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Davis concerned about bitter partisanship in Washington, D.C.
"We're trying to do something as basic as extending the All Kids (or S-Chip) program, and all you have is partisan bickering….I don't think it is going to get dramatically better until we get a new president. This president is so unpopular in the country. He doesn't have the authority to rally people. "Whoever becomes the next president of the United States, that person's priority has to be what can we do to rebuild a sense of common ground and common good in American politics," he said. "We don't have that now. "We have a 'liberal' theory of the good (and) a 'conservative' theory of the good. We need somebody to say there are some broad principles that we have to hold on to as Americans that are deeper and more fundamental than whether you are a Democrat or Republican, liberal or conservative." Davis has always been proud of the cooperation between all the Alabama representatives and senators on issues facing the state. He has also tried to establish relationships with members of the opposing party. "Ultimately, we have to get back to the point where we have a president of the United States that all of us can feel is our president. We haven't been there for a while. "When Bill Clinton was president, Republicans acted like he wasn't their president," the congressman said. "You have Democrats now acting as if President Bush is not president. We've got to get to the point where there is a president who commands so much respect that people say 'I don't agree with that person on everything, but this is our president.'" In regard to other issues, Davis has devoted time to serve on the Health Committee of the Black Belt Action Commission and has tried to improve healthcare for underserved areas of his district. "We spend too much money on administrative costs," Davis said. "We have a healthcare system that works for some people. We can't just throw the whole thing out. Some people are very satisfied with what they get, and they should be. "For people who are satisfied and getting good results, maintain their freedom of choice. For the people who are not covered, we've got to close those gaps. "In the State of Alabama, we have the 47th weakest level of coverage for Medicaid," Davis said. "We've got to fix that. A young adult, who is not disabled, who doesn't have dependents and who is not making $12,000 a year, is not covered by Medicaid in this state. You know how they are covered? They go to the emergency room. "Right now, the emergency room is the defacto coverage for too many people in this state. "So I don't want to throw out the private sector for people who are satisfied with what they've got, but we've got to close the gaps in coverage," the congressman said. In a related matter, Davis said it will take tax incentives and tuition incentives to help bring more doctors to practice in rural Alabama "The same goes for lawyers and accountants." He recently asked students at Thomasville High School who would be coming back to the region after college. Not many hands went up. "Most of them don't plan to come back to Clarke County. We're going to have to give them a sense to come here." In addition, Davis is encouraged by leadership he sees in Clarke County. Communities shouldn't simply look for help from the state or federal government, he said. "Communities have to show leadership themselves. It's not just enough to go to Washington or Montgomery and say 'we need,' you need to say 'we're doing. We need a little bit extra to finish our goal.' "You can't expect Washington and Montgomery to jump start. You have to have things in place yourself. That's why Thomasville has been so successful. This community itself is forging change and moving ahead." Little things can make a difference, he said. Davis recently delivered a $209,000 U.S. Department of Agriculture grant to fund distance learning in the Thomasville City Schools System. "It's not a massive amount of money, but it will help this system to do what it needs to do to make these children more competitive with kids in a more affluent system. "…People have to believe there is no limit on what communities can do. Thomasville can be a magnet for young people who want to succeed."
Davis applauded the work being done on a county wi-fiinternet system and said he is trying to obtain funds to help that effort. "The communities who do best in terms of getting federal dollars are the communities who have already shown they can use federal dollars well. People always ask us why does Thomasville keep drawing down federal money every year and some communities don't. They can show they spent their money well."
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