Centrist House group offers bipartisan COVID-19 relief deal
Source: The Hill
A bipartisan group of about 50 House lawmakers will offer their own coronavirus relief plan Tuesday in a bid to revive stalled stimulus negotiations between Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and the White House before the Nov. 3 elections.
The Problem Solvers Caucus, comprised of centrist Democrats and Republicans, will propose a $1.5 trillion package that provides another round of stimulus checks, boosted unemployment insurance and much-needed aid for cities and states.
The proposal represents a last-ditch effort to strike a deal on COVID-19 relief with party leaders still about $1 trillion apart and lawmakers set to leave Washington for the campaign trail at the end of the month. The plan also comes as moderate Democrats and Republicans, many facing tough reelections, are voicing frustration about the weeks-long impasse as the pandemic has killed nearly 200,000 Americans and put millions out of work.
The Problem Solvers’s “March to Common Ground” framework calls for $1.52 trillion in new money, though up to $2 trillion could be available if coronavirus conditions worsen, sources said. Pelosi is digging in on Democrats’ demand for a $2.2 trillion package, while the White House says President Trump could support a little more than $1 trillion in funding.
Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/house/516442-centris-house-group-offers-bipartisan-covid-19-relief-deal
Both Pelosi’s office and White House officials have been briefed.
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The great Charlie Pierce had these tools figured out from the get-go. This article is from 2018 but pertains even more now as Dems look to possibly take more control after the November election:
[link:https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a25323488/nancy-pelosi-speaker-mark-penn-problem-solvers/|]
The whole challenge, of course, was an attempt by the well-funded corporate gnomes of the Third Way, and No Labels, and the Problem Solvers Caucus—which is notable in political history for never having solved a single problem—to defang the new Democratic majority before it really gets rolling even in the mildest leftward direction.
The caucus was born out of meetings of congresspeople organized by No Labels, which was founded in 2010 as a bipartisan group, backed by wealthy donors, ostensibly dedicated to civility and good government. Nancy Jacobson, Penn’s wife, is the No Labels CEO, and Penn is also closely involved with the group. Gottheimer was elected to Congress in 2016 and co-founded the caucus, with Rep. Tom Reed, R-N.Y., shortly thereafter.
And Mark Pocan initially got snookered but wised up quickly. Again, from 2018 (funny how this group pops up whenever Dems have or appear likely to increase their power):
[link:https://www.huffpost.com/entry/opinion-no-labels-mark-pocan_n_5c06b110e4b0cd916fb0b042?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly9kdWNrZHVja2dvLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAJn5e6vRCWxsou5liwijdSLd-sFMVGnrOjlJJlRB9GBYZV2Kbtscb3qyH1PHanZW8qWiz26zuwUTtGmpvqHZvuQwkVJidTN3UGn812DlNF03pzRHfDY1F5SjdlkLyGAwZ6rR7cJUzl0WBAnR-h8dYsO0vcCZT3prEBuQlgvgCro3|]
I was duped.
When I was elected to Congress in 2012, I attended the Bipartisan Program for Newly Elected Members of Congress at Harvard University. I was so excited to be a member of a branch of government for the most awesome country on the planet....
The moment we were sworn in, we were given lapel pins to brand us as the Problem Solvers Caucus, which was sponsored by No Labels.
However, things quickly went south. I attended a few meetings at the outset, but the rhetoric wasn’t about finding ways to get things done and breaking gridlock ― rather it was more about finding more centrist, more corporate and more special interest-focused things to do.
Soon thereafter, No Labels became involved in elections with a closely contested U.S. Senate race in Colorado, backing Republican Cory Gardner over Democrat Mark Udall.
That didn’t seem right. A group that wasn’t supposed to pick labels was doing exactly that: picking a label. When asked to join the Problem Solvers Caucus, members were never told that this would be part of the program...
While No Labels was originally advertised as a group committed to getting things done and breaking gridlock, it now seems more focused on stopping Pelosi and providing a fast track for special interests and lobbyists.
Worse, this past week I’ve read a few articles regarding what No Labels has been up to in the last couple of years.
First, the organization spent almost twice as much helping re-elect Republicans as it spent helping Democrats. Second, reporters reviewed email correspondence that showed No Labels contemplating a plan to attack Pelosi and use her leadership as a wedge to divide congressional Democrats. And third, it’s clear that No Labels never had any meaningful ultimatums or demands on rules for leadership during eight years of a Republican-led House, or over the last four years of a Republican-led Senate. No Labels only has challenges for Democratic leadership in the House, specifically, for our next speaker, Nancy Pelosi...
Look, I get it. No Labels is slick, and I got duped. But no other current or newly elected member of Congress should fall for its shtick. No Labels is a centrist, corporate organization working against Democrats with dark, anonymous money to advance power for special interests. Period.
So newly elected members, learn from my mistakes. Run. Fast. No Labels needs a label: “Warning: Wolf in sheep’s clothing inside. Join at your own risk.”
