Dear Friend, Something exceptional happened today that we will talk more about tomorrow at our virtual event Congress Comes To You. Click here to sign up. It’s something that has never before happened in Congress. And it marks a turning point for No Labels, our politics of problem solving and hopefully for America. Today, the co-chairs of the House Problem Solvers, Josh Gottheimer and Tom Reed, and their bipartisan Senate allies, Bob Menendez and Bill Cassidy released an ambitious joint proposal to funnel desperately needed funds to states, cities and towns harmed by coronavirus. It’s an excellent proposal and No Labels will be mobilizing to help to get it passed. But what’s most important about today is not what’s in the proposal. It’s how it came together. For the first time ever, a bipartisan group of House and Senate members met and moved legislation together at the same time. You can learn the about the ins and outs of this process at our virtual event Congress Comes To You. But, this is worth repeating. It’s the first time ever. Here is why this is such a big deal. In recent years, power in Congress has become increasingly concentrated in the offices of what some call “the four corners,” namely the speaker and minority leader in the House, and the Senate majority and minority leaders. This trend only accelerated amid the coronavirus crisis, with leaders writing multi trillion dollar relief bills with little input from committees or rank and file members. It was perhaps a necessary evil in the crisis’ early days, when moving fast was so essential. But this can’t continue. And it won’t because of the stand the Problem Solvers and their Senate allies took today. For the last month, No Labels has been hosting Zoom calls each week with these House and Senate members. The calls began as a way for a members to stay connected in the early days of the crisis. They have become something much more: a forum for members to share ideas, to debate and develop ideas. On one of these calls, a senator noted how remarkable it was to have members from both congressional chambers collaborating like this. He said, “the House and Senate are only 100 yards apart, but we may as well be 100 miles apart given how little we all talk to one another.” But today’s bipartisan proposal was born because House and Senate members agreed to meet and move together. It was the first time. It won’t be the last. You are witnessing, in real time, the creation of an unprecedented new governing coalition with Democrats and Republicans, House and Senate members, committed to the simple idea that solving problems is more important than serving a political party. You are witnessing something special and important in the history of our country. And you are helping to write that history alongside so many other people in the No Labels movement. Make sure to sign up for our virtual event Congress Comes To You to hear more about how this monumental agreement came to be. | 
