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BY CONGRESSMAN CHARLES DJOU, R-HAWAII 2010-2011 – Yesterday, I joined my former congressional colleague Brian Baird (D-WA) in an extended interview with the Washington Post. Brian and I discussed whether Congress can still compromise. This interview was led by congressional reporters Aaron Blake and Sean Sullivan. Our chat was taped live on a ‘Google Hangout’ and you can watch the entire interview here.
This chat was one of the first ‘Google Hangout’ interviews conducted by the Washington Post. With modern technology, readers don’t have to just read the interview responses through the filter of a reporter, but can watch the entire unedited interview. This chat between Congressman Baird and myself was conducted simultaneously with the participants in Washington state, Hawaii and D.C.
Brian and I served together in the 111th Congress. He and I agree that too many politicians today can only point out what they are against; and too few actually explain what they stand for. America’s budget is approaching a ‘fiscal cliff,’ yet the extremes of both political parties refuse to compromise. During the closing days of our last term, Brian and I co-signed a letter demanding that Congress vote on the bi-partisan Simpson-Bowles budget commission recommendations. The extremists in both parties, however, blocked the vote.
Congress is not working for the people, but that doesn’t mean we have to accept it. Tomorrow, and on General Election day, we can change it.
Aloha,
Charles K. Djou
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