Sen. Chris Murphy: Election Year Likely To Create More Gridlock On Capitol Hill In 2016
HARTFORD, Conn. (CBSNewYork) -- Congress can crow about its success in 2015, but 2016 likely will be more of a challenge.
Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said he believes the environment in Washington has improved in recent months.
"At the end of 2015, you saw a level of bipartisan agreement that you haven't seen in a long time," he told WCBS 880's Peter Haskell.
"We got a big transportation bill that funds Connecticut for the next five years," Murphy noted. "We got a federal budget that both Republicans and Democrats support. We got a new education law passed."
Murphy credited new House Speaker Paul Ryan and Democrats in the Senate.
"But I acknowledge that the presidential race is going to dominate, and it will only get harder and harder to get things done next year," the senator added.
Murphy said he thinks there is a lot of work to do.
"Mental health reform would be at the top of my list, coming from Sandy Hook, Connecticut," he said.