BACK TO CENTER STAGE The Problem Solvers Caucus is back in business and — despite a year on effective hiatus and a lingering reputation for posturing about problems rather than solving them — their members are talking a big game. “We always play a very constructive role looking for ways to solve problems for folks and get things done, and I think that's exactly the role we’ll continue to play,” said Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.), the group’s longtime Democratic co-chair, on Thursday after the group’s first full-membership meeting since last fall. Added Rep. Hillary Scholten (D-Mich.), “We’re so back, baby.” To recap: The centrist group splintered last fall amid the ouster of then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy. In short, its Republican members were miffed that their Democratic compatriots joined with their fellow partisans to remove McCarthy rather than protect him from a hard-right coup. That compounded the longstanding frustration among GOP Problem Solvers that they tend to take more politically risky voters than the group’s Democrats do. Following McCarthy’s removal, the bipartisan group’s leaders met regularly and some rank-and-file members held task force meetings, but the full group never convened for a meeting — until Thursday’s Chick-fil-A-catered confab in a Capitol meeting room. The opportunity: Gottheimer insists the caucus wasn’t a complete nonfactor in 2024 — “very involved in everything from the debt ceiling negotiation, being constructive there, on the appropriations piece of the foreign aid package,” he said — but he and others said 2025 should hold much larger possibilities. That’s a function of math, if nothing else: Republicans will be trying to govern with an even smaller majority in the 119th Congress — 220-215 if they can get to full strength. Yes, GOP leaders are set to spend much of their time and energy passing partisan reconciliation bills, but the Problem Solvers see opportunities in the other parts of the House agenda where cooperation will almost certainly be needed, such as appropriations, another debt limit deadline and policy areas that can’t be touched by reconciliation. "I think we want to keep things reasonable,” said Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.). “With a three-seat majority, we have the ability to keep things somewhat on the rails." The scar tissue: So while the group could find some spots to do bipartisan work, it will mean finding a way to move past last year’s drama, and that is still a work in progress, several members said. One person in the room Thursday described the meeting as “a good step forward” with “good attendance.” The hard feelings over McCarthy’s removal did come up briefly, two attendees said. There are still hurdles to work out. The group’s Republicans are pushing to impose stricter accountability measures to enforce the caucus’ collaborative mission, such as establishing a membership standard tied to how often a lawmaker votes with his or her party, according to two people familiar with the discussions. No decisions were made Thursday, they said. Another member said the meeting served as a fresh start after a divisive election, while another said the group expects to meet a lot more often in the next Congress. But no date has been set for the next meeting. — Daniella Diaz, Jordain Carney and Olivia Beavers, with an assist from Nicholas Wu
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