No Labels and More than 65 Members of Congress Agree: Our Country Needs a National Strategic Agenda

More than 65 Members of Congress Join No Labels’ Three-Year Campaign for a National Strategic Agenda

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 23, 2014

Contact:  Ashley Olson                                                                                                   
ashley@nolabels.org
Phone: 202-588-1990                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Washington, DC – Starting immediately, No Labels is launching a three-year campaign to create a national strategic agenda for America. This effort starts with the momentum of more than 65 members of Congress publicly committing to the concept (a complete list of members can be found below).

We have heard our political leaders talk about bringing the country together by being "uniters, not dividers" – but they have never told us how to do that. No Labels has a formula for how: Build a national strategic agenda. Bring both sides to the table, get agreement around goals and then move on to debates, negotiations and policymaking.

This is a practical approach with widespread support. No Labels’ Honorary Co-Chairs Gov. Jon Huntsman and Sen. Joe Manchin recently joined experts from across the political spectrum to lay out the argument for a national strategic agenda in an e-book, No Labels: A Shared Vision for a Stronger America.

The American people are demanding this new approach. In a No Labels poll late last year:

• 80 percent said there should be one set of shared goals across party lines, regardless of who is president
• 87 percent said a national agenda will be very important to their vote in the next presidential election
• 97 percent said it’s important our next president is a problem solver 

During the 1990s, President Bill Clinton and Speaker Newt Gingrich didn't agree on much. But they both eventually agreed to the goal of balancing the federal budget. With that shared goal, they then just had to figure out how to achieve it – and they did.

In the months ahead, No Labels will start building consensus around common goals with the members of Congress who have joined this effort. This is the critical first step toward creating a national strategic agenda. Right now, while much of Washington is at a standstill, these leaders – Republicans and Democrats – will be working together to find shared goals for our country.

Leaders Supporting a New Governing Vision: This group of more than 65 members of Congress support No Labels’ effort to create a national strategic agenda. Many of these members will be wearing orange No Labels lapel pins at the upcoming State of Union on January 28.

Senator Mark Begich (D-AK); Senator Robert P. Casey, Jr. (D-PA); Senator Dean Heller (R-NV); Senator Angus King (I-ME); Senator Mark Kirk (R-IL); Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN); Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV); Representative John Barrow (D-GA); Representative Ami Bera (D-CA); Representative Sanford Bishop (D-GA); Representative Julia Brownley (D-CA); Representative Cheri Bustos (D-IL); Representative Tony Cardenas (D-CA); Representative Joaquin Castro (D-TX); Representative David Cicilline (D-RI); Representative Mike Coffman (R-CO); Representative Paul Cook (R-CA); Representative Jim Cooper (D-TN); Representative Jim Costa (D-CA); Representative Rodney Davis (R-IL); Representative Jeff Denham (R-CA); Representative Charlie Dent (R-PA); Representative Chaka Fattah (D-PA); Representative Mike Fitzpatrick (R-PA); Representative Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI); Representative Joe Garcia (D-FL); Representative Chris Gibson (R-NY); Representative Tim Griffin (R-AR); Representative Richard Hanna (R-NY); Representative Jim Himes (D-CT); Representative Jared Huffman (D-CA); Representative Lynn Jenkins (R-KS); Representative Bill Johnson (R-OH); Representative David Joyce (R-OH); Representative Derek Kilmer (D-WA); Representative Adam Kinzinger (R-IL); Representative Ann Kirkpatrick (D-AZ); Representative Ann McLane Kuster (D-NH); Representative Leonard Lance (R-NJ); Representative Dan Lipinski (D-IL); Representative Dave Loebsack (D-IA); Representative Alan Lowenthal (D-CA); Representative Dan Maffei (D-NY); Representative Sean Patrick Maloney (D-NY); Representative Mike McIntyre (D-NC); Representative Pat Meehan (R-PA); Representative Mike Michaud (D-ME); Representative Patrick Murphy (D-FL); Representative Rick Nolan (D-MN); Representative Bill Owens (D-NY); Representative Scott Perry (R-PA); Representative Scott Peters (D-CA); Representative Tom Petri (R-WI); Representative Mike Quigley (D-IL); Representative Tom Reed (R-NY); Representative Reid Ribble (R-WI); Representative Tom Rice (R-SC); Representative Scott Rigell (R-VA); Representative Dennis Ross (R-FL); Representative Raul Ruiz (D-CA); Representative Brad Schneider (D-IL); Representative Kurt Schrader (D-OR); Representative Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ); Representative GT Thompson (R-PA); Representative David Valadao (R-CA); Representative Peter Welch (D-VT); Representative Steve Womack (R-AR); Representative Todd Young (R-IN)

No Labels is a grassroots movement of Democrats and Republicans dedicated to a new politics of problem solving. The organization has already attracted more than half a million citizens across the country, as well as members of Congress who meet regularly in the only forum for problem solving on Capitol Hill.

To arrange an interview with a No Labels leader, please contact Ashley Olson at ashley@nolabels.org or (202) 588-1990. To learn more about No Labels and its three-year campaign for a national strategic agenda visit www.NoLabels.org.

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