This article summarizes a conversation with sitting elected officials. The views expressed by participants do not necessarily reflect those of Across the Aisle™ or its programs, including Free the Facts™ and Answer the Call™.
Representative Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) admits he never liked politics or politicians. Representative Tom Suozzi’s (D-NY) father — a prominent New York politician — discouraged his son from trading in a well-paid career as a lawyer for a life in public service.
Working in politics is hard, and while both Congressmen tried to resist its pull, they understood something about the industry that we often forget. Congress is a place where you can get things done and make a real change in the lives of everyday people.
This week, the co-chairs of the bipartisan House Problem Solvers Caucus joined Across the Aisle President and CEO Lindsay Hayes for a conversation on why they got into politics and how we can push Congress to be a place of action and impact.
For our last event of Summer Series 2026, the two changemakers shared their vision for Congress and gave Washington’s future leaders three important pieces of advice:
1. The Government Should Function the Same Way Relationships Do.
Our nation is stuck in a period of black-and-white — us vs. them — thinking that keeps America from moving forward. We’ve forgotten that every working relationship — including those between lawmakers — is built on communication and compromise.
As Fitzpatrick explained, “Government should function the same way that our personal relationships do. You see the world through the other person's eyes. You don't allow the perfect to be the enemy of the good. Take 80% of something, over 100% of nothing, and meet in the middle. That is how every successful relationship in our lives works. And yet government doesn't.”
Fitzpatrick and Suozzi believe that fixing Washington starts with improving the relationships that make it up and celebrating what makes us different.
“We've got differences, but our differences are so small. And what unites us is so much bigger. Don’t underestimate how powerful you can be to make a difference,” said Suozzi.
2. A Good Public Servant Gets Things Done.
Elected officials are often too focused on what will make news or what circle their constituents will fill in the next time they’re in the voting booth.
But what makes a good public servant isn’t the number of times they are reelected or how much media attention they get — it’s how much they get done for everyday Americans.
Reflecting back on his mindset during his 2016 run for office, Suozzi said, “When I get to Congress, I'm going to form a band of doers, people that want to get stuff done…I can tell everybody here, being in politics is not worth it if you're not actually accomplishing things.”
3. Always Remember the Human-Impact of Policy.
It’s easy to see policy as words on a page or a fight on the floor, but we can’t forget the main purpose of our government: to give Americans the right to liberty, life, and prosperity.
Policy is personal for Fitzpatrick, and he listens when Americans share their stories of struggle. One such story was a conversation he had in the U.S. Capitol tunnel system with a parent of a student who lost their life in the 2018 Parkland shooting. He still wears a bracelet honoring that young American's life — even donning it on his wedding day.
“The biggest motivator and gratifier for me is encountering somebody…who has dealt with a really, really tough circumstance in life. Maybe they were born with it. Maybe it fell upon them. They're in a really dark place, and they're seeking somebody to help them give a light at the end of the tunnel,” explained Fitzpatrick.
For both Fitzpatrick and Suozzi, what keeps them in public service is the knowledge that they can be that light.
At Across the Aisle, we believe that making a difference in Americans’ lives starts with listening to each other, finding common ground, and working together to find solutions.
“You’ve got to be leaders and make the world into the image that you think it should be, which is where people work together to get things done and make the world a better place,” said Suozzi.
More on Summer Series 2026
Since 2017, Across the Aisle has hosted an annual summer event series for D.C. interns and junior staff to learn about the issues facing their generation, network, and launch their careers in public service.
Click here to learn more about this year’s theme, our speaker lineup, and catch up on our summer of conversations.
