Earlier this month the Republican Party in the United States swept to victory in the majority of mid-term elections. Now having achieved control of both houses of Congress and thereby the powerful committee chairmanships the Republicans are in a position to stymie President Obama’s agenda for the remainder of his second term. While the President’s inner circle muses publicly that he may act via executive order to achieve as much of his agenda as possible – – thereby circumventing Congress — Republican leaders are once again raising the specter of shutting down the government to block the Executive Branch from implementing its agenda.

As tempting as it would be to send all our elected officials home never to return there is a more mature alternative. President Obama is running out of time to build and secure his legacy. While I believe he will be seen in future years as having been a more successful president than he was viewed during his time in office much like Harry Truman; he nonetheless needs to show that he can lead the Nation and reach across the aisle to achieve policy goals. Making inspirational speeches is not a useless talent; however actually turning words into deeds is what makes history.

The Republican Party leadership also has much to lose. If Speaker Boehner and Senate Majority Leader-elect McConnell stick with the politics of “No” they will jeopardize any chance their party may have to regain the Presidency in 2016. Alternatively both parties could abandon their absolutist positions and get on with the work of the Nation.

Let’s start with comprehensive tax reform to simplify corporate and individual tax rules lower corporate tax rates and eliminate unjustifiable loopholes such as the capital gains treatment of carried interest. Our leaders could then go on to tackle immigration reform which would benefit our economy fulfill the promise we hold out as a nation to be a beacon to the world (“give me your tired your poor…” etc.) and possibly help the Republicans garner additional votes from the growing Hispanic community. Finally our representatives could actually pass and sign a budget that begins to balance our national books and reduces the $18 trillion debt we have bequeathed to our children. There are of course many other important issues that should be addressed from balancing environmental protection with economic activity continuing the reform of healthcare (regardless of one’s view of Obamacare) living up to our international responsibilities in trade human rights and foreign aid and improving our public school systems. Meanwhile the international arena careens from crisis to crisis as regional powers test their limits in a world in which US authority and boots on the ground have been curtailed.

In short there are urgent issues requiring serious attention and action on the national agenda. Neither we nor our allies around the world can afford to wait and watch while the nation with the greatest capacity both economic and military makes policy via partisan political sloganeering rather than a sound pursuit of the national interest.