As part of the 2023-24 Notre Dame Forum on “The Future of Democracy,” University President Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., will moderate a conversation between U.S. Sens. Chris Coons and Todd Young on cultivating civility and bipartisanship in a time of polarization and gridlock. The event will take place at 2 p.m. Oct. 27 (Friday) in the Leighton Concert Hall of the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center.
“The events in Congress in recent weeks have once again brought into sharp focus the urgent need for bipartisan conversation and collaboration,” Father Jenkins said. “Senators Coons and Young have modeled a way forward through their willingness, throughout their careers, to put the good of the nation ahead of partisan differences, to treat their colleagues across the aisle with respect, and to work together to find solutions to pressing problems. It is my hope that this conversation will spur us all to reflect on our own civic duties and deepen our commitment to serving the common good.”
This event is the latest in a series of discussions Notre Dame has hosted that seek to foster respectful and informed dialogue on national and global issues. Since its establishment in 2005 by Father Jenkins, the Notre Dame Forum has each year invited campus-wide dialogue about an issue of importance to the University, the nation and the world. This year’s Forum invites reflection on the rising threats to global democracy and how democracy can be reinvigorated in the U.S. and across the world.
Coons was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2010. He chairs the Senate’s Select Committee on Ethics, with senior positions on the Appropriations; Foreign Relations; Small Business and Entrepreneurship; and Judiciary Committees.
Young was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2016. He serves on the Senate Committees on Finance; Foreign Relations; Small Business and Entrepreneurship; and Commerce, Science and Transportation.
In recognition of their commitment to bipartisan engagement, both senators are recipients of the Legislative Action Award from the Bipartisan Policy Center.
This event is free and open to the public. Tickets are required and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis at the DeBartolo ticket office beginning one hour before the event. The conversation will be livestreamed at forum.nd.edu.
Originally published by at news.nd.edu on October 10, 2023.