Friend, When it comes to the nation’s urgent infrastructure needs, make no mistake: There are precisely three options: - Pass a divisive, multi-trillion-dollar, Democratic-only measure rammed through using the budget reconciliation process.
- Reach a bipartisan plan whose scope and particulars actually match the needs of the country.
- Do nothing.
Make no mistake: Those are the choices. Option 1 is fraught with political and economic risk. There is still a good chance that Democratic moderates will balk at layering on another $3-4 trillion on federal spending, and eventually halt the reconciliation gambit. That would leave the country with nothing done on infrastructure. Option 3 yields the same failure. Option 2 isn’t just the best—and only choice. It is the choice most consistent with what President Biden says he wants and it’s the clear choice of the American people based on polling No Labels just conducted in 15 of the most competitive congressional swing districts across America. You can read the full poll findings here. President Biden has said America has a “once-in-a generation” chance to invest in our country and our infrastructure. He said he wants a bipartisan deal because there is no such thing as “Republican bridges, Democratic airports, Republican hospitals, or a Democratic power grid.” We agree with the president. And with the recent release of similar proposals from the House Problem Solvers Caucus and a bipartisan Senate group, there is now a real opening for a targeted, two-party solution. These blueprints mark “a fresh attempt to resurrect negotiations between congressional lawmakers and the White House.” It is clear that there is truly only one rational option. Do the hard but necessary work to bring Democrats and Republicans together to forge an agreement at around $1 trillion in new spending—the clear sweet spot in new spending according to the No Labels poll—thereby addressing America’s actual infrastructure needs and restoring faith in Congress’ ability to do the people’s business. A dedicated pressure campaign from the left is aiming to shape a narrative that a bipartisan deal is impossible, and that reconciliation is inevitable. Neither assertion is true. In addition, the White House continues to suggest that around $1 trillion is not enough to meet the needs of the country. They have not remotely proved that case. Since the COVID pandemic began, Washington has appropriated more than $6 trillion more than its typical spending baseline. As much as $1 trillion in funds may still be unspent. Last week, it was reported as much as half of all unemployment benefits sent this past year—some $400 billion—might be lost to fraud, including to foreign criminal syndicates. In the depths of the COVID crisis—with so many people hurting—it’s understandable why Washington prioritized the speed, rather than the precision of its spending. But there is no such excuse to jam through passage of an infrastructure spending bill via reconciliation outside the process of regular order, which requires more vetting and openings for amendments to improve the bill. In reality, there is only so much short-term construction capacity, given the limitations on workforce, machinery and the tolerance of drivers for construction delays. The country can’t pull off doing much more without dramatically driving up costs and causing delays for both public and private construction. Members of Congress can avoid this huge unforced error by swinging behind a $1 trillion infrastructure package would be a HUGE STEP FORWARD to restoring competitiveness, creating jobs, and reducing carbon. That would be an accomplishment voters across the board would reward in 2022 as proof that government can work again with bipartisan compromise, just as Joe Biden promised in his campaign and as president. The bipartisan leaders of the Problems Solvers Caucus in the House – Josh Gottheimer and Brian Fitzpatrick – recently appeared together on CNN powerfully making the case for such an agreement. Their substantial influence and determination in shaping this latest bipartisan proposal were documented last week in Politico. On the funding side, we know that a big sticking point for most Republicans and some Democrats is an aversion to increased taxes and it’s not hard to see why. No Labels’ swing state poll revealed a broad aversion to major broad-based tax increases, with the notable exception of some support for increased corporate taxes. But a robust infrastructure bill CAN be paid for with a combination of public-private partnerships, user fees, improved tax enforcement, limited rate increases on the wealthy and corporations, and deficit spending. As an organization and as a national movement of individuals, No Labels has and will fervently support members of Congress who are willing to take the risks and make the compromises necessary to bring about a bipartisan solution. This week, we launched a support campaign for the Problem Solvers Caucus and their Senate allies, including: - Thanking our courageous leaders with digital ads for fighting against enormous pressure in support of two-party solutions on infrastructure, including Rep. Abigail Spanberger and Rep. Josh Gottheimer.
- Launching a video spot encouraging the Caucus, their Senate allies, and President Biden to follow the will of the American people to reach an agreement on infrastructure.
- Demonstrating with one of our Smart Chart infographics that a bipartisan agreement based on the Problem Solvers’ plan is clearly possible.
- Generating thousands of emails from No Labels supporters to their members of Congress in support of a two-party infrastructure solution like the one put forth by the Caucus.
No Labels is working to coalesce the national coalition that exists among individuals and organizations who support addressing the nation’s infrastructure needs in a robust, proportionate, and bipartisan manner. In the coming days and weeks, the breadth and power of that movement and that argument will become even more clear, around the nation and In Washington. Let's stay at it and get it done. | 
