Gridlock Break

Gridlock Break is signing off. Thank you to all our guests and thank you to our audience for listening. Continue following No Labels on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Sadek Wahba is the founder and managing partner of I Squared Capital, an independent multi-billion dollar global infrastructure investment company. In this episode, he discusses how the Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework will create new jobs, as well as the economic impact of both the bipartisan agreement and the Democratic spending package.

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Steve Hanke is a professor of applied economics and founder and co-director of the Institute for Applied Economics, Global Health, and the Study of Business Enterprise at the Johns Hopkins University. He is also director of the Troubled Currencies Project at the Cato Institute and a senior fellow at Cato’s Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives. He discusses what he feels the true cost of President Biden’s first 100 days of spending to be and how it will impact the economy. 

Ben Ginsberg is a nationally known elections lawyer. He served as national counsel to the Bush-Cheney presidential campaigns in the 2000 and 2004 election cycles and played a central role in the 2000 Florida recount. He was also appointed by President Barack Obama to serve as co-chair of the bipartisan Presidential Commission on Election Administration. In this episode he discusses the voting bills that are being considered in the states. 

Philip K. Howard is a lawyer and author who has written extensively on government and legal reform. He is also the founder of Common Good, a nonpartisan national coalition dedicated to restoring common sense to America by simplifying government. In this episode, he discusses President Biden’s proposed infrastructure plan.

Thomas Kahn is a Faculty Fellow at American University, an adjunct professor at George Washington University, and a senior consultant at the Cormac Group, a Washington public affairs group. In this episode, he discusses the federal budget, his area of expertise after serving for twenty years as staff director and chief counsel of the House Budget Committee. 

In this episode, we hear from Dr. Mark Zandi, chief economist of Moody’s Analytics, where he directs economic research. He is also the lead director of Reinvestment Fund, one of the nation’s largest community development financial institutions, which makes investments in underserved communities. He discusses the rising risk of inflation and upcoming spending bills. 

John Hope Bryant is an accomplished author, entrepreneur, and the founder of Operation Hope. The organization is the largest not-for-profit and best-in-class provider of financial literacy, financial inclusion, and economic empowerment tools and services in the United States for youth and adults. In this episode, he discusses his thoughts on the economic challenges facing disadvantaged communities across America. 

Warren Mosler is an economist and the father of Modern Monetary Theory. His best-known contention is that a sovereign government operating in an environment without fixed exchange rates can never become “insolvent” because they can always provide more of their currency to pay their debts. It leads to the conclusion that budget deficits and government borrowing are not in and of themselves causes for concerns. It’s a controversial view that challenges most conventional economic thinking. In this episode, Mosler discusses his ideas and how they apply to the most important debates playing out in DC. Follow No Labels and Gridlock Break Twitter • Facebook • Instagram

Hear from Steven Pearlstein, who recently wrote his final column for the Washington Post, where he had spent three decades. He devoted his final column to discussing the growing belief on the left that the old rules of economics no longer apply and why he worries that America may learn the hard way, that they do. He also talks about why the current COVID-19 relief negotiations are unfolding in such a partisan fashion.Follow No Labels and Gridlock Break Twitter • Facebook • Instagram

Lawrence H. Summers is an economist who previously served as Chief Economist of the World Bank, Secretary of the Treasury during the Clinton Administration, and director of the National Economic Council in the Obama Administration, as well as president of Harvard University, where he is now a professor. In this episode, he discusses the COVID-19 relief bill, potential infrastructure spending, and his recent Op-Ed in the Washington Post.Follow No Labels and Gridlock Break Twitter • Facebook • Instagram

John Anzalone is one of the nation’s top pollsters and messaging strategists. He was most recently the chief pollster for President-elect Joe Biden, marking his fourth presidential campaign. In this conversation, he discusses the latest thinking from the White House on a COVID-19 relief bill, and some recent results of opinion polling.Follow No Labels and Gridlock Break Twitter • Facebook • Instagram

