You don’t have to be glued to CNN or Fox to know that there is a chasm separating the two sides in Washington as wide as the Grand Canyon.

In Tara Kavaler’s, of The Arizona Republic, recent interview of Congressman David Schweikert, who is the fourth-highest ranking member of the all-powerful Ways and Means Committee, he expressed determination to walk the tight rope to reach out across that void, for he believes there is room for bipartisanship. He’s Chair of the oversite committee and he shared his optimistic vision.

The congressman doesn’t believe it has to be partisan to investigate and speak up about the scale of fraud in the pandemic relief and enhanced unemployment. He added, there are other items in the tax code that aren’t working and certainly Medicare fraud needs to be curtailed. He cited the issue of flooding the nation with 87,000 extra IRS agents may not be the most practical solution, but using technology, research, holding hearings and bringing in the experts to see if the parties can find agreement is much wiser.

The blatant scaremongering by the President doesn’t help relations, as David Schweikert stated, “I’ve been the senior Republican over Social Security for the past year, I haven’t heard a single person ever talk to me about cutting Social Security.” However, he continued, solutions must be found, for in 10 years the program will be insolvent. Quick fixes are not the answer, nor are just increasing the age limit or the tax. Possible solutions may include voluntary options for workers, rewarding them through incentive plans, to work longer and tweaking the tax code to perhaps reduce checks for higher earners.

Positive brainstorming by both party members and run every idea through actuaries could work. Sounds like a plan to me!