GREEN BAY (NBC26) — President Joe Biden made a plea for national unity during his inauguration speech Wednesday, something local political experts said needs to start at the top.
"Hear me clearly: Disagreement must not lead to disunion. I will be a president for all Americans. All Americans," Biden said during his inaugural address.
Biden said the nation needs to come together to tackle national issues, like the economy, pandemic and climate change.
When asked how the Biden administration could unify the country, Michael Kraft, professor emeritus at University of Wisconsin Green Bay, said it'll help if Biden can work closely with Republicans.
"He even suggested that we need a bipartisan approach," Kraft said. "That we need to put this bitter bipartisanship and division behind us. When he talked about the need for unity, he meant the parties coming together rather than attacking one another."
Unity is one thing many Republican and Democratic leaders in Wisconsin seem to agree on.
"When it comes to building that unity, I think Joe Biden is definitely going to take this country in a forward direction," said Terry Lee, vice chair of the Democratic Party of Brown County. "We are turning the page today and this is a joyous day."
Republican Rep. Mike Gallagher tweeted that he's ready to stand with President Biden and Vice President Harris.
The peaceful transfer of power is the cornerstone of American democracy. I stand ready to work with President Biden and Vice President Harris on the enormous challenges facing our country, and I'm praying for them and their families. https://t.co/8TWrpJpI3w
— Rep. Mike Gallagher (@RepGallagher) January 20, 2021
Sen. Ron Johnson said on Twitter he hopes Biden acts on his pledge to unify the nation.
I wish President Biden well and encourage him to follow through on his pledge to be a president for all Americans and act to unify our divided nation.
— Senator Ron Johnson (@SenRonJohnson) January 20, 2021
These comments show the wheels of bipartisanship may already be in motion.
"I love the idea of the calls for unity, and calm, and let's work together and get on with the nation's business. It's a wonderful tone for the beginning of a new administration of either party," Kraft said. "Calm, and unity, and working together is not a partisan idea, but it's refreshing to hear it. So much of the time in the last few years, we've seen such enormous partisan differences. It's easy to forget that the nation often has come together to work cooperatively on solving problems, even if we have different views on how to best solve those problems."
Kraft said he's hopeful the next year will be one of progress.