Frank Luntz is an American political and communications consultant, pollster, and pundit. His focus groups often highlight the use of language, as his book 'Words That Work' did, in conveying a message. Today, he’ll discuss recent polling he has done and why he believes this is the best opportunity the Problem Solvers Caucus has to accomplishing anything in Congress.Follow No Labels and Gridlock Break Twitter • Facebook • Instagram

Ari Fleischer was previously the White House Press Secretary under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2003. In this episode, he discusses the role the media is playing in pushing Americans apart and what No Labels can do to bring us back together, especially as Congress debated a new COVID-19 relief deal.Follow No Labels and Gridlock Break Twitter • Facebook • Instagram

Dr. Michael Osterholm is the Director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP) at the University of Minnesota and one of the country’s top infectious disease experts. In this episode, he’ll discuss the COVID-19 vaccine rollout and recent spikes in infection numbers. 

In this episode, we hear from leaders of No Labels and others as they discuss what is next for Congress. We’re joined by: Bill Galston, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institute, former Congressman Tom Davis, Steve Pearlstein, a business and economics columnist with the Washington Post, and AB Stoddard, columnist and associate editor at RealClear Politics. In a broad consensus that this is No Labels’ moment. Because the new House and Senate will be governed by such small margins, bipartisan groups like the Problem Solvers Caucus will be essential. As Dr. Galston points out, few presidents have come into office with the kinds of challenges facing Joe Biden and he’ll need all the help he can get from congressional Democrats and Republicans committed to working with him to solve problems. Go to NoLabels.org to learn more about how we are bringing together a bipartisan group of public and private leaders working to solve America’s toughest problems.

Tom Friedman describes this as a “Promethean Moment,” a moment that destabilizes and changes the world around us. He says the Right/Left party politics that have existed for 250 years are in the process of becoming obsolete as globalization and technology have sped up exponentially. Go to NoLabels.org to learn more about how we are bringing together a bipartisan group of public and private leaders working to solve America’s toughest problems.Follow No Labels and Gridlock Break Twitter • Facebook • Instagram

Ten years ago, No Labels began a journey to build the bipartisan governing coalition capable of solving America’s toughest problems. In this episode, hear from the leaders and elected officials who built this movement.Follow No Labels and Gridlock Break Twitter • Facebook • Instagram

Dr. Andrew von Eschenbach is president of Samaritan Health Initiatives, Inc. and an adjunct professor at University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. He was formerly the Commissioner of the United States Food and Drug Administration from 2006–2009. In this episode, he will discuss COVID-19 vaccines and answer questions on their development, implementation, and impact.  Dr. von Eschenbach marvels at the speed at which COVID-19 vaccines were created. Where it could previously take 15 years to develop a vaccine, these came in less than a year. It was possible thanks to tremendous scientific advances, as well as several regulatory changes that cleared the way for these treatments to come to market faster. Go to NoLabels.org to learn more about how we are bringing together a bipartisan group of public and private leaders working to solve America’s toughest problems.Follow No Labels and Gridlock Break Twitter • Facebook • Instagram

We hear from Dr. Margaret Hamburg, an internationally recognized leader in public health and medicine. She currently serves as foreign secretary of the National Academy of Medicine and chair of the NTI | bio Advisory Group. She is a former Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), having served for almost six years. In this episode, she discusses the development of COVID-19 vaccines and the distribution and access to those vaccines once they have been developed. Dr. Hamburg explains that the real bright spot in the COVID-19 pandemic has been the mobilization of the medical research community to advance the development of vaccines in such a short time. The fastest vaccine development to date was for mumps, taking four years; in less than a year, two COVID-19 vaccines have been submitted for approval. Additionally, Dr. Hamburg notes the surprisingly high percentage of efficacy for both submissions, which was certainly not expected. Go to NoLabels.org to learn more about how we are bringing together a bipartisan group of public and private leaders working to solve America’s toughest problems.Follow No Labels and Gridlock Break Twitter • Facebook • Instagram

In this episode, we open up the conversation to No Labels’ members to discuss what they think should be the top priorities for No Labels in the first hundred days of the new Biden Administration and the new Congress. It will be no surprise that the new president’s first task will be the containment of COVID-19, but No Labels is in a unique position to help determine what comes next. In the next Congress No Labels’ bipartisan coalition in the House and the Senate could emerge as the pivotal swing bloc. Democrats will have an even smaller majority in the House. While party control of the Senate will not be determined until the January 5 Georgia runoffs, the majority party will have no more than between 50-52 seats. The implication of this new legislative math is clear: In 2021, Washington will either solve problems on a bipartisan basis or they won’t solve them at all.Go to NoLabels.org to learn more about how we are bringing together a bipartisan group of public and private leaders working to solve America’s toughest problems.

