Government leaders, national athletes on what unites Americans
Senators, representatives, U.S. Olympians, and astronauts spoke on NBC News’ Common Ground Live about the issues and movements that bridge differences.
In an era where most Americans don’t see much common ground between political parties in Washington, having dialogue across difference can be both more challenging and more important than ever. To discuss areas of agreement across perspectives, NBC News recently hosted Common Ground Live from the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center.
Senators and representatives discussed the national issues they align on, while NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman and former astronaut Suni Williams spoke of space as a unifying force. And as the U.S. is set to host the World Cup and Olympics, gold medalists and the NBA commissioner explored how sports can put people of all backgrounds on the same team. Here’s what each of them had to say about finding common ground.
“No matter who’s in the majority or in the minority, working together is the only way it actually works. We can’t forget that, because it gets more and more difficult, and things become more polarized.”
– Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. John Fetterman
“We’ve taken the time to not just understand our politics or position on something, but to really get to know each other as people. And I think that that’s missing so much right now.”
– Alabama Republican Sen. Katie Britt
“I believe in this institution. I believe in this democracy. We’ve gone through tough times before in our history, and you fix it by staying at it and working together, not being a part of the problem or walking away.”
– Michigan Democratic Rep. Debbie Dingell
“The thing is, is that sometimes I find some of the fringes, they want all or nothing. And so if they don’t get everything they want, the bill’s no good, and that’s not the way government works. You have to try to find some common ground. If you can support overall the majority of the bill, then it’s a good bill, and you should vote for it.”
– New York Republican Rep. Nicole Malliotakis
“There is a [lunar] competition, but we have the mandate and we have the resources to ensure that we pull ahead in this in an achievable pathway. And it does matter. I think it has national security implications. I think when you’re able to do the near impossible, it sends a message to the world that ‘What else is America capable of doing?’”
– NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman
“We want to be there first because we want to write the rules of engagement—how we operate on the moon. We want to be up there as a friendly place where we can all work together and find common ground in space exploration and moon exploration for that matter.”
– Former NASA astronaut Suni Williams
“I think that’s one of the biggest things unifying of sports, especially at the Olympic level, is because it transcends just you as an athlete. It’s about your country. It’s about going out there representing the red, white, and blue as best as you can. It doesn’t matter what political background you are, where you come from, or anything like that. It’s all about a greater good. And in our case, it’s your country.”
– Six-time Olympic bobsled medalist Elana Meyers Taylor
“I think 1999 [FIFA Women’s World Cup] was just a seminal moment, because nobody had ever dreamed, or believed, or invested in an event that would be so big like this before. And to be honest, we crushed it.”
– Two-time FIFA Women’s World Cup champion Brandi Chastain
“I don’t think either one of their [Elana’s or Brandi’s] stories…would have happened without Title IX. I remember when we launched the WNBA 30 years ago, Birch Bayh, senator from Indiana [and] co-sponsor of the bill, threw up the opening ball. It just shows where government policy can really make an impact on these things.”
– NBA Commissioner Adam Silver
Watch the full conversations on demand on NBC News.
