In the wake of the tragic Arizona Shootings, our nation realized that violent partisan rhetoric must be stopped in order to prevent similar tragedies, and with your help we took action. Want to keep working to find common ground for a healthy American politics?
Sign the No Labels Declaration:
www.NoLabels.org
Dear Supporter,
Together, we collected 2,416 signatures and sent 7,248 letters to our Members of Congress, to encourage them to sit united. Thank you for helping make this happen!
Our work, combined with the innovative leadership of Third Way (the DC think tank that suggested this idea) and Senator Mark Udall, paid off manifold.
It was so inspiring to watch the State of the Union on Tuesday and to see the Republicans and Democrats sitting interspersed and side by side. I felt so hopeful to see Senator Coburn (R-OK) next to Senator Schumer (D-NY), and Youth PROMISE Act Author Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA) next to Republican Majority Leader Eric Cantor.
Watching our leaders sit together felt like a good model for what our nation's leaders could and should be doing more of, being not just civil and respectful, but sharing the responsibility to govern.
And people across America loved it. A CNN/ORC poll found that 72 percent of Americans prefer bipartisan seating, and only 22 percent prefer traditional seating. The enthusiasm was reflected in the press, with excited commentators and journalists musing on possible “dates,” and “a Prom Night” on Capitol Hill. A light-hearted energy spread across the Capitol, as Member of Congress after Member of Congress hopped onto the Bipartisan seating bandwagon, like kids urgent to get in on the party.
Indeed this was a small victory, and yet a victory nevertheless. This musical chairs experience, for a brief moment, demonstrated our shared yearning for a sense of unity and community.
During the address, President Obama envisioned an education system that uplifts the capacity of America's young people, the opportunities for peace and prosperity, and the importance of re-organizing our government for the 21st century.
To fulfill this vision we need to dig deeper into our commitment to collaborate, and encourage our leaders to see past the labels of partisanship.
As President Obama stated, "What comes of this moment will be determined not by whether we can sit together tonight, but whether we can work together tomorrow."
Excited about carrying on this work to transcend the boundaries of political parties? Consider signing the No Labels Declaration, which concludes: “We must put our labels aside, and put the issues and what’s best for the nation first. A promising future awaits us.”
Click here to sign the No Labels Declaration
Gratefully,
Aaron Voldman
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