Dina Smeltz and Craig Kafura are both experts on public opinion and foreign policy with the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. They will discuss their recent report about American views on foreign policy in the age of COVID-19. Smeltz and Kafura say voters do not generally choose a candidate on the basis of foreign policy, but that’s starting to change amid the global COVID-19 pandemic. As indicated by the title of their report, Divided We Stand, Democrats and Republicans do not generally agree on issues of foreign policy. But Smeltz and Kafura do see a few areas of common ground between the parties, including a widespread belief that foreign trade is important to the American economy and a fear that COVID-19 will lead to the end of globalization. Go to NoLabels.org to learn more about how we are bringing together a bipartisan group of public and private leaders working to solve America’s toughest problems.Follow No Labels and Gridlock Break Twitter • Facebook • Instagram

David Crane is a lecturer in Public Policy at Stanford University and the founder and president of Govern for California, which is working to bring a more pragmatic approach to state government. In this episode, he discusses the work of Govern for California and the critical, but often under-appreciated, effect that local and state government has on our lives.David Crane explains that when he began in state government advising Arnold Schwarzenegger, he was stunned by how little he knew about the state legislature, its role, and its relationship with the governorship. He goes on to note the vital need for people, companies and organizations to know the names of the state legislators who represent them on a local level. Although so many of us fixate on national politics, local politicians often have the most impact on our lives because they control and provide the social services that impact us daily. Go to NoLabels.org to learn more about how we are bringing together a bipartisan group of public and private leaders working to solve America’s toughest problems.Follow No Labels and Gridlock Break Twitter • Facebook • Instagram

In this episode, we’ll hear from General H.R. McMaster, who served as a commissioned officer in the United States Army for thirty-four years before retiring as a Lieutenant General in June 2018, after which he served as President Trump’s National Security Advisor. He is now a Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. Today, he will discuss his recent book, Battlegrounds, which examines the most critical security and foreign policy challenges facing the US. General McMaster explains that he wrote Battlegrounds in an attempt to bring Americans together in a time of increasing divisiveness that he thinks weakens our country. In the post-cold War era, he claims we have lost our strategic confidence. Americans falsely believed we could indefinitely maintain an era of military dominance, and over the last thirty years, we have transitioned to a pessimistic view of our position in the world. He says going forward, our leaders, at every level, will need a greater emphasis on understanding history in moving forward politically and militarily. Follow General McMaster on Instagram and on Twitter.Go to NoLabels.org to learn more about how we are bringing together a bipartisan group of public and private leaders working to solve America’s toughest problems.

Dr. Casadevall is the chair of the Molecular Microbiology & Immunology department at Johns Hopkins University. And Dr. Panth is a Professor of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Pediatrics at Michigan State University. Today, they will discuss their recent Op-Ed in the Wall Street Journal, in which they explore why it is often so hard for scientists to reach consensus about COVID-19. In their Wall Street Journal Op-Ed, the doctors asked two questions: What are the standards of evidence in medicine and how do they apply in the particular case of convalescent plasma for treating COVID-19? The gold standard in medical research is of course experimentation and double blind clinical trials. But as the doctors argue, we should be more open to the benefits of medical care born of observation, especially, as in the case of COVID, where greater speed is needed to find treatments. Go to NoLabels.org to learn more about how we are bringing together a bipartisan group of public and private leaders working to solve America’s toughest problems.Follow No Labels and Gridlock Break Twitter • Facebook • Instagram

