FAQ

What is No Labels?

No Labels is a group of Republicans, Democrats and Independents dedicated to a simple proposition:

We want our government to work again.

Washington is no longer capable of solving the very real problems facing America. Before every election, our politicians make promises about how they will fix our tax system. Our immigration laws. Our schools. Our budget issues. But after every election, these promises are crushed under the weight of the same poisonous rhetoric and hyper-partisanship.

We, the American people, are the collateral damage of this partisan warfare, saddled with debts we can’t afford and an economy that no longer creates enough good jobs with good pay.

We have had enough.

No Labels supports reforms, leaders and legislation that will help fix America’s broken government and break the stranglehold of the extremes that currently dominate our political process.

We believe that common sense solutions exist for our national challenges. And we believe that our government should be capable of finding them.

What type of organization is No Labels?

No Labels is a 501(c)(4) social welfare advocacy organization dedicated to breaking the stranglehold that the extremes have on our political process.

Since our launch in December 2010, No Labels has been building a network of supporters in every congressional district across the United States, and in Washington, to help rebuild our system of self-government – one that works not just for one party or group, but for all Americans.

Why the name No Labels?

We understand there are real philosophical differences between Democrats, Republicans and Independents. And we don’t expect our leaders or No Labels members to check their principles at the door.

But philosophy and principle have little to do with the dysfunction in Washington, DC, where political games and pettiness increasingly drive the decision-making of our leaders.

Too often, it’s not the quality of a leader’s ideas that matters, but the label – Democrat, Republican, liberal, conservative – that he or she wears.

You don’t need to shed your identity to join the No Labels movement. You can be a proud liberal, a proud conservative or a staunch Independent. You just need to be open to the idea that people with different beliefs really can set aside the labels and come together to make our government, and our country, work again.

Who has joined No Labels?

No Labels has already rallied hundreds of thousands of Americans behind our cause. Our members have different politics and they come from all walks of life. If you attend a local No Labels meeting, you will find university and student leaders, current and former elected officials, community and non-profit leaders, representatives from the business and legal community and many more.

Some of our members are long-time veterans of political and civic causes. Others are engaging for the first time. But all our members are tired of the hyper-partisanship and dysfunction afflicting our government. And all of us are committed to changing the way our government and our country works for the better.

How was No Labels started and what has it accomplished?

On Dec. 13, 2010, 1,000 Americans from all 50 states gathered at Columbia University to officially launch the No Labels movement. Our launch event speakers included notable guests like Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, columnist for The New York Times David Brooks, talk-show host Joe Scarborough, former Sen. Evan Bayh (D-IN), Harvard professor David Gergen, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Newark Mayor Cory Booker, Mika Brzezinski, and others.

Since our launch, No Labels has been focused on building a network of supporters in Washington and all across America, and we’ve already made our voice heard.

In the summer of 2011, No Labels notably launched the No Deal, No Break campaign to demand that Congress delay its recess until it reached a solution on the debt ceiling. Many media outlets like the Christian Science Monitor credited our movement with keeping Congress in session over the summer.

We’ve also held numerous town halls and citizen leader meetings across the country. No Labels supporters have been preparing for the moment when they can swing into action to effect real change in our government.

That moment has arrived.

On Dec. 13, 2011, No Labels’ first anniversary, we are kicking off our Make Congress Work! action plan. Throughout 2012, we’ll be conducting an intensive grassroots effort to mobilize one million Americans behind our campaign.

What is the difference between Americans Elect and No Labels?

Both No Labels and Americans Elect are dissatisfied with dysfunction in America's government.

But that is where the similarities end. Americans Elect is focused solely on running a third party candidate for president in 2012. No Labels is a group of Republicans, Democrats and Independents focused on fixing the way our government works regardless of who is in office.

No Labels does not believe a third party candidacy offers a compelling or an immediate solution to America's problems. There is no one “white knight” candidate coming to save us.

