U.S. Rep. Tom O’Halleran (right) speaking with constituent (Photo Courtesy of U.S. Rep. Tom O’Halleran’s Office)
By Jay Taylor | InMaricopa
The whole political structure in America “has gotten out hand,” according to U.S. Rep. Tom O’Halleran.
The Democrat-Republican divide in the U.S. Congress needs to be resolved for the good of the country, said the congressman who represents Maricopa in Congressional District 1.
O’Halleran sat down recently with InMaricopa via Zoom for an exclusive interview to discuss some of the issues facing the city and Pinal County.
“We have to ask ourselves what has to happen for us to work together,” O’Halleran said of the two parties. “I don’t get up and talk about the other side and what they’re doing. I talk about collaborating with people. We have people who are talking about not signing on to any Republican bills, or not having Republicans sign on to ours – how does that benefit our country?”
O’Halleran offered a solution, saying the only way to get past the division is for congressional representatives to continue trying to work together to overcome the rampant partisanship and make people understand the downside of dissension.
“We have to get the people of America to understand that every year that goes by that we can’t work together like this will cost us dearly,” he said. “We’re a country that’s based on a Constitution that requires us to work together. Otherwise, things get tied up like we see it back there (in Washington) now.