William Ury, a co-founder of Harvard’s Program on Negotiation and one of the world’s leading experts on mediation discusses his impression of the country's current problem-solving methods and what needs to change.William Ury notes that a key to productive problem solving is finding solutions that work for both parties, and in the case of national issues, he calls it a “win-win-win” - a win for both sides of the aisle is a win for the country as well. He believes achieving these win-win-wins requires leaders to build bridges across aisles and avoid personal anger. But it also requires the engagement of what he calls “the third side” which is born of his insight that it takes two sides to fight, but that it often takes a third side to stop the fighting. Go to NoLabels.org to learn more about how we are bringing together a bipartisan group of public and private leaders working to solve America’s toughest problems.Follow No Labels and Gridlock Break Twitter • Facebook • Instagram

Johnese Spisso is the President of UCLA Health, CEO of UCLA Hospital System, and Associate Vice Chancellor of UCLA Health Sciences. In this episode, she discusses her experiences managing a major hospital system through the COVID-19 crisis, and her outlook for the fall. Ms. Spisso explains that successfully managing a pandemic relies on the three S’s: sufficient staffing of hospitals and healthcare facilities; the right supplies or PPE to keep patients, staff, and families safe; and a hospital’s ability for surge capacity. In the case of COVID-19, she details the stress of training staff and preparing facilities in light of changing information regarding the transmission of the disease. Now UCLA and other hospital system will have to apply these difficult lessons as America reckons with a potential resurgence of COVID-19 in the fall. Go to NoLabels.org to learn more about how we are bringing together a bipartisan group of public and private leaders working to solve America’s toughest problems.

Dr. Wayne Frederick was appointed president of Howard University in 2014, before which he had served as Provost and Chief Academic Officer of the university. He is also the Chair of Surgery. Today, he will discuss the role Howard University is playing in the racial climate in the country and in higher education. Dr. Frederick discusses the unique challenges and objectives of Howard University in representing the black community and educating students who might otherwise not have access to higher education. He goes on to explain how Howard is attempting to rethink the education plan in order to minimize student debt, with an increase in the minimum credits necessary per semester and reconsidering requirements to graduate.Go to NoLabels.org to learn more about how we are bringing together a bipartisan group of public and private leaders working to solve America’s toughest problems.

Dr. Mark Duggan is a Senior Fellow at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research, focusing much of his research on the healthcare sector. And Dr. Andrew Johnston is an assistant professor of economics at University of California, Merced. Today, they will discuss the Op-Ed they recently co-authored in the Wall Street Journal on a big and hidden tax bill that could be coming for businesses at the worst possible time. Earlier this year, COVID-19 crushed the US economy and caused our unemployment rate to spike from a sixty year low to the worst rate since the Great Depression. Unemployment Insurance – which was significantly expanded in the CARES Act – was a lifeline for millions of workers, but soon businesses could be hit with a big state tax increase to cover the cost. But as you just heard Doctors Duggan and Johnston explain, there are tax policy reforms states could and should embrace to prevent struggling businesses from getting a big tax hit just as they are trying to get back on their feet.Go to NoLabels.org to learn more about how we are bringing together a bipartisan group of public and private leaders working to solve America’s toughest problems.

David Petraeus is a retired United States Army General, having served in the military for 37 years. During that time, he was commander of U.S. Central Command and led combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. After retiring from the service, he served as director of the CIA during the Obama Administration. He is now chairman of the KKR Global Institute. Today, he discusses what kind of strategic leadership is needed to run and manage successful organizations. General Petraeus identifies four tasks of a strategic leader: (1) First and foremost, get the big ideas and strategies right. (2) Communicate those big ideas throughout your organization. (3) Oversee the implementation of big ideas. (4) Determining how to refine the big ideas and adopt new ones. According to Petraeus, this last task is often overlooked and can make the difference between a currently successful organization and a continuously successful one. Go to NoLabels.org to learn more about how we are bringing together a bipartisan group of public and private leaders working to solve America’s toughest problems.Follow No Labels and Gridlock Break Twitter • Facebook • Instagram

