By Steve Sadin, Lake County News-Sun
Finding common ground among members of a divided Congress is a challenge that prompted U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider, D-Deerfield, to join caucuses of colleagues who share his wish to see legislation passed.
A member of both the Problem Solvers Caucus, consisting of 25 Republicans and 25 Democrats, as well as the New Democrat Coalition, Schneider said both groups put finding solutions to bridge differences as a priority.
“The coalition is a group of moderate Democrats who want to get things done,” he said. “We’re less about ideology, and more about getting things done. We want to work across the aisle.”
Reelected to his fourth term in November, Schneider was named on Dec. 9 chair the NewDem Action Fund, the coalition’s fundraising arm, giving him a leadership role where he will play an important part raising money and planning strategy for the 2022 election.
Rep. Mike Bost, R-Murphysboro, is a member of the Problem Solvers who has worked with Schneider on issues important to both of them, like school safety, despite the fact Bost represents southern Illinois and Schneider the state’s northeast corner.
“Brad (Schneider) and I have been able to work constructively together on key issues,” Bost said in an email. “Problem Solvers helps foster these types of personal relationships and then provides a vehicle to raise the profile nationally of the work its members are doing.”
First elected to Congress in 2012, winning a close race against then Rep. Bob Dold, R-Kenilworth, Schneider lost to Dold two years later, but regained the seat in 2016. All three contests were tight. He won by a larger margin in 2018 and this year. Schneider has been a member of the coalition during his entire tenure. The coalition has 104 members.
Rep. Suzan DelBene, D-Wash., the chair of the New Democrat Coalition, said Schneider’s experience in close campaigns in a district which usually has narrow contests makes him valuable, not only as a fundraiser but also as a strategist.
“He knows what it takes to flip a district,” DelBene said. “He’s very good at listening and working with others. He gets things done.”
Rep. Sean Casten, D-Downers Grove, who represents the southwest portion of Lake County, defeated an incumbent in 2018, and held the seat in a tight contest against Jeanne Ives. He said learning about winning close races from Schneider helped him get elected in 2018, and reelected this year.
“You don’t get here unless you can speak to people across the political divide,” Casten said. “Brad (Schneider) knows how to do that. Brad was regularly reminding me, don’t take anything for granted. Just keep getting out there and staying grounded. His own experience gave some credibility on that front.”