Congressmen Ami Bera, David Cicilline, Rodney Davis and Adam Kinzinger talk problem solving.
Hyper-partisan primaries are getting nasty in Florida
Submitted by Jack McCullough on August 14, 2012
HYPER-PARTISAN PRIMARY: Florida is holding its primaries today, but voters are more focused on the negativity surrounding elections in Miami. According to Marc Caputo, "Candidates and shadowy political committees have dredged up divorce records, filed court complaints, propped up ringers to run against rivals, hurled charges of corruption or questioned opponents’ sexuality, national origin or addiction to pornography." We have real problems in this country and candidates running for office should focus on those issues, not mudslinging: Marc Caputo for The Miami Herald: A voter’s guide to Miami-Dade’s nasty primaries
RUNNING ON SOLUTIONS: Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle is running for U.S. Senate on a problem-solving platform. While talking about how to end the gridlock in Washington, Lingle mentioned the No Budget, No Pay Act and having Congress follow a five-day work week, both part of our Make Congress Work! action plan: Gov Linda Lingle for The Hawaii Free Press: Lingle: My Opponent is one of the '12 Percenters'
GRIDLOCK CAUSING FEAR: Last year, Lynnette Rodgers faced a tough decision: take a job with the Social Security Administration or a job at home with the Cuyahoga County government in Ohio. Despite having to move from home and Washington having a much higher cost of living, Rodgers moved to DC. Now with large, blind cuts looming, Rodgers does not know if she will have a job in a few months. Many federal workers have a similar story as they wait to see how the cuts will effect them: Steve Vogel and Timothy R. Smith for The Washington Post: Federal workers fret about jobs as sequestration looms
RUNNING FROM FACTS: Both presidential campaigns are running on very different ideas about how we can reduce our deficit and get our economy moving again. However, The Washington Post editorial board believes that both plans are incomplete and only use the information they want to highlight. Both plans could be more comprehensive if we used the facts as proposed in our Make the Presidency Work!action plan: The Washington Post Editorial Board: The dangerous myths at the heart of political parties’ fiscal policies
QUESTIONS: Presidential candidates have the responsibility to provide answers for American voters. Yet, President Barack Obama has only answered one question about gun control in the last eight weeks while former Governor Mitt Romney answered three questions from the press on his overseas trip and then ignored the press. As part of proposal number one in our Make the President Work! action plan, we believe that presidential candidates should be open about their views and hold at least two press conferences a month.
TYING TO GRIDLOCK: Both presidential campaigns want to tie the opposition to Congress, trying to avoid the blame for an extremely unpopular body. Recently, Vice President Joe Biden has used the announcement of vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan to tie the Republican ticket to Congress. We need solutions from our candidates not finger-pointing: Jared Favole for The Wall Street Journal: Biden Tries to Tie GOP Ticket to Congress
THE DAILY BREAK: Chuck Norris loves America. Find out why here: Chuck Norris for The Daily Beast: Chuck Norris’s 10 Favorite Things About America
ACTION OF THE DAY: Click here to become a No Labels Digital Leader. It only takes a few minutes a week but is a huge step toward breaking through the gridlock in Washington.
STAT OF THE DAY: For the past eight weeks, Gallup's Economic Confidence Index has been stagnant in the -23 to -29 range. 35 percent of Americans think that the economy is getting better, while 61 percent believes that it is getting worse. The fight over the fiscal cliff in Congress is unlikely to ease these tensions: Jenny Marlar for Gallup: U.S. Economic Confidence Remains Lower
Written & edited by Kelsey McLaughlin, Collin Berglund, Lauren Gilbert and Jack McCullough
Tips, questions or ideas? Email the Problem-Solver's Daily team at psdaily@nolabels.org or tweet at us (@nolabelsorg).
12 Ways to Make Congress Work!
- 1. No Budget, No Pay
If Congress can't pass a budget and all annual spending bills on time, members of Congress should not get paid.
- 2. Up or Down Vote on Presidential Appointments
All presidential nominations should be confirmed or rejected within 90 days of the nomination.
- 3. Fix the Filibuster
Require real (not virtual) filibusters and end filibusters on motions to proceed.
- 4. Empower the Sensible Majority
Allow a bipartisan majority of members to override a leader or committee chair’s refusal to bring a bill to the floor.
- 5. Make Members Come to Work
Make Congress work on coordinated schedules with three five-day work weeks a month in DC and one week in their home district.
- 6. Question Time for the President
Provide a monthly forum for members of Congress to ask the president questions to force leaders to debate one another and defend their ideas.
- 7. Fiscal Report to Congress
A nonpartisan leader should deliver an annual, televised fiscal update in-person to a joint session of Congress to ensure everyone is working off the same facts.
- 8. No Pledge but the Oath of Office
Members should make no pledge but the pledge of allegiance and their formal oath of office.
- 9. Monthly Bipartisan Gatherings
The House and Senate should institute monthly, off-the-record and bipartisan gatherings to get members talking across party lines.
- 10. Bipartisan Seating
At all joint meetings or sessions of Congress, each member should be seated next to at least one member of the other party.
- 11. Bipartisan Leadership Committee
Congressional party leaders should form a bipartisan congressional leadership committee to discuss legislative agendas and substantive solutions.
- 12. No Negative Campaigns Against Incumbents
Incumbents from one party should not conduct negative campaigns against sitting members of the opposing party.