Many of the problems with America’s government have become election-proof. We elect different people, but continue to face the same hyper-partisanship and gridlock, especially in Congress. Even when we elect good people, they operate in a dysfunctional system that makes it exceedingly difficult to actually solve problems. That is why No Labels supports reforms, leaders and legislation that will help fix America’s broken government and break the stranglehold of the extremes that currently dominate our political process.

In 2012, we are focused on fixing Congress, which has become the epicenter of dysfunction in Washington. At a time when our nation faces immense challenges, the American people have never had less faith in the ability of Congress to do anything about them. This problem couldn’t be more serious – because if Congress is broken, so is the United States of America.

Every law addressing any issue we could conceivably care about has to go through Congress first. Congress simply has to work better – and this can’t wait until after the 2012 elections.

No Labels’ Make Congress Work! action plan is our first organized grassroots campaign. Our dozen common sense proposals – ranging from withholding congressional pay if spending bills aren’t passed on time to fixing the filibuster to importing British parliament-style question time for the president – can have an immediate, positive impact on solving America’s national challenges.

Is No Labels trying to start a third party or support an independent for president?

No. We are focused on building a broad citizen movement that aims to take our country back from an extreme minority that has paralyzed American government at a time of grave national crisis.

People on the far left and far right represent just a fraction of the American public, but they exercise power well beyond their numbers for a simple reason:

They care.

The extremists vote, they write and call their members of Congress, and they donate money. In short, they force leaders in Washington to pay attention to them.

It’s time for Washington to pay attention us.

Our political leaders respond to incentives, just like everyone else. In today’s system, politicians who instigate conflict are rewarded with campaign cash and party support. Those who pursue cooperation are punished with attack ads and primary challenges.

If we, as a nation, want our leaders to think independently and solve problems, we’ve got to change the incentives to reward them for doing so. That is why No Labels is building an organized movement that can be every bit as powerful as the extremes that seek to impose their narrow vision of America on everyone else.

Is No Labels a think tank?

No. There are already many think tanks and individuals who have developed thoughtful approaches to important issues. No Labels does not promote any particular issue.

However, No Labels believes that solving virtually every important issue facing America – whether it’s building a better tax code or immigration system, balancing our budget or fixing our schools – will require leaders from both political parties to work together.

As these issues are debated in Washington and across America, No Labels will use the influence of our supporters and the media to press our political leaders to set aside the labels and come together to solve problems.

Is No Labels just about compromise or splitting the difference between conservatives and liberals? Is it about speaking in civil language?

No. We’re not pushing compromise for its own sake, and we’re not naïve enough to think politicians being nicer to one another will suddenly make our government work. But failure to compromise and uncivil discussion are symptoms of a much bigger problem with our government.

Democrats and Republicans have organized themselves into warring clans that value defeating the other side over even the most basic acts of governing, like passing a budget on time or confirming competent people to staff our courts and the President’s Cabinet.

There is common ground between the parties, but they refuse to even try to find it.

How else to explain the fact that our political parties now routinely denounce ideas they supported just a few years ago; not because the ideas suddenly became bad, but because the other party embraced them too?

In most negotiations, when the other side embraces your idea, it is called agreement. In Washington, it is called selling-out, or even treason.

If No Labels can tone down the partisanship and diminish the power of the extremes, we believe it will create space for our politicians to come together to develop pragmatic and workable solutions.

What is No Labels' position on the issues? What issues are you pushing?

The No Labels movement is not about a single issue. It is about uniting Americans left, right and center to take our country back from an extreme minority that has paralyzed our government at a time of grave national crisis.

The simple fact about America in 2012 is that no party has or will likely soon have a monopoly on power. That means solving any of the pressing challenges facing America - from tax and immigration reform to curbing our deficit - will require people from different parties coming together for the good of the country.

Certain procedural obstacles stand in the way of making real progress on these key policy issues. That is why we are focusing this year on promoting 12 solutions to reduce congressional gridlock, so that our elected officials can work together to find bipartisan solutions to the challenges our country faces.

