But it seems like a much more partisan atmosphere on Capitol Hill now.

The debate over the proposal highlighted the intensely partisan atmosphere on Capitol Hill.

This year, with a highly charged partisan atmosphere," she said, "the Republican leadership now wants to have it both ways.

"That would be difficult to do under any circumstances, and right now you have an extremely partisan atmosphere."

The push for passage was developing in a strange partisan atmosphere.

In the highly charged partisan atmosphere here, many Republicans are skeptical of, if not outright hostile to, the so-called liberal media.

That was typical, they said, of how business had been done in a highly partisan atmosphere.

"In an intensely partisan atmosphere, that's a recipe for total paralysis."

Common Cause has good reason to be skeptical about the committee's ability to rise above the highly charged partisan atmosphere.

And he said the partisan atmosphere in Washington not only discouraged voting but also running for office.