Rep. Glenn Thompson dishes on District 5

Ask U.S. Rep. Glenn Thompson about cooperation in Washington, and he sings a song in praise of party lines.

While some decry a growing political divide as bringing government to its knees, the Howard Republican sees the two factions as part of what makes it all work.

“Those who criticize partisanship are actually criticizing the diversity of our nation,” he told the Centre Daily Times in an interview Monday.

“All bills start out partisan,” he said.

That includes bills like the one he spoke about several times, the Every Student Succeeds Act, passed last week. It was signed by President Barack Obama, making big changes from the former educational law of the land, the much decried No Child Left Behind.

Thompson says he had a part in shaping the new law as it passed through committees, and he is happy with the finished product, which the Obama administration says enjoyed great bipartisan support and championed as good for students, economy and communities.

Thompson is excited about a return of more control to individual school districts, rather than federal mandates and target progress numbers for standardized testing.

He points to other examples of across-the-aisles cooperation, like recent transportation and job training bills, and the reform to international visa waivers that passed Dec. 8 with 407 votes, leaving just 19 Congress members opposed.

That comes as headlines are filled with Republican presidential primary front-runner Donald Trump’s statements about blocking Muslims from entering the U.S.

“We don’t have a test of religion,” Thompson said of Trump’s remarks, but he had criticism for the media, too.

“It’s time to just let personalities go and focus on the issues,” he said.

Thompson addressed international issues, like the Syrian refugee situation behind Trump’s remarks, saying that it was important to properly address vetting not only for the safety of Americans.

“It’s about the safety of refugees, too,” he said. “They want to escape terror. I’m not sure they’ll want to come here if we can’t keep terror out.”

He addressed issues closer to home, like the ethnic intimidation charges filed in Centre County Dec. 7 against one Penn State student accused of following and assaulting another in what court documents claim he admitted was a racially motivated move.

“It’s intolerable. Racism is intolerable,” he said.

What he would like to see is more “see something, say something” policies like those he says have worked in New York and which he believes would have prevented deadly attacks in San Bernardino.

Thompson, a staunch NRA and second amendment supporter, doesn’t believe additional gun laws could have prevented those attacks, or many of those since the Sandy Hook Elementary incident three years ago.

A former psychiatric services provider, he does see a need to do more in that area.

“My goal has always been to listen, to listen and to learn,” Thompson said. “I think I’ve done that. You do that by putting yourself out there.”

He spent Monday doing a radio town hall in State College, interacting with constituents. It was one of more than 100 interactions he had with voters in Centre County just in 2015.

Thompson pointed to a black notebook he carried with him. The pages were marked with dozens of fluorescent pink and bright yellow paper flags.

Each of those, he said, were ideas from locals, for how their lives could be better or how Washington could improve. They were all ideas he took back his staff to work on.

“How can we make them happen?” he asked, patting the book.

This story was originally published December 14, 2015 at 11:33 PM with the headline "Rep. Glenn Thompson dishes on District 5."