George Casey retired as a four star general after having served as Chief of Staff of the United States Army and Commanding General of the Multi-National Force in Iraq. Today he will discuss the state of civil - military relationships, and the stress they are currently under in America. General Casey reminds us that American democracy has always necessitated a separation of military command and civilian control. He also notes that there is a misconception of the military's role in domestic politics and the transition of power between presidents. Although the president has the right to deploy the military in situations of civil unrest, Casey and other military leaders have expressed concerns about the use of this power in recent months. Go to NoLabels.org to learn more about how we are bringing together a bipartisan group of public and private leaders working to solve America’s toughest problems.Follow No Labels and Gridlock Break Twitter • Facebook • Instagram

Eleanor Clift is a political reporter, a columnist for The Daily Beast, and a contributor to MSNBC. And Joe Concha is a reporter for The Hill. Today, they will discuss the upcoming election, Supreme Court nomination, and the role that news consumption and bipartisanship play in our nation’s discourse. Both Eleanor Clift and Joe Concha look back wistfully to times of compromise, during the Carter and Obama administrations. Concha notes that politicians on the fringes get the most air time on cable news shows, and therefore become the most powerful figures in their parties. And we just heard how more American unfortunately live in their own information bubbles. They just read the headlines they want, and have their views confirmed by their preferred media and likeminded friends.Go to NoLabels.org to learn more about how we are bringing together a bipartisan group of public and private leaders working to solve America’s toughest problems.Follow No Labels and Gridlock Break Twitter • Facebook • Instagram

No Labels convenes a group of young Americans looking to unite those who would rather solve problems than endure toxic partisanship. This is the first of many meetings with young people to hear their voice and share their concerns with other future leaders of America.Follow No Labels and Gridlock Break Twitter • Facebook • Instagram

Larry Diamond is a professor of Sociology and Political Science at Stanford University and a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution. He also supervises the democracy program at the Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law at Stanford. Today, he will discuss the global assault that has continued for several years on liberal democracies everywhere. Larry Diamond warns against the dangers of political parties delegitimizing their opponents. He explains that these are warning signs in the fraying of Americans’ shared commitment to liberal democracy. He goes on to explain that there is also a danger, as displayed by President Trump, of using every ounce of legally available power while ignoring the customs of political compromise. According to Diamond, democratic stability relies on a “system of mutual security,” with each side recognizing that they need to exercise forbearance, meaning just because they can do something, it does not mean they should.Go to NoLabels.org to learn more about how we are bringing together a bipartisan group of public and private leaders working to solve America’s toughest problems.Follow No Labels and Gridlock Break Twitter • Facebook • Instagram 

John Delaney represented Maryland in the US House of Representatives from 2013 to 2019. In 2017, he launched a bid for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination. Before running for Congress, he co-founded two publicly traded companies focused on making loans more readily available for small businesses. Today, he discusses the need for bipartisanship at this uniquely divisive and difficult moment in American history. As awful as the current crisis is, John Delaney believes it will produce positive developments, even if they require painful changes in the process. He believes that the impact that No Labels can cultivate, especially on economic and healthcare policies, is vital to that transition. Among the changes he envisions are the digitization of many common practices, internet commerce, and the rise of telehealth, which he says had previously been prevented by what he claims are unnecessary regulations. Go to NoLabels.org to learn more about how we are bringing together a bipartisan group of public and private leaders working to solve America’s toughest problems.Follow No Labels and Gridlock Break Twitter • Facebook • Instagram

Arthur Brooks is a professor at Harvard Kennedy School and Harvard Business School. He served as president of the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), a conservative think tank, for ten years before that. He is the author of 11 books, including two New York Times best sellers, The Road to Freedom, and The Conservative Heart. Today, he discusses his work at Harvard, specifically his class entitled, “Leadership and Happiness.” Before joining AEI, Arthur Brooks was a behavioral social scientist at Syracuse University, researching the psychology of wellbeing. In his class at Harvard Business School, he teaches that people can be happier if they: (1) understand human happiness, (2) manage their own happiness, and (3) share the principles they know to create an ecosystem of happiness around them. He reiterates the ancient philosophical belief that the basis of happiness is love, and the opposite of love is not hate, but fear. He maintains that the reason we have so much unhappiness in the United States right now is because we are in a fear-based moment in American politics and culture. Go to NoLabels.org to learn more about how we are bringing together a bipartisan group of public and private leaders working to solve America’s toughest problems.

