‘We’re all in this together,’ Senator Bill Nelson tells Chamber crowd

At a time of seemingly intractable division and gridlock in Washington, Senator Bill Nelson said he remains optimistic that lawmakers can cooperate to get business done.

The only way we can get anything done is through bipartisanship and with respect, he said, paraphrasing Sen. John McCain, who cast the deciding “no” vote July 27 on the “skinny bill” designed to repeal the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.

After that vote, seven Republican senators and seven Democratic senators, including Nelson, sat down for dinner and asked what they could do when Congress reconvenes after its summer recess.

The 14 senators plan to present a bill to reform the Affordable Care Act in regular order and hope the Senate majority leader will allow open debate, he said.

“If you can get that, it will put pressure on the House to do the same,” said Nelson, who eschewed the dais at the Polo Grill on Monday to discuss his reason for optimism on the floor just a few feet away from Manatee Chamber of Commerce members.

Bipartisan cooperation on health care could become a template for other work, including tax reform, that could produce revenue to be used for infrastructure improvements, he said.

He conceded, however, that senators would be “racing the clock” and that it “would be a real stretch” to reach agreement.

During a question-and-answer session after his address, an audience member suggested that Nelson, a veteran of more than 30 years in Congress, should step aside for someone with fresh ideas.

“That’s a very fair question, although it’s very pointed,” Nelson responded.

Nelson said he is a believer in bipartisanship and would serve to remind others of the importance of working together.

“That’s what has got to happen,” he said.

At the end of his presentation, Nelson returned to the question, citing his flight aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia in 1986.

“When you look out the window of a space craft at the planet, you get a different picture. You are looking at home in a way you never imagined it,” Nelson said.

“It’s a beautiful, colorful creation. It’s amazing what you can see with the naked eye,” he said. “As I looked back at Earth, I didn’t see racial differences, religious differences, or political divisions. We are all in this together.”

In addition to his talk with chamber members, Nelson also visited Port Manatee on Monday.

“The sky is the limit for Port Manatee. It’s a real economic engine for south Tampa Bay. Don’t underestimate yourselves,” Nelson said of the port and its proximity to the interstate highway system.

Betsy Benac, chair of the Manatee County Commission, was one of several commissioners who attended the luncheon to hear Nelson speak.

“We are really excited to have him at Port Manatee. To have someone with his senior leadership in the Senate here partnering with us is exciting,” she said.

This story was originally published August 21, 2017 at 4:06 PM with the headline "‘We’re all in this together,’ Senator Bill Nelson tells Chamber crowd."