[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 1]
[House]
[Page 150]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1210
                               NO LABELS

  (Mr. CICILLINE asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute.)
  Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, all of us know that the 112th Congress 
was one of the least productive legislative sessions in our history.
  Even as our country faced significant challenges, partisan posturing 
and political brinksmanship dominated the debate in Washington and 
created an unprecedented level of gridlock that kept real work from 
getting done.
  As we begin the work of the 113th Congress, it is critical that both 
Democrats and Republicans commit to working with their colleagues 
across the aisle and putting the long-term interests of our country 
ahead of their own short-term political goals.
  That's why I have decided to join a group of Democrats, Independents, 
and Republicans in an organization called No Labels as a problem-solver 
which will meet regularly to build trust and cooperation between 
members of both parties and get Washington back to a place where 
Democrats and Republicans working together is the rule rather than the 
exception.
  We need leaders in Congress who are serious about finding solutions 
to the challenges we face both at home and abroad.
  I am convinced that there is no challenge so great that we cannot 
solve by working together, and No Labels is offering a venue for 
Republicans, Democrats, and Independents to do exactly that. I urge my 
colleagues to join us in this effort.

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