Dr. Mark McClellan is the director of the Robert J Margolis Center for Health Policy and a professor of Business, Medicine and Health Policy at Duke University. He was previously  with the Brookings Institution and the commissioner of the United States Food and Drug Administration under President George W. Bush. Today, he will discuss the COVID-19 pandemic and how health agencies are responding the crisis. Dr. McClellan discusses the innovation currently happening in both the public and private sectors to create affordable and accessible COVID screening tests, which he claims is the quickest way out of the crisis. He also notes that his center at Duke is working with public health officials to share reliable information about the development of vaccines, a need that he says stems from the American public’s distrust of government leadership. Go to NoLabels.org to learn more about how we are bringing together a bipartisan group of public and private leaders working to solve America’s toughest problems.Follow No Labels and Gridlock Break Twitter • Facebook • Instagram

Dr. George Rutherford is the director of the Institute for Global Health and the head of the Division of Prevention Medicine and Public Health at the University of California San Francisco School of Medicine. He is also a professor at the School of Public Health at the University of California Berkeley. He has also been very involved in California’s COVID-19 response, and has published a number of articles on the topic. Today, he will discuss the trends in COVID-19 transmission. Dr. Rutherford explains that it is a dangerous misconception that outdoor activity is a safeguard for preventing the spread of COVID-19. Without social distancing, masks, and limiting group sizes, the risk can still be dangerous. Another contentious issue with which Dr. Rutherford is dealing is the reopening of schools. Under the age of ten, children are less likely to contract and transmit COVID-19, so as students enter middle school age, the issue becomes more difficult. As we’ve seen in some prison systems, herd immunity rests somewhere between 60 and 70 percent, which is ten times the infection rate we are currently experiencing, so it’s not something on which we should rely as we move forward. Go to NoLabels.org to learn more about how we are bringing together a bipartisan group of public and private leaders working to solve America’s toughest problems.Follow No Labels and Gridlock Break Twitter • Facebook • Instagram

Frank Luntz hits the ground running by asking the No Labels group whether they believe this presidential election is the worst this country has seen. Overwhelmingly, the answer is yes. He then goes on to ask whether those assembled would support a “Clean Campaign Pledge” on the Presidential or Senate level. The responses given are mixed, but the majority of responses seem to be pessimistic about the candidates’ abilities or willingness to abide by a pledge even if it is promised.  Go to NoLabels.org to learn more about how we are bringing together a bipartisan group of public and private leaders working to solve America’s toughest problems.Follow No Labels and Gridlock Break Twitter • Facebook • Instagram

John Harris co-founded the news organization Politico in 2007 and served as its editor in chief until 2019. He was previously a political reporter for The Washington Post and the author of an acclaimed book about President Bill Clinton. Today, he will give his insight into the upcoming presidential election.John Harris notes that congressional Democrats had electoral success in the 2018 midterms by focusing on issues and raising up their rhetoric. But he sees the current Democratic presidential ticket focused more on the deficiencies of Donald Trump, a strategy that did not work for Hillary Clinton in 2016.  He unfortunately thinks both parties will continue to focus on rallying their base and attacking the other side, unless there is a landslide election, which he does not expect in 2020.Go to NoLabels.org to learn more about how we are bringing together a bipartisan group of public and private leaders working to solve America’s toughest problems.Follow No Labels and Gridlock Break Twitter • Facebook • Instagram

