We always need more two-party solutions and less gridlock in Washington — but, oh, how we especially need those when we face a crisis! And right now, prices rising out of control for family essentials present a serious (and everyday) crisis. You have probably experienced what I have — go online or to the store to buy just about anything and you will experience sticker shock that goes from your eyes to your brain to your gut in a big hurry. We are now all part of a nation of comparison shoppers and discount seekers. And the government is having trouble coming together to address it because of a familiar story: Too many in D.C. would rather fight than solve. The last time inflation was as high as it is right now, Olivia Newton-John topped the charts, Dallas was the number one show on television, and gamers were playing Asteroids on the Atari 2600. Most Americans alive today had not even been born yet. Not only is inflation higher than it’s been since 1981 — it’s also different. The unique conditions of the post-pandemic economy and federal policies have created a new kind of inflation that is proving hard to combat. The surge in prices comes even as the economy itself remains strong by other measures — for now. Americans are feeling the pinch. A Gallup poll found that 83% of Americans are worried about costs spiraling out of control. Senator Joe Manchin — who was pilloried by his own party by warning about inflation last fall — said this month that the crisis “demands the Administration and Congress, Democrats and Republicans alike” act. Manchin called inflation a “problem facing the American people that one political party alone cannot fix.” That’s why No Labels and our allies on Capitol Hill continue to push for two-party solutions. Yes, it’s about coming together and civility, but it’s more than that. Some problems are just too big to solve without working together. No matter which party has congressional control after November’s elections, the majority will be small. Problem-solving Representative Fred Upton, who is retiring after more than three decades of public service, told NBC’s Meet the Press this week that that’s why the Problem Solvers Caucus “is so important as we try to have some glue or fabric to really move forward on issues that we’ve got to deal with.” So let your representatives in Washington know that you want to see real solutions for inflation, dealing with gas, the supply chain, grocery costs — anything that can end this dangerous rise. | 
