WASHINGTON, D. C. - U.S. Sen. Rob Portman, an Ohio Republican, will take a brief respite from the partisan pie-fight in Congress on August 1 to participate in an Oxford-style debate with a Democratic colleague in hopes of “restoring a spirit of compromise and consensus for the good of the American people.”

The venue will be George Washington University’s Jack Morton Auditorium. The opponent will be U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut. The moderator will be CBS News congressional correspondent Nikole Killion. Their hour-long discussion will be broadcast live on C-SPAN.

The event is the second installment of three debates sponsored by the Bipartisan Policy Center, the Orrin G. Hatch Foundation, and the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate. The first debate in Boston between South Carolina Republican Lindsey Graham and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, a former Democratic presidential candidate, was broadcast live on Fox News last month. Plans are currently underway to finalize the date for a third “Senate Project” debate in Utah.

A statement from Portman said he’s worked on several important issues with Murphy and believes the discussion will provide “a forum to engage in a thoughtful, policy-centered discussion on how to move our country forward and improve the lives of the American people.”

“Over the last year, the Senate has made notable progress on several key issues, including bipartisan laws to strengthen our national infrastructure and combat gun violence, the kind of progress that can only be made through meaningful give and take and hard work to find common ground,” Portman’s statement said.

“The Senate purports to be the world’s greatest deliberative body, and yet too often, we respond to the most important issues facing Americans with inaction,” said a statement from Murphy. “This place can’t function unless Democrats and Republicans come out of their respective corners to hammer out our differences and get something done – something we proved with the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. Senator Portman has been an important legislative partner in the Senate, and I look forward to our lively discussion next month.”

A statement from Kennedy Institute Board Chair Bruce A. Percelay called the debate series " a step towards restoring a spirit of compromise and consensus for the good of the American people.”

“This debate series highlights the creativity and courage required to govern a divided nation,” added Bipartisan Policy Center President Jason Grumet. “Senators Murphy and Portman were critical leaders in this Congress’ signature achievements - investing in American infrastructure and confronting gun violence. We’re looking forward to hearing the spirited, substantive exchanges that will continue to build the foundation for future consensus.”