Writing in The New York Times about the formation of the Caucus, Reed and Gottheimer said: "We all knew the partisanship in Washington had gotten out of control and felt the need to create a bipartisan group committed to getting to "yes" on important issues. We have agreed to vote together for any policy proposal that garners the support of 75 percent of the entire Problem Solvers Caucus, as well as 51 percent of both the Democrats and Republicans in the caucus." The Problem Solvers Caucus developed over time as an outgrowth of informal meetings organized by the political reform group No Labels.
Healthcare reform
During the week of August 4, 2017, the 43-member House Problem Solvers Caucus released a compromise to shore up the struggling insurance exchanges. The proposal focused on the skyrocketing cost of individual health insurance premiums. At the time, the Trump administration considered suspending cost-sharing payments that defray out-of-pocket payments like deductibles and co-payments, a move which insurers said could cause premiums to rise by 15 percent or more. The second part of the Problem Solvers plan would have provided relief to help states deal with the high cost of pre-existing and chronic conditions. The relief is provided through a dedicated stability fund that states could use to reduce premiums and limit losses for providing coverage for these high-cost patients. The third part of the plan provides relief to certain businesses from the mandate that they provide insurance to full-time employees. It also defines "full time" as a 40-hour workweek to discourage businesses from manipulating employees’ weekly hours to skirt the mandate. The plan would have also eliminated the Medical Device Tax, an excise charge of 2.3 percent that is often passed onto consumers and reduces funds for research and development.
Membership
This group include 48 members: 24 Democrats and 24 Republicans.
The Problem Solvers Caucus has been finding itself in the middle of several key battles and is "proving to be a force on Capitol Hill, one that's willing to leave some bruises in its wake but also to make common cause with its natural Senate allies". Mark Pocan, a former caucus member and co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, a left-leaning organization, says he was "duped" by No Labels and the PSC, saying that rather than "breaking gridlock", it is "a fast track for special interests and lobbyists."
