Former Sen. Rob Portman Calls On Voters To Bridge Political Divide

Former U.S. Sen. Rob Portman told an audience gathered on the Texas A&M University campus this week that voters hold the key to bringing America together.

Portman, who served as a U.S. senator from Ohio from 2011-2023, spoke on bipartisanship Wednesday as part of the 2024 ConocoPhilips White House Lecture series. The series is hosted by the Mosbacher Institute for Trade, Economics, and Public Policy in the Bush School of Government and Public Service.

Recent studies have shown a widening political divide among Americans, including Pew Research Center polling that found “the gap between the ideological right and left is wider in the U.S. than in other countries on many issues.”

Portman, who had a 30-year career in public service, encouraged voters to be engaged in the democratic process, especially primaries, to support and elect more candidates willing to work with others. He cited a statistic that “eight percent of voters in America are electing over 80% of members of Congress.” Portman then explored ranked choice voting, a practice in Maine and Alaska in which voters choose their candidates in order of preference by marking candidates as their first, second and third. The votes are tabulated in rounds until one candidate receives a majority. Portman said citizens should have more options in the democratic process.

“A recent poll asked people if they support members of Congress who get things done or Congress members who stick to their principles,” Portman said. “I thought, ‘Oh, principles are going to win.’ No, 74% of voters said they wanted someone who’s going to get stuff done.”

Dr. Raymond Robertson, director of the Mosbacher Institute, interviewed Portman onstage before a full auditorium in the Annenberg Presidential Conference Center. The audience included Texas A&M President Gen. (Ret.) Mark A. Welsh III, former White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card, former White House Chief of Staff Jean Becker, former Assistant for Legislative Affairs Fred McClure and more.

Portman pulled from his history of legislative bipartisanship. He has had over 220 of his bills signed into law, twice earning him high rankings in the Bipartisan Index. When asked about the national debt, Portman offered a bipartisan solution to help solve the debt crisis that, according to Portman, has the country paying more for debt interest than for the entire U.S. military. Portman proposed a bipartisan fiscal commission to be created by and composed of key members of Congress with statutory authorization to vote on debt issues while educating citizens.

“Congress can choose to vote no, but it would put the American people in a position of understanding what the problem is better,” Portman said. “It may take years to do it, but it would get us charted on the right track. When asked what’s the biggest danger facing our country from a national security perspective, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said years ago that it was the debt.”

Robertson asked Portman to what he attributes his successful legislative record. Portman referenced a personal mission to get as much done as he could to help the people he represented. Earlier in the discussion, Portman spoke about his upbringing in Ohio, including his mother’s injury and inability to find health care while his father started a lift truck distribution business. He referenced their struggles and successes as guiding him toward law and public service.

“Early on, I was focused on, how do you help other people achieve their American dream,” Portman said. “What I told my staff is that we’re only on this great, green Earth for a short period of time. We’re certainly in the Senate and House for a shorter period. Make the most of it.”

Portman was appointed by former President George W. Bush to serve as the 14th U.S. trade representative from 2005 to 2006 and 35th director of the Office of Management and Budget from 2006 to 2007. He also served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Ohio’s 2nd District from 1993 to 2005. Most recently, Portman established the Portman Center for Policy Solutions at the University of Cincinnati and is the Distinguished Visiting Fellow in the Practice of Public Policy with the American Enterprise Institute.

“I hope students in The Bush School will focus on how to find common ground across the aisle to address policy challenges,” Portman said. “To have the ability to serve your fellow American is the greatest honor of all.”

The ConocoPhillips White House Lecture Series brings to public attention the various White House and executive branch offices that provide policy, administrative and overall support to the president of the United States. Past lecturers have included former Secretary for Housing and Urban Development Henry Cisneros, former Vice President Mike Pence, former Secretary for Transportation Ray LaHood and Ambassador Carla Hills, among many others.

“Senator Portman, with his bipartisan approach to public service, is a wonderful example of the values of The Bush School,” said John Sherman, dean of The Bush School. “We are honored to have him continue The Bush School tradition of initiating conversations with national leaders on issues that are of national importance.”

The Bush School of Government and Public Service houses many programs, centers and institutes that inspire excellence in the noble calling of public service, making it into a leading international affairs, political science and public affairs institution. The lecture series is organized by The Mosbacher Institute, founded in October 2009 upon the request of former President George H.W. Bush to honor Robert A. Mosbacher Sr., who served as secretary of commerce from 1989 to 1992. The mission of the Mosbacher Institute is to address the most pressing economic challenges confronting the United States and world economies by conducting policy-relevant research, providing education, and engaging stakeholders in the areas of trade, economics and public policy.

“The Bush School is carrying on George H.W. Bush’s legacy in the sense that these students I’ve met are imbued with his spirit of public service,” Portman said. “The record of The Bush School is phenomenal. I don’t think there’s another school in the country that places the same percentage of its students in public service. Whatever you’re doing, keep it up. We need good people in public service and doing it for the right reasons.”