- 1. No Budget, No Pay
If Congress can't pass a budget and all annual spending bills on time, members of Congress should not get paid.
- 2. Up or Down Vote on Presidential Appointments
All presidential nominations should be confirmed or rejected within 90 days of the nomination.
- 3. Fix the Filibuster
Require real (not virtual) filibusters and end filibusters on motions to proceed.
- 4. Empower the Sensible Majority
Allow a bipartisan majority of members to override a leader or committee chair’s refusal to bring a bill to the floor.
- 5. Make Members Come to Work
Make Congress work on coordinated schedules with three five-day work weeks a month in DC and one week in their home district.
- 6. Question Time for the President
Provide a monthly forum for members of Congress to ask the president questions to force leaders to debate one another and defend their ideas.
- 7. Fiscal Report to Congress
A nonpartisan leader should deliver an annual, televised fiscal update in-person to a joint session of Congress to ensure everyone is working off the same facts.
- 8. No Pledge but the Oath of Office
Members should make no pledge but the pledge of allegiance and their formal oath of office.
- 9. Monthly Bipartisan Gatherings
The House and Senate should institute monthly, off-the-record and bipartisan gatherings to get members talking across party lines.
- 10. Bipartisan Seating
At all joint meetings or sessions of Congress, each member should be seated next to at least one member of the other party.
- 11. Bipartisan Leadership Committee
Congressional party leaders should form a bipartisan congressional leadership committee to discuss legislative agendas and substantive solutions.
- 12. No Negative Campaigns Against Incumbents
Incumbents from one party should not conduct negative campaigns against sitting members of the opposing party.
- 1. No Budget, No Pay
If Congress can't pass a budget and all annual spending bills on time, members of Congress should not get paid.
- 2. Up or Down Vote on Presidential Appointments
All presidential nominations should be confirmed or rejected within 90 days of the nomination.
- 3. Fix the Filibuster
Require real (not virtual) filibusters and end filibusters on motions to proceed.
- 4. Empower the Sensible Majority
Allow a bipartisan majority of members to override a leader or committee chair’s refusal to bring a bill to the floor.
- 5. Make Members Come to Work
Make Congress work on coordinated schedules with three five-day work weeks a month in DC and one week in their home district.
- 6. Question Time for the President
Provide a monthly forum for members of Congress to ask the president questions to force leaders to debate one another and defend their ideas.
- 7. Fiscal Report to Congress
A nonpartisan leader should deliver an annual, televised fiscal update in-person to a joint session of Congress to ensure everyone is working off the same facts.
- 8. No Pledge but the Oath of Office
Members should make no pledge but the pledge of allegiance and their formal oath of office.
- 9. Monthly Bipartisan Gatherings
The House and Senate should institute monthly, off-the-record and bipartisan gatherings to get members talking across party lines.
- 10. Bipartisan Seating
At all joint meetings or sessions of Congress, each member should be seated next to at least one member of the other party.
- 11. Bipartisan Leadership Committee
Congressional party leaders should form a bipartisan congressional leadership committee to discuss legislative agendas and substantive solutions.
- 12. No Negative Campaigns Against Incumbents
Incumbents from one party should not conduct negative campaigns against sitting members of the opposing party.
11 Ways to Make the Presidency Work!
- 1. Regular News Conferences for the President
- 2. Fast-Track Legislative Authority for The President
- 3. Make The Parties Pay for Presidential Fundraising
- 4. A Line Item Veto With A Twist
- 5. Reduce the Number of Appointees Subject to Senate Confirmation
- 6. Identify a "Slate That Can't Wait" of Critical Nominees For Expedited Confirmation
- 7. Up or Down Vote on Presidential Appointments
- 8. Question Time for The President
- 9. Expanded Presidential Power to Reorganize
- 10. Different Opinions, But the Same Facts
- 11. Regular Meetings Between the President And Congressional Leadership
- 1. Regular News Conferences for the President
- 2. Fast-Track Legislative Authority for The President
- 3. Make The Parties Pay for Presidential Fundraising
- 4. A Line Item Veto With A Twist
- 5. Reduce the Number of Appointees Subject to Senate Confirmation
- 6. Identify a "Slate That Can't Wait" of Critical Nominees For Expedited Confirmation
- 7. Up or Down Vote on Presidential Appointment
- 8. Question Time for The President
- 9. Expanded Presidential Power to Reorganize
- 10. Different Opinions, But the Same Facts
- 11. Regular Meetings Between the President And Congressional Leadership
- 1. Regular News Conferences for the President
- 2. Fast-Track Legislative Authority for The President
- 3. Make The Parties Pay for Presidential Fundraising
- 4. A Line Item Veto With A Twist
- 5. Reduce the Number of Appointees Subject to Senate Confirmation
- 6. Identify a "Slate That Can't Wait" of Critical Nominees For Expedited Confirmation
- 7. Up or Down Vote on Presidential Appointment
- 8. Question Time for The President
- 9. Expanded Presidential Power to Reorganize
- 10. Different Opinions, But the Same Facts
- 11. Regular Meetings Between the President And Congressional Leadership
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In today's Problem-Solver's Daily, what factors are contributing to a broken Congress, the gang of eight knows trust is important and trust in the locker room is similar to trust in public office.
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April 23, 2013 in problem solvers, ami bera, rodney davis, David Cicilline, Adam Kinzinger
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April 5, 2013 in Cheri Bustos, government waste
