I am a 62-year-old, lifelong Democrat. Portraits of John F. Kennedy and Harry Truman hang in my office as do the portraits of Republicans Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. I believe in basic Democratic values, but neither party has a monopoly on good ideas or good people.
Since I was mayor of Glen Cove and county executive, and certainly in Congress, I have always tried to work across party lines to get things done.
Last week, my Democratic colleagues elected me as co-chair of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus. This group of 50 members—both Democrats and Republicans—seeks common ground on pressing issues.
We know that Americans are frustrated by partisan bickering, legislative gridlock and politicians who prioritize political points over real solutions. They want action, and it’s our duty to deliver.
The Problem Solvers are committed to working across the aisle together, finding common ground and getting things done. We will meet every week that we are in D.C. My Republican co-chair, Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), and I lead an organization committed to compromise, collaboration, and service to the greater good.
I’ve been in public service for over 30 years, serving as Glen Cove mayor, Nassau County executive, and member of Congress. All along, I’ve found that progress comes from common ground and bipartisan cooperation to solve problems. When I first came to Congress in 2017, I joined the Problem Solvers Caucus as a founding member and became the vice chair because I believe in working across party lines while staying true to my values.
Finding common ground isn’t easy, but the Problem Solvers Caucus has proven it can bridge divides and achieve results. During the last two presidential terms, the caucus helped pass bipartisan initiatives like the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the CHIPS and Science Act. We also proposed the “March to Common Ground” framework, which broke gridlock and delivered crucial COVID-19 relief.
I believe the recent election was not a mandate for one-party rule. Instead, it was a mandate for practical solutions to the challenges we face, like border security, immigration reform, and economic recovery. Tackling these issues requires us all to set aside fear and anger and to sit down across the table to work together with goodwill and for the common good.
Take immigration and border security, for example. Democrats and Republicans must stop attacking each other and instead must unite against our common enemies. Organized crime, cartels, and coyotes make billions of dollars every year by bringing people to our southern border and teaching them how to game our outdated and overwhelmed immigration system.
The cartels charge immigrants $10,000 per person. They are subjected to sexual and other physical violence as well as robbery, human trafficking and death. These criminals profit by subjecting migrants to horrific conditions and exploiting flaws in our immigration system.
We must secure the border, fix the broken asylum system, restrict asylum applications at the southern border, and create a path to legalize immigrants like our Dreamers, Temporary Protective Status recipients and farm workers. Each of these groups is working hard to contribute to America and secure the American Dream for themselves. Doing so will take bipartisan cooperation, courage and prioritizing the greater good over partisan divides. Serving the people—not political parties—must be our goal.
The Problem Solvers Caucus is also focused on pragmatic solutions that transcend partisanship, like streamlining permitting processes to make building in America more affordable. We will work together to reduce inflation and get our federal budget under control.
The framers of our Constitution warned against partisan politics, calling it “a dangerous vice and a moral disease.” Yet some extremists in Congress have worked to make compromise a dirty word. This is misguided and dangerous. America’s strength lies in bringing together diverse perspectives to find common ground. Losing this ability would threaten the core of our democracy.
Compromise is the lifeblood of democracy. With a narrowly divided Congress, Republicans and Democrats must collaborate to achieve results. If President Trump wants his second term to be effective, he should embrace his dealmaker instincts and negotiate with Democrats. Both parties must avoid rigid partisanship.
We know what politics has become. But imagine what it could be: instead of fighting, we can work together. Instead of attacking, we can create solutions—securing the border, supporting allies, and providing real tax relief for hardworking families. The Problem Solvers Caucus is committed to making this vision a reality.
The American people demand bipartisan action. As co-chair of the Problem Solvers Caucus, I stand ready to lead and move our nation forward.
