Inspired by University President Rev. Robert Dowd, C.S.C. 's call for Notre Dame to embrace its collective responsibility as “bridge-builders” to a new era, the Washington Office is highlighting members of the Notre Dame community who are finding common ground and making an impact in government, policymaking, public service, and beyond.

For this installment of DC Bridge Builders, we’re spotlighting Senator Todd Young (R-IN) who is known for effectively working across the aisle and forging bipartisan partnerships to get meaningful legislation passed in Congress. Senator Young has served in the Senate since 2017 and previously represented Indiana’s 9th Congressional District in the U.S. House. Prior to joining Congress, he served nearly a decade in the U.S. military.

Watch the video below to hear Senator Young’s perspective on bridge-building and the role universities like Notre Dame play in advancing the common good:

Building Bridges in the U.S. Senate

For Senator Young, bridge building means identifying gaps – and working with others to close them through trust, dialogue, and principled compromise.

“A hallmark of a bridge builder is always looking for opportunities to encourage others to engage in dispassionate conversations,” he says. He has prioritized these opportunities while in elected office, facilitating conversations between opposing factions on policy issues to promote common understanding.

“I tried something unconventional, which was sitting down with people from both sides of the issue and encouraging them to engage in respectful dialogue while I served as a moderator,” Senator Young said. “I’ve enjoyed doing that. I think it’s really important that we continue to communicate with one another, even when we have very strong feelings and are unlikely to come to an agreement.”

This commitment to building bridges has made Senator Young a key leader in forging consensus, both within his own political party and across the aisle. “I’ve enjoyed playing that role,” he says. “I’ve been tasked by the Majority Leader with visiting with colleagues to help us achieve a sufficient number of votes to pursue a shared objective. I’ve also been tasked with approaching Members of the other side of the aisle, including their leadership, to help the parties reach common ground.”

The work is not only an essential part of the political process, but also beneficial to the communities they represent. In Congress, there is “rarely an opportunity to solve a problem without building a bridge,” Senator Young says. “Bridge building is designed to enable both parties and the broader community of stakeholders to realize an improvement in their lives. I cannot conceive of a meaningful policy issue that was not sustainably solved or improved without building bridges.”

Notre Dame’s Role in Cultivating Bridge Builders and Strengthening Civil Discourse

In the halls of Congress and across our country, the process of bridge-building is essential and urgent. According to Senator Young, universities are uniquely positioned to develop future bridge-builders by encouraging critical thinking and building skills students need to engage meaningfully across divides.

“Education is not designed to make us feel comfortable; in fact, oftentimes the opposite – it’s supposed to take us outside of our comfort zone, so that we can recognize greater truths than the ones we hold,” he says. “I do think the University of Notre Dame still carries that torch – inviting in different perspectives, which leads to clearer thinking and more bridge-building.”

Driven by its faith-based mission, Notre Dame seeks to cultivate both students’ moral character and intellectual development, a comprehensive liberal arts education that Senator Young says makes Notre Dame unique: “There aren’t many institutions today that are comfortable leaning into that framework for education and then, the service that the education will prepare [students] to engage in. I think a Notre Dame education and Notre Dame people – graduates and others in the community – can play a very important role in terms of drawing on the strength of their moral character and their moral vision to make a real impact,” he says. “I think there’s a hunger for that right now. We don’t see it in every realm.”

Universities like Notre Dame have a critical role to play in strengthening civil discourse, Senator Young concludes. “Universities can teach how to think objectively, how to argue respectfully, and how to instill an ethic of service into daily life. Everyone – and certainly every graduate at the University of Notre Dame – should understand that they have the ability to serve in very important ways, as well as a certain responsibility to serve others.”

DC Bridge Builders spotlights members of the Notre Dame community who are fostering collaboration and common purpose in our nation’s capital.

Know someone building bridges in DC? Nominate them here.

Originally published by Irene Levering at washingtonoffice.nd.edu on July 23, 2025.