Glimmers of Hope on the Hill

First, Speaker John Boehner has built a sufficiently strong network of House Republicans to effectively isolate those in his conference who seek to depose him, and, when necessary, has sought and received support from a willing Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Democrats in order to get things through the chamber. The chemistry in the House Republican Conference had to change. Boehner patiently waited it out, and then when he could, started moving the legislative ball forward. Pelosi should be credited as well for taking on a constructive role in crafting agreements when some in her party preferred her to be more of an obstructionist.

Second, Moore says Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's opening up the amendment process has made a huge difference. It hasn't always succeeded, but this is the way the Senate was intended to function; this change enabled the process to begin working again.

Third, even in the last Congress when the Senate floor was still bottled up, Senate committee chairmen (at the time, Democrats) and the ranking members (Republicans) began quietly talking about what they would like to do if things started becoming moveable on the floor. The chairman and ranking roles reversed after the election, but the dialogue continued, and when the door to the Senate floor opened, they rushed through it.

http://www.nationaljournal.com/off-to-the-races/capitol-hill-congress-bipartisan-hope-20150420