Make Congress Work! Town Hall Teleconference (Live Blog)

Submitted by Collin Berglund on January 23, 2012
Tags: 
Make Congress Work
joe manchin
robert dold
Tim Griffin
ron shaich
Town Hall

Miss the town hall last night? Click here to listen to a recording -- or read on to check out the highlights from the call.

8:30 p.m. Thanks For Listening! Thanks for getting on the call everyone! We had a great turnout, showing that all Americans across the country have something in common. Republican? Democrat? Independent? Doesn't matter, we're all the same in that we want our government to work again.

8:20 p.m. We Can't Even Get A Budget Delivered, Let Alone Balanced: That's what No Labels Co-Founder and Panera Bread Founder Ron Shaich says. If Reform No. 1 of our Make Congress Work! action plan No Budget - No Pay were enforced, it might be easier to get it done.

8:10 p.m. Poll 1: 70 percent of people on the call think Congress should make bipartisan seating at the State of the Union a permanent tradition.

7:58 p.m. Until We Change The Game The Game Won't Change. That's what Panera Bread Founder Ron Shaich says. Make Congress Work! is one way to change the game.

7:47 Bipartisan Leadership Committee: "I've got to meet deadlines and I've got to solve problems or else I go out of business," Panera Bread Founder and Executive Chairman Ron Shaich says. It's time for Congress to do the same thing. "We've got to fix the structural problems in Congress that make it virtually impossible to get anything done."

7:42 p.m. No Budget - No Pay. Sen. Joe Manchin talks about the importance of "No Budget, No Pay" to lead off the town hall teleconference.

"If we worried about the next generation instead of the next election, this would be a heck of a country," Manchin said.

7:38 p.m. 196. That's how many members of Congress will be sitting with their colleagues from the opposite party during tomorrow night's State of the Union after No Labels supporters flooded inboxes on Capitol Hill, our first step in the Make Congress Work! action plan.

7:26 p.m. Get Ready. Everyone ready to talk about how to push the rest of No Labels' Make Congress Work! action plan? With reforms like No Budget - No Pay, which would dock pay for members of Congress if they can't pass an on-time budget and appropriations bills, the plan has a real opportunity to change the rules and fix what's broken in Washington. Convincing members of Congress to sit together during the State of the Union was just a first step. Now let's talk about how to keep moving in the only direction that matters: forward. Get your questions ready. 

Worst. Congress. Ever. Polls, headlines and the American people are all saying the same thing: hyper-partisanship and gridlock in Washington have simply gone too far. It's time to move America forward. Some leaders in Washington know it's time for action. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Reps. Robert Dold (R-IL) and Tim Griffin (R-AR) will be be on the call tonight to talk to you. American citizens know something has to be done -- tens of thousands, including Panera Bread Founder & Executive Chairman Ron Shaich, who is also a co-founder of No Labels, will be getting on the call to voice their concerns.