This could be a ‘break the glass’ moment for Congress

The dynamic always seems to be the same in the House. Ideologues on one end of the intellectual spectrum hijack the broad majority’s agenda with concerns of their own. And when seats are so evenly distributed between the parties, a small handful of votes can be determinative. The Democrats weren’t able to move forward without every member of their caucus lined up behind various policy initiatives when they controlled Congress, and today the Republicans are struggling to elect a House Speaker. Thus, the most conservative Republicans and the most liberal Democrats wield outsized power, to the point that too frequently they get what they want. But what if it didn’t have to be that way?

There’s nothing in the Constitution that requires a party leader to be chosen as House Speaker. Indeed, there’s no requirement that the Speaker even be a sitting member of Congress. And so now, with Republicans seemingly divided among themselves, there’s an opportunity for members of Congress to think outside the box—to identify someone capable of bringing people with different ideas together in common cause. But it would require a different sort of cooperation—namely bipartisan cooperation.

What if the broad majority of Republicans were to stand behind a figure capable of enticing the support of reasonable Democrats eager to see the House become a fair and bipartisan body? What if, instead of seeking the support of the intransigent Republicans who have refused to accept Rep. Kevin McCarthy as their leader, the rest of the Republican Party looked across the aisle to see if there were a consensus candidate who could win the support of some Democrats?

We think it’s possible, and we think the country would be better off for trying. More than that, we think there are a range of figures who would do a good job, capable both of honoring the spirit and direction of the Republican Party, which won control of the chamber in November’s election, but giving Democrats a stronger hand in negotiations than they would have if McCarthy’s detractors within the GOP determine who holds the gavel.

Consider, as one possibility, the co-chairs of the Problem Solvers Caucus, Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) and Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.). Having worked so well together, and having accomplished so much as bulwarks against the demands of the far right and far left, a House led by either would almost surely prove much more productive legislatively than one in which a Speaker essentially controlled by McCarthy’s detractors. A Problem Solver-led House will be less likely to pass legislation out of the House that is “dead on arrival” in the Senate or, if it were to get through the Senate, sure to be vetoed by President Biden.

Or consider the range of Republicans who have developed track records of working well with Democrats. Former Maryland Gov. (and current No Label’s co-chairman) Larry Hogan. Former Sens. Bob Corker (Tenn.) or Kelly Ayotte (N.H.). Former White House chief of staff and Rep. Mick Mulvaney (S.C.). All these figures could draw the support of most Republicans and perhaps some Democrats.

Or, if members are more inclined to embrace an even more independent voice, they could consider one of No Labels other two co-chairs, former Sen. Joe Lieberman (Conn.) or the Rev. Ben Chavis Jr., or else an entirely apolitical choice who rose to become a Navy admiral and the nation’s director of national intelligence, Dennis Blair.

This broad range of possibilities will seem unorthodox to many—if only because, outside the two co-chairs of the Problem Solvers Caucus, none have been elected to the coming Congress. But we think this novelty is an asset, not a liability. The American people are beyond frustrated with Washington—disgusted by our leaders’ collective inability to address the nation’s big problems in a comprehensive way. But the solution to that problem isn’t to continue business as usual—it’s to try something entirely different.

Electing a Speaker who can elicit support from the minority party could entirely transform the House of Representatives from a body dominated by the extremes, to one committed to common sense. America is blessed by a deep well of talent capable of bringing Democrats and Republicans together. Today, members of the House in both parties have an opportunity for a “break the glass” moment. For the good of the country, they should seize it.

Nancy Jacobson is CEO of No Labels.