U.S. Rep. Grimm joins bi-partisan ‘Problem Solvers’ group

January 7, 2013 By Paula Katinas Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Mike_Grimm.jpg

Share this:

They’re called the Problem Solvers and the congressman representing Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights and Staten Island has joined their ranks.

U.S. Rep. Michael Grimm (R-Brooklyn-Staten Island), who was elected to congress in 2010 with the support of the Tea Party, is now a member of the Problem Solvers, a group of Democratic, Republican and independent members of congress “who have agreed to meet regularly to build trust across the aisle and jumpstart the discussion of effective, principled and pragmatic reform ideas,” according to a press release issued by the group on Jan. 7.

Rep. Grimm will make his first public appearance with the Problem Solvers on Jan. 14, at No Labels Meeting to Make America Work! at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in Times Square.

The Problem Solvers was organized by No Labels, an independent organization that includes members from across the political spectrum, ranging from conservative to liberal and those in between those two political parties. The goal of No Labels is to have people with different ideas work across the aisle to forge solutions to the nation’s problems, according to a statement by its leaders.

The Meeting to Make America Work! will bring together Republicans, Democrats and independents to discuss the importance of working in a bi-partisan fashion. The meeting will also serve as the first public appearance of former Utah governor and 2012 Republican presidential hopeful Jon Huntsman and Democratic U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-West Virginia), who are being described as the new faces of the national No Labels movement.

“The Problem Solvers are about an attitude more than anything else. It’s about searching for areas of common ground instead of searching for chances to score points against the other side,” Huntsman said. “Rep. Michael Grimm has embraced this attitude wholeheartedly,” he added.

“We are truly looking forward to working with Rep. Michael Grimm as we take this small but important step toward breaking the gridlock in Washington,” Manchin said.

“If nothing else, the last few years of a broken Congress have shown us that we need a platform where we can put our political parties aside and come together for the good of our country. No Labels is just that place, where commonsense leaders can meet to discuss solutions to our problems,” Manchin said.