John,
It would be an understatement to say that the first week of the second Trump administration has been eventful. Between a record number of presidential executive orders, several high-profile cabinet confirmation hearings, and the ongoing wildfires in California (not to mention a historic snowstorm across the South, including here in South Carolina), it has been one of those weeks that felt like a year.
But amid the noise, we also saw in Congress examples of principled decision-making and bipartisan cooperation. Cultivating and supporting this kind of leadership is what No Labels is all about.
Early this week, both the House and Senate passed the Laken Riley Act, which requires the Department of Homeland Security to detain undocumented immigrants charged with or convicted of theft-related crimes, assaulting police officers, or crimes resulting in death or serious bodily injury, like drunk driving. The bill – named after Laken Riley, a Georgia college student who was tragically murdered by an undocumented immigrant with a prior record – also allows states to sue the Department of Homeland Security for failures in immigration enforcement.
While it originated as a Republican initiative, the Laken Riley Act passed Congress with the support of 58 Democrats across the House and Senate, including key allies of No Labels like Rep. Jared Golden. This bill represents a small but important step toward Congress addressing a broken immigration system that Americans urgently want fixed. The fact that lawmakers from both parties united around this legislation demonstrates that progress is still possible, even on the toughest issues. This is exactly why we are supporting leaders in the Senate and House to ensure that we seize moments like this and move the country forward.
While many Democrats showed a welcome willingness to forge bipartisan cooperation, a few Republican senators demonstrated the kind of independent thinking Congress needs a lot more of. Despite intense pressure for Senate Republicans to support all of President Trump’s Cabinet nominees, Republican Senators Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins voted this week against Pete Hegseth’s nomination as Defense Secretary.
Whatever you think about Hegseth, we should all take note of and applaud those moments when members of Congress make clear they take their role as a coequal branch of government seriously.
This week has shown us just how much work lies ahead, but it has also revealed glimmers of the leadership our country needs. When lawmakers choose to collaborate across party lines or stand firm in their convictions, they make it clear that we do not need rubber-stamp Republicans or resistance Democrats.
Today, we are calling on our community to thank Rep. Golden for his commitment to the kind of independent, principled leadership that will move our country forward.
