WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., will serve as honorary co-chair of a national political organization that aims to bridge political divides between political viewpoints and push policies.
Manchin announced he will serve in the position for No Labels, which was created in December 2010 to mobilize citizens and politicians for creating bipartisan solutions on various policies, including health care and federal spending.
“I have worked across the aisle since the day I arrived in the Senate, and that approach has never been more important than it is now,” Manchin said in a press release. “When we understand each other, we can work together. And when we work together, we can help people. That should always be our mission.”
Manchin will serve alongside Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, who was one of the Republican lawmakers who opposed the party’s multiple attempts this year to repeal and replace former President Barack Obama’s health care law.
“Congress produces the best legislation when it is considered through regular order and receives input from both Republicans and Democrats,” Collins said in a press release. “We must work together to develop responsible solutions and get things done for the American people.”
Collins has a 62 percent approval rating according to Morning Consult’s October senator approval rankings, while Manchin was polled at 53 percent.
According to a press release, the senators will work with the House Problems Solvers Caucus, a group of 47 lawmakers from both major parties.
No Labels’ National Strategic Agenda is focused on creating 25 million jobs over the next 10 years, making the country energy secure by 2024, balancing the budget by 2030, and passing legislation to secure Social Security and Medicare for the next 75 years.
Joe Lieberman, former Connecticut senator and vice presidential candidate, serves as national co-chair of the organization.
“Our goal is to meet rising political extremism with an aggressive bipartisan push to solve problems. We are offering a responsible way forward,” he said in a statement.
Manchin previously served as honorary co-chair from January 2013 to November 2014, but stepped down after the organization supported U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner, R-Colo., in the 2014 midterm elections. Gardner defeated then-Democratic incumbent Sen. Mark Udall.