With her entire staff on the Senate floor and her husband watching from the gallery, Senator Olympia J. Snowe delivered a plea to her colleagues Thursday to overcome “excessive political polarization’’ to work together to reach consensus on the ‘‘fiscal cliff’’ and other important issues.
The Maine Republican, known for her fierce independence, lamented that the Senate has evolved into something akin to a parliamentary system, where members vote in party blocs, promoting corrosive partisanship that has led only to gridlock.
‘‘I’m so passionate about changing the tenor in Congress because I’ve seen that it can be different,’’ she said. “It hasn’t always been this way. And it absolutely does not have to be this way.’’
Snowe shocked the political establishment in February when she abruptly ended her bid for a fourth term, a race that she would have easily won. She cited partisan gridlock in the Senate and House as a key reason for retiring.
Snowe served for 34 years in Congress, including three terms in the Senate.
She is the third-longest-serving woman in congressional history.
The Maine Republican, known for her fierce independence, lamented that the Senate has evolved into something akin to a parliamentary system, where members vote in party blocs, promoting corrosive partisanship that has led only to gridlock.
‘‘I’m so passionate about changing the tenor in Congress because I’ve seen that it can be different,’’ she said. “It hasn’t always been this way. And it absolutely does not have to be this way.’’
Snowe shocked the political establishment in February when she abruptly ended her bid for a fourth term, a race that she would have easily won. She cited partisan gridlock in the Senate and House as a key reason for retiring.
Snowe served for 34 years in Congress, including three terms in the Senate.
She is the third-longest-serving woman in congressional history.
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