an idea that has bipartisan sport, at least outside of washington. some of what s broken has to do with the way congress does its business these days. a simple majority is no longer enough to get anything, even routine business, passed through the senate. neither party has been blamed. now both parties should put an end to it. for starters, i ask them to pass a simple rule that all judicial and public nominations receive a simple umor down vote within 90 days. the executive branch also needs to change. too often, it s inefficient, outdated, and remote. that s why i have asked this congress to grant me the authority to consolidate the federal bureaucracy so our government is leaner, quicker, and more responsive to the needs of the american people. finally, none of this can happen unless we also lower the temperature in this town. we need to end the notion that the two parties must be locked in a perpetual campaign of mutual destruction. that politics is about clinging to ridge
routine business, passed through the senate. neither party has been blameless in these tactics. now both parties should put an end to it. for starters, i asked the senate to pass a simple rule that all judicial and public service nominations receive a simple up or down vote within 90 days. [ applause ] the executive branch also needs to change. too often it s inefficient, outdated, and remote. that s why i ve asked this congress to grant me the authority to consolidate the federal bureaucracy so that our government is leaner, quicker, and more responsive to the needs of the american people. finally, none of this can happen unless we also lower the temperature in this town. we need to end the notion that the two parties must be locked in a perpetual campaign of mutual destruction, that politics is about clinging to rigid ideaologisologies instead building consensus around common sense ideas. i m a democrat, but i believe what republican abraham lincoln believed the governmen