Source: Montgomery Advertiser, Ala.文件倉Aug. 21--After describing a list of divisive issues that threaten to bring the federal government to a standstill, U.S. Rep. Martha Roby drew applause Tuesday when she said she doesn't understand why "compromise" has become a dirty word in politics."We're not going to move this country forward if we continue to draw lines in the sand and stand behind them," Roby, R-Montgomery, total a breakfast crowd in her home city. "A lot of what's going on in Congress right now with this great divide is that we've been pulled away from each other so far that members on the opposite sides of the aisle are afraid to listen to each other."The speech came during a series of town hall meetings in which Roby has heard from concerned constituents about contentious issues like immigration reform, health care changes and budget cuts related to the sequester. She plans to hold four more town halls throughout her district before Congress reconvenes in September.While opinions differ, she said the common thread has been anger over the lack of movement on key issues."People are generally frustrated with the lack of function in the federal government right now, the ability to actually get something done," Roby said. "I personally believe that we're not going to bring America back to liking Congress until we can actually solve a problem."She has faced some criticism in earlier town hall meetings from tea party members who accuse her of too often siding with mo存倉erates. A 2012 analysis of congressional votes by CQ Roll Call shows Roby votes with the GOP, and against Democrats, 92 percent of the time.If Congress can't reach common ground, the situation could get much worse.Roby told the crowd that by 2023, on its current financial trajectory, the nation will spend more to pay the interest on its debt than it spends defense. Even by next year, she predicted that defense cuts could lead to far worse than the civilian furloughs that went into effect this summer.She advocated cutbacks to "mandatory spending" on social assistance programs which she said are "choking our ability to rein in the debt and the deficit."Still, she said the key to meaningful progress lies in finding common ground. Roby said she disagrees with U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Birmingham, "95 percent of the time" but that they stay in constant communication so that they can find "that 5 percent where we can agree.""My commitment is to having these conversations as we move toward the end of September and beyond," Roby said. "Where is that common ground, even if it's only 5 percent, that we can agree upon?"But she admitted it won't be easy to do that on a wider scale."It hasn't proven to be very realistic in the two and a half years that I've been in Congress," she said.Copyright: ___ (c)2013 the Montgomery Advertiser (Montgomery, Ala.) Visit the Montgomery Advertiser (Montgomery, Ala.) at .montgomeryadvertiser.com Distributed by MCT Information Services自存倉
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