Rep. Steve Scalise is helped off the field by Reps. Cedric Richmond (right) and Brad Wenstrup after the Congressional Baseball Game on June 14, 2018. | Alex Edelman/Getty Images Politics Heartwarming bipartisan moments in a polarizing 2018

It’s been a tumultuous year of fighting on Capitol Hill over immigration, tax reform, a Supreme Court nomination, a government shutdown and more. But there were moments that shone through the thick curtain of partisanship.

Here are just a few that stood out.


Putting aside differences after John McCain’s death

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer lay a wreath at the casket of Senator John McCain during his memorial service at the Capitol Rotunda on August 31, 2018 in Washington, DC. | Ken Cedeno-Pool/Getty Images

John McCain’s death in August brought a spirit of togetherness to Capitol Hill. From Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan to Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi, both Republicans and Democrats put aside their differences to praise the longtime Arizona senator for being willing to reach across the aisle – even if it meant breaking with his own party.

In an interview with NBC, Hillary Clinton said McCain “really understood in the marrow of his bones what it meant to be an American and how important it was for us to, yes, disagree and differ, but, at the end of the day, to come together, to work together, to trust each other to get things done.”

Honoring civil rights and remembering Martin Luther King, Jr.

Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, Rep. John Lewis and Congressional Black Caucus Chairman Rep. Cedric Richmond participate in a ceremony to mark the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Statuary Hall at the U.S. Capitol April 12, 2018 in Washington, DC. | Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Reps. Paul Ryan and John Lewis shared a moment during an April ceremony commemorating the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s assassination. Lewis, a Georgia Democrat who once marched with King, and House Speaker Ryan, a Wisconsin Republican, both gave remarks honoring the late civil rights leader for his work in bridging political and racial gaps.

“He made America look up, and just as important, he made America look within. By his works, we saw the great promise of the American idea,” Ryan said . “We see it here today, in people from different backgrounds, from often very different persuasions, all of whom are coming together to honor Martin Luther King’s life and legacy. In recalling bloodshed meant to divide us, we embrace what unites us.”

Changing a vote to help a friend attend a funeral

Sen. Chris Coons (L) is embraced by Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker after Coons helped to end a dramatic vote for President Donald Trump's nominee for secretary of state, Mike Pompeo on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, April 23, 2018. | AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite

In April, Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) changed his vote from “no” to “present” on Mike Pompeo’s Secretary of State nomination to help out Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), who needed to speak at a close friend’s funeral. The Democrat’s courtesy for his friend drew widespread praise from the GOP and allowed Pompeo’s nomination to proceed (even though Coons opposed him).

“That was a profile in courage, I think. He may catch a lot of flak for that,” said Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) of Coons’ kind gesture for Isakson. “And that made a big impression on those of us on the Republican side.”

Coming together after devastation

Natural disasters hammered the United States this year, from wildfires to hurricanes to floods to a “bomb cyclone.” And although there was political fighting over how to best respond, the devastation still brought together fierce political opponents.

President Donald Trump and North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper greet volunteers as they prepare to hand out food at Temple Baptist Church, where food and other supplies were being distributed during Hurricane Florence recovery efforts, Wednesday, Sept. 19, 2018, in New Bern, N.C. | AP Photo/Evan Vucci

In September, Trump met with North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper after Hurricane Florence hit the East Coast. The president joined the Democratic governor at a church to pass out warm meals to Carolinians affected by the “storm of a lifetime,” which by then had displaced more than 20,000 people and left upward of 800,000 without power.

President Donald Trump greets California Governor Jerry Brown and Governor-elect Gavin Newsom (L) as he arrives at Beale Air Force Base in California, November 17, 2018. | Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images

In November, the president met with California Gov. Jerry Brown and Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom after the deadliest U.S. wildfire in a century scorched more than 200 square miles and destroyed nearly 10,000 homes.

Although the president was criticized for tweeting that the fires only happened because the state’s “forest management is so poor,” the meeting one week later was notable given Trump’s normally tense relationship with the solid blue state and its Democratic leaders. It was also the first time the president visited California in the past 13 months of deadly disasters the state has faced.

“Jerry and I have been speaking, and Gavin and I have gotten to know each other, and we’re all going to work together,” Trump said as he stood with the two California leaders.

Enjoying a bipartisan tradition, one year after a shooting

Rep. Steve Scalise (center) was shot while practicing for the 2017 game. | Alex Edelman/Getty Images

In June, House Majority Whip Steve Scalise locked arms with Reps. Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio) and Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-La.) during the 57th annual Congressional Baseball Game. Just one year prior, the Republican was injured in a shooting during the bipartisan event, which led leaders in both parties to condemn violence. Richmond is the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus and a critic of President Trump, while Scalise is a strong House ally of the president. Both lawmakers put their politics aside to enjoy a bipartisan tradition and an American staple.

An embrace at George H.W. Bush’s funeral

Former President George W. Bush is embraced by House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi at an arrival service for former U.S. President George H.W. Bush as his body lies in state in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda on December 3, 2018 in Washington, DC. | Jonathan Ernst-Pool/Getty Images

When former President George H.W. Bush passed away at age 94 on Nov. 30, President Trump declared a national day of mourning, and both parties put their government shutdown fight on hold.

At his funeral service, all living U.S. presidents — Donald Trump, Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter — sat together in the front row , along with their spouses. George W. Bush was spotted hugging Nancy Pelosi, the longtime Democratic Party leader, and discreetly passing Michelle Obama a candy or mint – just like he did at Sen. John McCain's funeral this summer. The moment went viral online and was widely praised as a touching gesture of friendship over politics.

Working together for criminal justice reform

Alveda King, niece of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., speaks to President Donald Trump during a signing ceremony for criminal justice reform in the Oval Office of the White House, Friday, Dec. 21, 2018 as Sen. Chuck Grassley looks on. | AP Photo/Evan Vucci

This year, lawmakers in both parties came together to create the biggest overhaul to the nation’s criminal justice system in decades. On December 21, Trump signed a bipartisan reform bill after nearly a year of negotiations.

Passing the First Step Act brought together many unlikely allies, including a group backed by the conservative Koch network, the American Civil Liberties Union, the White House and senators from both parties. The signing of the bill, which relaxes mandatory minimum sentences for some drug-related crimes and creates more rehabilitation programs, was attended by politicians and activists on both sides of the aisle, including Alveda King, the niece of Martin Luther King Jr.

What were your favorite bipartisan moments of the year? Tell us in the comments below.