No Labels is the voice for people who want a less partisan, less ideological, more common sense approach to solving the nation’s problems.

What about other "social issues"? Is No Labels pro-choice or pro-life?

No Labels does not take positions on social issues like abortion.

We’re not staying away from social issues because we believe they're unimportant. But for decades, the extremes have used these “wedge” issues to fan the flames of a never-ending culture war. We are not interested in fighting it.

No Labels is focused on making our institutions of government work again by diminishing the influence of the extremes and pushing our politicians to develop solutions in areas where there is common ground.

Everything you say sounds great, but how can we accomplish it?

Our 2012 Make Congress Work! campaign is our first organized grassroots campaign. We are starting with Congress because it is the epicenter of dysfunction in Washington.

Although Make Congress Work! will be No Labels’ first big campaign, it certainly will not be our last. In the coming year, we’ll develop a scorecard that will serve as a tool to hold our leaders in Washington accountable for their ability to work across the aisle and solve problems. Eventually, we will also tackle other problems that are causing hyper-partisanship and gridlock in our government, including the broken primary election process and the gerrymandering that effectively allows politicians to draw their own districts.

To achieve these goals, we have developed an inside and outside the Beltway strategy. We have already gained the support of dozens of current and former members of Congress and government leaders who are committed to the same goals as No Labels and will help push our agenda.

Most importantly, No Labels is building a powerful network of grassroots supporters who are willing to organize people in their community, to write their members of Congress and to demand that their voice is heard in Washington. No Labels has a large and growing base of supporters nationwide, and. by the end of 2012, we hope to have 1 million supporters behind our efforts.

What about other reform efforts, like money in politics and gerrymandering?

No Labels is supportive of political reform generally. This year, we are focusing our energy and resources on efforts that will lessen the hyper-partisan gridlock that is gripping Congress and prevents them from addressing the nation’s problems in a meaningful way. We believe that such political reforms should meet the following criteria: 1) they must have bipartisan support, 2) they must be achievable, and 3) they must be able to be implemented quickly. You can find our 12-point reform agenda to achieve these goals at nolabels.org/work.

Although Make Congress Work! will be No Labels’ first big campaign, it certainly will not be our last. In the coming year, we’ll develop a scorecard that will serve as a tool to hold our leaders in Washington accountable for their ability to work across the aisle and solve problems. Eventually, we will also tackle other problems that are causing hyper-partisanship and gridlock in our government, including the broken primary election process and the gerrymandering that effectively allows politicians to draw their own districts.

What is significant about bipartisan legislation?

Making a bill bipartisan certainly doesn't guarantee it will be a good bill. But solving any of the pressing challenges facing America - from tax and immigration reform to curbing our deficit - will require bipartisan support in Congress. With power so closely divided between the parties, our leaders have to find a way to work together. No Labels believes that if we can empower people to work across the aisle, then we stand a better chance of solving our nation's problems.

What about the politicians who engage with No Labels?

No Labels regularly engages Democratic, Republican and Independent leaders to discuss solutions to the serious problems plaguing our country. As a diverse community, we don't expect everyone to agree with every leader that participates in a No Labels event. The purpose of these events is to open up our political dialogue and empower our leaders to work across the aisle to get things done.

No person or party has or will likely have a monopoly on power in 2012. That means solving any of the pressing challenges facing America - from tax and immigration reform to curbing our deficit - will require leaders from different parties coming together for the good of the country.

When No Labels hosts an event that does not mean we endorse everything a particular participant stands for. What it does mean is that we’re committed to letting everyone's voice be heard in a respectful manner.

Who funds No Labels?

As a citizens’ movement, no single supporter funds No Labels. We are supported by hundreds of Republicans, Democrats and Independents, many of whom are our Co-Founders and Citizen Leaders, who are fed up with the hyper-partisan gridlock in Washington. All of our Co-Founders volunteer their time.