I often hear from people that they are frustrated that leaders in government just don’t get it – that politicians often seem as if they are more interested in fighting than finding pragmatic solutions.

My philosophy is guided by my experience and background as a small business owner. Washington is in desperate need of more people who understand the small business, customer service-oriented mentality of doing what is necessary to get the job done.

In short, Washington needs more people who understand that compromise is not a dirty word. In business and in politics, we draw strength from partnering together and identifying areas of common ground and potential.

This commonsense principle – the importance of bipartisanship and working together to get the big things done – is what guides my approach to governing. I take tremendous pride in the fact that I’ve consistently been ranked among the most bipartisan and independent Members of Congress. I believe that reflects the values of the 10th Congressional District at its best.

We are a better, stronger nation when we can all come together and find common ground. There is so much more that we agree on than disagree on. We need to put people before politics and progress before partisanship to take action on these areas of agreement.