President Obama on Wednesday acknowledged the recent spat he had with Congress over trade, including scores of Democrats, and said disagreements like that are inevitable in any functioning democracy.
Then he showed there were no hard feelings by sending members and their families off to eat traditional American summer fare at the annual congressional-White House picnic.
“[O]ur job, together — mine as president, and those of you who are serving in Congress — is to make sure that we are true to that commitment and true to those values,” Obama said from the South Lawn as he explained that this is the quality that makes the U.S. the envy of the world.
“And obviously, democracy can be contentious,” he continued. “There are times where people have deep, principled disagreements. But I hope that events like today remind us that ultimately we’re all on the same team — and that’s the American team.”
Obama said he kept his remarks brief so as to have time to “shake hands.”
Before the picnic, pro-trade Democrats huddled with Obama for about an hour to plot a strategy that will win enough votes to land both Trade Adjustment Assistance legislation as well as Trade Promotion Authority on his desk.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., led the opposition to a trade package that Obama favored last week, Pelosi was seen at the picnic eating a burger, along with many other members.
