As I write this, Washington is stuck in an embarrassing stretch of dysfunction. We are over two weeks into a government shutdown that was entirely avoidable. Over two million federal workers are going without pay, while critical investments in our military, medical research, and local communities are on indefinite pause. I am so frustrated, and I am sure you are too.

But I know America is better than this. We have decent people with big hearts doing great things in communities everywhere. We just need our political leaders to catch up with where the people are. That is why I wanted to share something hopeful with you. We just released a short new video about the values that have always united this country across lines of race, religion, and party. I hope you will watch it. And if it resonates with you, I hope you will share it.

Even in this moment of division, there are reasons for the No Labels movement to have hope. Through all of this dysfunction, we are continuing our tireless work to bring Democrats and Republicans together to find common ground. Far from the headlines, they are making progress. Last month, our community got to tune in to our public meeting to Make Congress Work, in which our allies talked about the work they are doing to fix a broken regulatory and permitting system that often makes it impossible to build big things on time or under budget. Whenever this shutdown ends – and it will – you can expect No Labels’ allies to be leading the way out.

Earlier this week, No Labels hosted a supporter call introducing Reps. Josh Gottheimer and Max Miller as our latest National Leaders, joining Sen. Markwayne Mullin and Reps. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez and Jared Golden. The call began with a quote that hangs on a plaque in the U.S. Capitol: “One country, one Constitution, one destiny.” 

Those are the words of Daniel Webster, one of the leading American statesmen in the early years of our Republic. They were also sewn into the coat Abraham Lincoln was wearing the night he was assassinated at Ford’s Theatre. That phrase is not a slogan. It is a challenge and a reminder that we do not get to choose whether we share a country. We only get to choose how we show up for it.

That same spirit came through during a performance we shared on the call from two youth choirs: The Singing Angels of Cleveland, Ohio, and the Bergen County Academies Chamber Choir from Bergen, New Jersey. They came together to sing America the Beautiful.?Hearing their voices was a reminder of what this country still means to millions of Americans, and what it can still become if we refuse to give up on it.

That is something we cannot take for granted right now. Because we are watching the extremes on both sides gain ground. The far left and the far right do not believe in free speech, are entirely too comfortable allowing the government to take control of the private economy, and seek to persecute their political opponents. They do not believe America can or should be a force for good in the world. The truth is, politics is no longer about left versus right. It is about extremes versus the commonsense middle where most Americans still are.

That is the space where No Labels lives. As you can see on our website, we hold bedrock beliefs that, until not too long ago, were the values that held the country together. We believe in equality of opportunity. We believe in strong borders and a growing economy. We believe in safe streets, good schools, and a government that lives within its means. We believe in American leadership in the world. And we believe it is time for leaders to listen more to the middle, and less to the political fringes.

This movement is growing. It is hopeful. And it is filled with people who still love this country and want to leave it better than they found it. That is why I hope you will take a moment to watch and share our new video about America’s values. Even in a time like this, those values still matter. And so do the people who stand up for them.