Almost as soon as the presidential primaries began in January, one narrative of this election year in the United States was dominant: that Americans merely faced a rematch between a current and a former president that most said they did not want. Yet a second and more compelling narrative may be unfolding in the U.S. House of Representatives, one about the capacity for the renewal of the American model of self-government.

On Saturday, a wide bipartisan majority of the House passed four bills funding military assistance to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. The measures also included humanitarian aid for war-torn Gaza and Sudan. The bills follow the recent adoption of legislation to prevent a government shutdown and extend a covert surveillance law.

The flurry of activity in the House could mark the maturing of a new generation of leaders learning to temper partisan passions through reason and consensus. In one way, this was forced on the lawmakers. Republicans hold only a two-seat majority, making House Speaker Mike Johnson vulnerable to being ousted by just a few Republicans, as his predecessor was. To keep his job, he had recently favored strong immigration reforms over funds for Ukraine. Yet after hearing the nation’s highest intelligence briefings about the Russian threat in Ukraine and Europe, he apparently shifted his thinking. That change of heart led him to ignore the threat of a revolt of a few within his own ranks and move forward on legislation that had been stalled for months.