The virtual forum, entitled "An Evening with Our Regional Representatives" and sponsored by the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley and Greater Philadelphia, featured U.S. Reps. Madeleine Dean (4th District), Chrissy Houlahan (6th District), Mary Gay Scanlon (5th District) and Susan Wild (7th District). All four are Democrats.

The four lawmakers took turns answering audience questions disseminated by moderator Danielle Kroo. One question asked for their opinions on how they, personally, and how Congress and the Biden administration, generally, can move the country forward in a divided political environment.

"I work, I know all of us do work, really hard to find common ground," said Houlahan, whose district includes Reading, its southeastern suburbs almost all of Chester County. "You know, our caucus is big and broad and our Congress is big and broad. We have many places where we disagree, but we have many places were we ought to find common ground."

Houlahan added that she fervently supports President Biden.

"I really believe in his message of civility," she said. "I really believe he is the right person and this is the right administration to try and bring us back together."

She added, however, no reconciliation can take place until all members of Congress repudiate the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.

"I really do believe, first, we have to recognize what was wrong about three weeks ago," the congresswoman said.

Houlahan added she is a member of the Problem Solvers Caucus, which features Democrats and Republicans.

"I gotta be honest, it's a struggle," she said of understanding Republicans.

Scanlonm, whose district encompasses all of Delaware County and sections of Chester, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties, said criminal justice reform was a potential area for common ground with Republicans. She said the United States has "wasted money" on "incarcerating people as opposed to rehabilitation."

"It's just completely out of control," the congresswoman said.

Scanlon also said common ground included "finding relationships with folks to address hunger issues which spanned both rural and urban and red and blue states."

She added that these four congresswomen were uniquely qualified to accomplish this because of their gender.

"When you want to get something done, you give it to a busy woman," Scanlon noted, "and you've got a lot of busy women on this call."

Wild, who represents all of Lehigh and Northampton counties and part of Monroe County, said her district was similar to Houlahan's district in some respects but not others.

"She has a better educated and wealthier district than I do," Wild said. "My district is very, very focused on kitchen table issues. My goal is to always try to find consensus as boring as that may sound."

Dean, whose district includes part of Berks County and almost all of Montgomery County, concluded by saying there wasn't much she could add to "the beautiful things" the other three elected officials said. She added, however, that it's difficult working with people who are "deeply indecent."

"It's a real challenge," the congresswoman said.

Another question from audience members focused on the politicization of Israel. Some leftist Democrats, the moderator noted, have called Israel "a racist state."

"There is no room in American leadership for anti-Semitism, or racism or prejudice or discrimination of any kind," Wild said. She added that most Democrats and Republicans "remain strongly pro-Israel."

Other Jewish-related topics included the Abraham Accords and International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Other topics included the national vaccination program to combat COVID-19, increased federal spending, immigration, and climate change.

All four members said they support President Biden, praising his Cabinet picks and for beginning the process to "heal" America and his foreign policy agenda.