Making Congress work

If you grin at the gridlock in our nation's capital, if you thrive on partisan politics and the volatile, demoralizing and destructive path that partisanship produces, this editorial is not for you.

But if you're one of the millions of Americans who sees the problems and wants to fix them but isn't sure how, we have something you might be interested in. All you need is a computer with Internet access, 15 or 20 minutes of your time and a willingness to consider what some will call unorthodox approaches to solving those problems.

Go to NoLabels.org.

Make Congress work.

The website is a harbinger of a grassroots campaign that supporters believe can change the way our nation does its political business by the time the 2013 Congress is seated.

"Every law addressing any substantial issue has to go through Congress first," the website says. "That means if we want a better tax code, a balanced budget, a better immigration system or more effective educational and energy policies, we first need to fix our broken Congress.

"No Labels believes the biggest problem with Congress is not necessarily the people in it. It's the outdated rules, procedures and traditions that govern the institution and make it impossible for anything to get done. Congress has become a place where even good, talented people get dragged down by a broken system. But if the rules of Congress change, we can make our government work again."

The site offers 12 proposals to fix what's broken. Each is sweeping in its potential impact and stunning in its ability to zero in on problems from a common sense, non-partisan perspective.

For instance, No Labels suggests that because Congress rarely approves spending bills on time, making it impossible for members to understand the bills and anticipate their impact, members should not be paid unless spending bills are approved on time.

No Labels is aware that many members of Congress spend too much time on the campaign fundraising trail and too little actually working for their constituents during the session. It's hard to argue with the organization's recommendation that members of the House and Senate should be in their offices five days a week for three weeks in any given month.

Would you object to monthly bipartisan meetings for members so they could actually get to know one another and develop decent human relationships? Or having each member of Congress seated next to at least one member of the other party during all meetings and joint sessions? How about leaders from both parties creating a bipartisan leadership committee for legislative agendas and substantive solutions?

Our nation is a ship sinking under the weight of untenable debt. It's been dismasted by friendly fire - broadsides from fellow Americans who have forgotten they fight for the same ideals.

No Labels might not have all the answers, but it's as good a place to start a new discussion as any.