Problem Solvers bring light to Capitol Hill darkness

Mark MacKinnon, a co-founder of the bipartisan group No Labels, is offering an upbeat update on the Problem Solvers, a group of 81 Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill that is meeting on a regular basis in a search for Common Ground. Last month, the group, created by No Labels, unveiled a nine-bill package of government reforms.

Here's a portion of an Op-Ed MacKinnon wrote for the Vail (Colo.) Daily:

"... the Problem Solvers coalition is unlike anything that has existed on Capitol Hill. Before the advent of this group, the only time rank-and-file members really met with the other party was when forced to by a crisis. Or when a bipartisan 'gang' rallied around a particular issue.

"But No Labels decided that we wanted to build a more sustainable framework for cooperation on Capitol Hill. For the last three years, No Labels has been working to mobilize Democrats, Republicans and independents behind our new politics of problem solving because we believe that Washington will only change with concerted pressure from people across America. Late last year, we decided to focus our organizing efforts directly on Congress, when we began recruiting members into this new coalition – appropriately named the Problem Solvers.

"The response from members — who themselves have tired of the constant gridlock — has been astounding. Membership in the group has more than tripled since January. Even as news headlines have fixated on the continued dysfunction on Washington these last few months, members of the Problem Solvers coalition have been quietly meeting to rebuild trust with colleagues across the aisle and to begin developing solutions. Make Government Work! is their first effort, with the promise of many more to come.