Former Rep. Jim Leach to host discussion on Washington gridlock

In light of a seemingly continuous gridlock in Washington D.C. that's resulted in last-minute deals, blown deadlines and a government shutdown, former Iowa congressman Jim Leach is leading an interactive discussion on the causes and consequences of the divide.

Leach, who served for three decades on Capitol Hill and now is a University of Iowa law professor, considers the rift that has become a hallmark of today's congressional leadership “the most unnecessary social division in this nation's history,” according to UI news services.

The event, called “Gridlock: a debilitating political challenge,” will take place at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 11 as part of the UI Alumni Association's Lifelong Learning series. The Coralville Center for the Performing Arts, 1301 5

^th

St., will host the event, which is free and open to the public.

Participants are, however, asked to register by noon Nov. 5 online.

Leach spent 30 years representing Iowa in Congress, during which time he chaired the Banking and Financial Services Committee, the subcommittee on Asian and Pacific Affairs and the Congressional-Executive Commission on China.

After leaving Congress, Leach spent time as a professor at the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton University and as interim director of the Institute of Politics and Lecturer at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.