Finding Common Ground
Senate & House can claim victory in Housing through compromise
As the sun rises over the Badlands National Park, casting long shadows across the rugged buttes and open prairie, there’s a quiet reminder of how things get done out here. The land is harsh, but South Dakotan’s soften it through hard work—progress comes from patience, persistence, and neighbors willing to come together, even when they don’t always agree.
That same kind of common-sense cooperation is something folks yearn for in Washington. There’s an old story about Texas Speaker Sam Rayburn that still makes the rounds: when someone in his party called Republicans the enemy, he replied, “No, the Republicans are the opposition. The enemy is the Senate.” It gets a laugh, but it also carries a deeper truth—disagreement isn’t the problem. Refusing to work together is.
That’s why the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act stands out. This has the kind of broad, bipartisan effort that reflects how people solve problems in places like rural South Dakota. The Senate passed it 89–10, and the House followed with it’s own version a 390–9 vote. Numbers like that mean folks from both sides decided the issue mattered more than politics.
Now the question isn’t whether the bill has support—it clearly does. The question is how to finish the job. Could it be that “regular order”, the tried-and-true process where both chambers pass their versions, come together in a conference committee, and work out the differences before sending a final bill to the President, could work in 2026? I think so! Around here, that’s just common sense—sit down, talk it through, and get it done.
There’s strong bipartisan backing for taking that approach, and for good reason. I remember my Dad pointing out how nasty people could be behind the wheel of a car, blowing their horn, making rude gestures, while they would never consider acting like that standing in a supermarket line. He was right, when people meet face-to-face and actually listen, they tend to find more agreement than disagreement. There’s not much left to fight over with this legislation, and plenty of good policy to carry forward, IF it’s not important who gets the credit.
Senators Warren and Scott worry that going to conference could slow things down or put the bill at risk. That’s a fair concern—but perhaps this Housing bill could create positive momentum for collaboration? When folks commit to working things out together, they usually find a path forward. It’s the same way disagreements get settled between neighbors out here: not perfectly, but practically.
Of course, no one gets everything they want. That’s part of any honest compromise. But there’s a strong foundation between the two versions of the bills, and compared to the gridlock fighting over government shut-down and DHS funding, this is a much more manageable lift and a great opportunity to show the American public that Congress can work together for the number one affordability issue.
In the end, this shouldn’t be about who gets the upper hand in Washington. Representing States interests in these times is a test of whether leaders can come together—like neighbors under a wide South Dakota sky—and deliver something that helps people build stable lives and strong communities. And if there’s one thing the Badlands teach, it’s that in this tough terrain, cooperation is a privilege that can save your life.