Our political goal during the negotiations, we assured skeptical Republicans, was to stand firm as conservatives and battle Pelosi and Schumer’s liberal idealism. In reality, all the players at the table were respectful of each other. The meetings could become contentious at times, sometimes out of genuine frustration on someone’s part, other times as a performative gesture. Mostly, though, the parties to the talks were courteous and shared the overall objective of bringing relief to Americans in need.