Sylvester Turner is serving in his second term as mayor of Houston, after first being elected in 2015. Turner served for 27 years in the Texas House of Representative and ran his own boutique law firm, Barnes and Turner. Today, he will discuss how political priorities have shifted since he took office five years ago, how Houston is combating its COVID-19 outbreak.Mayor Turner notes that pension and budget issues were a huge priority in Houston when he took office, but with Hurricane Harvey and other natural disasters in the few years after, the city government has had to redirect efforts. Now with COVID-19 and the racial unrest that soon followed, Mayor Turner is dealing with a truly unprecedented set of challenges. But he believes Houston will rebound because it is the energy capital of the world and home to the world’s largest medical center, creating a natural ecosystem for innovation.Go to NoLabels.org to learn more about how we are bringing together a bipartisan group of public and private leaders working to solve America’s toughest problems.Follow No Labels and Gridlock Break Twitter • Facebook • Instagram 

Robert Rubin was the Secretary of the Treasury and Director of the National Economic Council under President Bill Clinton. He had a distinguished career in finance, joining Goldman Sachs in 1966 and eventually becoming co-chairman. Under the Clinton Administration, he served as the  He is also a founder of The Hamilton Project, an economic policy think tank out of the Brookings Institution. Today, he will discuss the economic outlook in the post-COVID world.Secretary Rubin says it might take until the end of 2022 for the US economy to return to where it was pre pandemic. As he notes, this is both a global economic crisis, and a humanitarian and health crisis, which will complicate the recovery. He also agrees with recent comments from former Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner that the Federal Reserve acted responsibly in their strong response to the COVID pandemic. It was much more far reaching response than the one in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, but Rubin believes it is necessary.Go to NoLabels.org to learn more about how we are bringing together a bipartisan group of public and private leaders working to solve America’s toughest problems.

As election day nears, any of the three possible results - a Democratic sweep, a Republican sweep, or a split government - could be problematic. No Labels is committed to the maintenance of a bipartisan partnership to avoid gridlock. Today, leaders within the No Labels organization will discuss how the mission of No Labels is changing with the field, plans to continue their work in November and beyond, and how  the organization can support those in office.As No Labels continues their strategy to combat bipartisanship, the organization's leaders share their three phase plan: (1) The House Problem Solvers Caucus, which has already brought together dozens of congressmen and women; (2) For the first time, there is a group of eight Senators who will work with the House Problem Solvers Caucus, modeled on the “gang” friendship of Senators Lieberman and McCain; and (3) Building up the congressional staff base of bipartisan workers, and considering the possibility of working to elect a Problem Solver president in 2024.Go to NoLabels.org to learn more about how we are bringing together a bipartisan group of public and private leaders working to solve America’s toughest problems.Follow No Labels and Gridlock Break Twitter • Facebook • Instagram

Tim Phillips is the founder and CEO of Beyond Conflict, a non-profit organization that works with leaders to address conflict and promote social change around the world. Since its founding in 1992, Beyond Conflict has worked to support peace talks and paths to democracy in 75 countries. The organization has also become a leader in the effort to catalyze the field of Neuroscience and Social Conflict. Today, Tim will discuss the work Beyond Conflict is doing to combat polarization. Tim Phillips discusses the shift from a polarization of ideas to a polarization of identity, and how that shift is truly toxic. He believes that the shift from “You and I” to “Us vs. Them” threatens American democracy and the trust citizens have in the country’s institutions. Beyond Conflict has spent years studying the trends of this political shift through the lens of behavioral science. In their work with researchers at the University of Pennsylvania, they began studying toxic political polarization in the same vein as a public health threat, focusing on three factors: dehumanization, like and dislike, and disagreement on contentious issues. Go to NoLabels.org to learn more about how we are bringing together a bipartisan group of public and private leaders working to solve America’s toughest problems.Follow No Labels and Gridlock Break Twitter • Facebook • Instagram

