i3 - May/June 2019 - 11

Tech
We found that if we work really hard,
we can get to a consensus position
of 75 percent. We got to a position
on health care, immigration, school
safety, infrastructure - some very
difficult policy issues.
- Representative Tom Reed

if they are a member of the Problem Solvers Caucus. We do
expect certain things from our members, so I get that it is
not for everyone, but ultimately, the requirement is that you
want to work with the other side to get things done. It's very
hard because there is so much noise from the extremes, and
because it makes better cable news if people scream at each
other and disagree. It's harder for people to know what we are
doing, so the more people that pass it along, the better.
Reed: We often get branded as a moderate ideological
type of group. But we have members that represent some
very left-leaning and some very right-leaning districts. They
have a commitment to govern and find common ground and
they are willing to roll up their sleeves. Some have gotten into
some very passionate disagreements about issues. But at the
end of the day, they are committed to the concept of governing, so they stay in the room and work out their differences
where they can. It is a tremendous amount of work but it all
stems from trust, respect and a commitment to getting there.

Q When you join the caucus, do you bring in someone
from the other side?

A Gottheimer: Typically, we help them but that is part of

Leontura/Getty Images

NO LABELS: MAKING A DIFFERENCE
No Labels was created to bring people together, end
the cycle of partisan division and encourage solutions
for the nation's toughest problems. No Labels inspired
the creation of the original Problem Solvers Caucus,
whose membership is evenly divided between parties.
However, No Labels and the Problem Solvers are completely independent entities that share the same goal
of forging bipartisan solutions.
In June 2018, No Labels released a roadmap for real
rules reforms in Congress with its Speaker Project
reform booklet. A month later, the Problem Solvers
Caucus released its own set of rules reform proposals
called "Break the Gridlock." These efforts pushed for
sensible rule reforms in a broken Congress and provided some political support for leaders who operate
in the political center.
Because of its non-partisan nature, CTA is one of the
major funders of No Labels.

C TA . t e c h / i 3

the relationship building. You identify somebody who you
already have the seeds of a relationship with when you come
into the caucus. The good thing is there is a line of members
that are interested in being a part of this. But if your primary
purpose is not to really engage but to play a political game,
you are going to ruin our brand and you are going to ruin that
culture of trust that we have worked so hard to build. We are
very sensitive about that. We make sure that when members
come in, they know what they are getting involved with and
make sure they are fully committed to it.

Q How can CTA members support the Problem
Solvers Caucus?
A Reed: What you can do to help us, in my humble opinion, is you represent some 2,200 of the loudest voices
across the country - especially the emerging voices that
are the influencers of tomorrow as well as today. Use that
voice. Talk to your members of Congress. Talk to leadership. Don't be afraid of this, don't push back on this. This
is good for the country - it's good to have that debate and
encourage it. And I tell you, those 2,200 voices that you
represent really have an
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i3 - May/June 2019

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