Can it be done? It's hard, but yes.

In thinking about the question of whether the two Congresses ultimately work together, I have come to the conclusion that it is not possible nor is it fair to say that it is completely one way or another. The two Congresses are not completely compatible but they are not detrimental to each other either. From following the progress of New York Senator Charles Schumer this semester and Congress as a whole, it has become clear to me that balancing state/district responsibilities with Washington responsibilities can be tough but it is not impossible, it can be done by congressmen/women. Where most of the conflict our congressmen/women face comes from is not from the individual representatives but from the parties they belong to as a whole and their inability to come to compromises when the time arises.

For Charles Schumer, balancing his home state, New York, with the work that he has to do in Washington, is not as much of a problem as it is for other congressmen/women. With all the experience he has had within Congress, working within government for more than 20 years and being the third ranking Democrat, and coming from a state that is majority left, it has been easier for Schumer to take clear stances on certain issues like same- sex marriage than it would be for representatives that come from swing states that tend to be harder to please.  Schumer is usually clear with how he feels about something because a lot of the time what his party wants aligns with what his constituents want as well. On the other hand, even if it is not aligned, the effort that he shows to his constituents by showing an interest in what they want/need counts as well too. Promising that he would stay in close contact with his constituents and visit every county in New York and actually sticking to that promise, at the very least, gives the illusion that Schumer is truly invested in what they need. (http://2congressesatwork.blogspot.com/2013/09/charles-schumer.html) After all, a big part of being a congressman/woman besides lawmaking is campaigning and image. Therefore, by visiting these counties, Schumer maintains his image of a man that keeps to his word and truly cares about his constituents.

This is not to say that Schumer has not done things for the state of New York. While this tactic is true, Schumer truly does care about the state of New York. If anything, following Schumer this semester has showed me that the way to make the two Congresses work (without taking into consideration the partisan issues that get in the way) is to stay true to what you say you are going to do and your ideologies. Schumer is a liberal Democrat, his voting record supports that. Schumer made a promise to the people of New York, he kept that promise. Schumer doesn’t stray from his work; he takes on issues that coincide with the committees he’s on.  When Avonte Oquendo, a 14 year old autistic boy, went missing in New York, Schumer advocated not only for this family and the people in his state but also for families dealing with autism everywhere. He advocated for putting tracking devices on people with autism to help find them when they get lost which would make them a part of the same program that helps find people with Alzheimer’s disease. (http://2congressesatwork.blogspot.com/2013/11/track-them-track-them-all-please.html) He took a New York problem and made it an everybody problem and that is what a good representative does. Schumer has also worked to help New York’s economy grow and has been working towards improving homeland security ever since 9/11. Being that he is the chairman of the subcommittee on Immigration, Refugees and Border Security, Schumer also advocated allowing “the Filipino people here to continue doing what they came here to do in the first place, work, school, etc. This extension would last as long as it takes for the Philippines to recover.” (http://2congressesatwork.blogspot.com/2013/11/will-we-show-little-classic-american.html).

Now when we start to take into consideration partisan issues, we begin to see why it cannot be fully true that the two Congresses are compatible. A clear example of this statement would be the most recent government shutdown, when it was nothing but pure bickering from both parties that led to the closing of national parks and the furloughing of hundreds of people from their jobs. Compromises could have been made and a government shutdown could have been avoided but members of congress became too focused on what their individual parties wanted and not what was best for the country. Even when Schumer made statements on this issue, it seemed, at least to me, that he was ready to do his job as a congressman and pass this bill. He even acknowledged the fact that Republicans didn’t agree with this bill and respected that but he knew as a congressman that at the brink of a shutdown that was not the right outlet for them to fight the bill. (http://2congressesatwork.blogspot.com/2013/10/weve-been-sacrificed-to-right-wing-gods.html) Yet in the end we saw a government shutdown because they couldn’t see past party lines and when it was over all Schumer had to say was, this isn't a day for happiness or exaltation. We spent two weeks risking extreme danger merely to end up right where we started: opening the government, paying our bills, and negotiating a budget." (http://2congressesatwork.blogspot.com/2013/10/were-right-back-where-we-started.html)

Only in an ideal world would our two Congresses be completely compatible. It is fair to say that they can be, as Schumer has shown it is possible, but with party lines forever separating what can and cannot be done, instead of what is good or bad for our nation, there is no telling when we will see another gridlock, or worse, a government shutdown.