David French attorney, political commentator, and author. A fellow at the National Review Institute and a staff writer for National Review from 2015 to 2019, French currently serves as senior editor of The Dispatch, a fact-based digital media company, that endeavors to provide both sides of any given position. In 2020, he published Divided We Fall: America's Secession Threat and How to Restore Our Nation. Today, he will discuss the polarization he studies in his book and why short-term solutions seem improbable.In a recent article, David French called the political climate a “new fundamentalism.” A fundamentalist, he explains, often has no existential humility or uncertainty, and that’s what we now see in politics. He similarly highlights three recent political trends: The Big Sword - Americans have begun in the last few decades to intentionally live around like-minded neighbors; The Law of Group Polarization - when like-minded people gather, they reinforce those shared opinions to an extreme; Overton Windows - while the Overton Window concept is the range of policies politically acceptable to the mainstream population at a given time, there are now two separate windows for either party in the case of many issues.Go to NoLabels.org to learn more about how we are bringing together a bipartisan group of public and private leaders working to solve America’s toughest problems. Follow No Labels and Gridlock Break Twitter • Facebook • Instagram

Admiral William McRaven is a retired United States Navy SEAL and four-star admiral who last served as the ninth commander of the United States Special Operations Command. Following that, he was the chancellor of The University of Texas System from 2015 to 2018. Today, he will discuss leadership in a time of great crisis and American national security concerns for the future. Admiral McRaven believes that leadership in a time of crisis is no different than in calmer times: You need to set a goal, and you need to motivate those below you to accomplish that goal. But Admiral McRaven is adamant that leadership is also about responsibility and accountability. A good leader should take responsibility for all decisions made by those below them. Unfortunately, that kind of leadership is often in short supply in our politics today. Go to NoLabels.org to learn more about how we are bringing together a bipartisan group of public and private leaders working to solve America’s toughest problems.Follow No Labels and Gridlock Break Twitter • Facebook • Instagram

Bruning served as Attorney General of Nebraska from 2002 to 2014, the youngest Attorney General in the nation when he took office. He is now the Managing Partner of Bruning Law Group. Today, they will discuss the role of the Attorney General, specifically in the upcoming election. There are three unusual factors to the upcoming election: (1) the dangerous level of polarization (2) COVID-19’s impact on voter turnout; and (3) the impact of the racial unrest and protests, specifically on Joe Biden’s choice of a running mate. You just heard Doug Gansler and Jon Bruning discuss all these factors and why their bipartisan relationship could and should be a model for others in politics. Go to NoLabels.org to learn more about how we are bringing together a bipartisan group of public and private leaders working to solve America’s toughest problems. Follow No Labels and Gridlock Break Twitter • Facebook • Instagram

Dr. Art Laffer has been called the Father of Supply Side Economics. He was a member of President Reagan’s Economic Policy Advisory Board, and is perhaps best known for developing the Laffer curve, an illustration of the idea that there is some tax rate between 0% and 100% that will result in maximum tax revenue for the government. He served as economic advisor to Donald Trump during his 2016 campaign, and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2019. Today, he will discuss how the economic climate has been affected by COVID-19. Dr. Laffer discusses two economic principles he thinks are necessary in order to understand the current economic situation. Firstly, government spending requires taxation and redistribution of resources. Secondly, he believes that redistribution always reduces income and production and therefore even though some taxation is required – especially to help those suffering hardship – government should endeavor to keep taxes as low as they can. Go to NoLabels.org to learn more about how we are bringing together a bipartisan group of public and private leaders working to solve America’s toughest problems.Follow No Labels and Gridlock Break Twitter • Facebook • Instagram

Grover Norquist is president of Americans for Tax Reform, or ATR, a taxpayer advocacy group he founded in 1985 at President Reagan’s request. ATR organizes the Taxpayer Protection Pledge, which asks all candidates to commit themselves to oppose all net tax increases. Norquist also chairs the DC-based Wednesday Meeting, a weekly gathering of more than 150 elected officials, political activists, and conservative movement leaders. Today, he shares his views on the most effective forms of bipartisanship.Grover Norquist argues that true bipartisanship is not best represented when moderate Republicans and moderate Democrats work together, since they are not that far apart ideologically, but rather when liberal Democrats and conservative Republicans work to find a solution. Some examples are criminal justice reform and civil forfeiture where liberals and conservatives can find common cause even if it is for different reasons.Go to NoLabels.org to learn more about how we are bringing together a bipartisan group of public and private leaders working to solve America’s toughest problems. Follow No Labels and Gridlock Break Twitter • Facebook • Instagram