The Divided We Fail campaign is being spearheaded by AARP, Business Roundtable, the National Federation of Independent Business, and the Service Employees International Union.  Main Street becomes the first partisan organization to join this critical campaign.  “Main Street is proud to be the first partisan political organization to endorse this campaign,” continued Bass.  “Main Street and our elected members have always emphasized a pragmatic approach to governing.  We believe that the American people deserve leadership in Washington that works together to deliver real results.” 

The following elected members of Main Street have endorsed Divided We Fail or the Divided We Fail platform:  Senator John McCain(R-AZ), Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME), Senator Norm Coleman (R-MN), Representative Chris Shays (R-CT), Representative Judy Biggert (R-IL), Representative James McCrery (R-LA), Representative Wayne Gilchrest (R-MD), Representative Jim Ramstad (R-MN), Representative Jo Ann Emerson (R-MO), Representative Jon Porter (R-NV), Representative Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ), Representative Phil English (R-PA), Representative Todd Platts (R-PA) and Representative Tom Davis (R-VA). 

“Main Street’s endorsement today speaks volumes about Divided We Fail’s efforts to set differences aside and work together for action and answers to the problems facing Americans today,” said AARP CEO Bill Novelli.  “AARP has been a proud member of Main Street and we’ll continue to seek out ways to work together on issues our members care about the most.” 

“Our country, like our unique group, desperately seeks a bipartisan solution to solving America’s health care crisis and Divided We Fail is helping to lead the way. As the political season heats up, candidates, policymakers, and the administration need to continue finding bipartisan solutions to this most pressing issue,” says John J. Castellani, President of Business Roundtable, whose member companies—collectively—provide health insurance to almost a quarter of all Americans. 

“The health-care crisis in this country has not gotten better, it’s gotten significantly worse, especially for our nation’s small-business owners and their families, which is why we have come together as leading organizations to help drive the debate and promote real solutions,” said Todd Stottlemyer, President and CEO of National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB). “Divided We Fail is leading this national push for comprehensive health-care reform and, with the support of groups like Republican Main Street Partnership, our reach continues to grow. We need to break through the barriers to listen, and find new ideas and solutions to address what has become a national crisis for small business.” 

“When groups this diverse come together around a single idea, anything is possible,” said Andy Stern, President of SEIU, the nation’s largest healthcare union.  “Businesses big and small are joining with working families and consumers, Republicans are joining with Democrats, and the momentum for real change is building across the country.  Now is the time to make it happen.” 

“The American people want a Congress that is focused on delivering results – not one that is fixated on partisan warfare, especially when it comes to issues like health care and social security.  Main Street is committed to a pragmatic agenda that puts an emphasis on finding solutions to the challenges we face as a nation.  By working together – across party lines – we are confident that we can build a better future for all Americans,” concluded Bass.