By Rep. Scott Peters

We can all agree that Congress is broken. It will take bipartisanship, cooperation, and compromise if we are going to get the place moving again. When I ran for Congress, I did it with the idea that our elected leaders need to start working together to address the serious issues facing our country, regardless of political party. I joined No Labels for all of those reasons: it provides a forum for bipartisan dialogue and collaboration that is desperately needed in Washington.

Congress has become too focused on political posturing and sound bites fit for cable news. Washington has become immensely disconnected from the rest of the country, especially in the way leaders tolerate complacency and stagnation.

Now, it has always been true that the best ideas come from outside the beltway. San Diego’s business and political attitudes are built around collaboration and innovation. I know there are other parts of the country, represented by many of my colleagues, which offer unique perspectives to problem-solving as well. There should be more opportunities for members to discuss these unique ideas in a bipartisan, non-competitive, cooperative way.

No Labels is working constantly to foster a dialogue on how to move the country forward without the rhetoric or petty partisan bickering. I am proud to be a member of their ‘Problem-Solvers’ group; our focus is to get America and Congress working for the people we represent and to bring a new tenor to Congress.

The idea used to be that in working together you could create something better than if you did it alone. Honestly, given the significant short and long term issues facing the country it is necessary to shift that to say that it is imperative that we work together, because if we go it alone the country will be in dire straits. No Labels is the best chance we have to start down that road out of Congressional stalemate. San Diegans expect and deserve that, and I plan to pursue bipartisanship.

Congressman Peters serves the 52nd District of California which covers much of central San Diego County. He was recently rated by National Journal as the fourth most independent Democrat in the House.