A broader deal addressing the gamut of issues could be even more useful. House Republicans often produce a list of bullet points they call an agenda right before an election, as though to reinvigorate the 1994 Contract with America that helped propel the party to its first House majority in 40 years. An aggressive, detailed agreement could emulate that by providing specific solutions to problems that could attract the average voter’s attention. Democrats always use the politics of a government shutdown to divide Republicans and paint them as dysfunctional. It’s time the GOP unites and puts the onus of governing responsibly back on their table