. Joe Kennedy III (D., Mass.), journalist Jacob Soboroff, Rep. Seth Moulton (D., Mass.), then-Rep. Markwayne Mullin (R., Okla.), Rep. Tim Burchett (R., Tenn.), Rep. Bruce Westerman (R., Ark.), former Rep. Steve Watkins (R., Kan.) and former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D., Hawaii).

Many lawmakers still like to claim the mantle of being able to work across the aisle, but the years long bipartisan relationships that were once the legislative lifeblood of Capitol Hill are increasingly scarce.

Lawmakers spend more time fundraising and less time in Washington, and social media rewards the most bombastic viewpoints."