Have you ever wondered why some problems never get solved, like immigration and border security? It’s because politicians have more to gain by talking and acting self-righteous about the problem than solving it. Immigration is one of those.

This year, a bill was introduced in Washington offering a bipartisan course correction to the immigration problem, but Donald Trump didn’t want the problem solved before he could take credit for it, so he flexed his political muscle and cowed most of the Republican legislators into condemning the most substantive immigration bill in over 35 years. It died before it even got a chance, because the problem, to a few powerful politicians, is more valuable than the solution.

This isn’t just a Republican problem, both major parties are actors in this kind of political football.

The southern border is a problem, it’s a humanitarian catastrophe, it’s impacting every one of us, even if we’re not aware of it. It needs fixing.

There are feasible solutions. I heard Governor Cox on a news interview say that if all the governors in the country got together, they could solve the problem in a weekend. Really? I believe he’s right; the solutions are available. So why can’t Congress get the job done? Because to some politicians, the problem is worth more than the solution?

We don’t have to continue to endure the damage that’s perpetuated by political dysfunction and opportunism.

As your congressman, I’ll work to solve these problems. Because I’m not a member of either major party, my loyalty will be exclusively to you. That means my incentive is to resolve problems, not just complain about them and deny responsibility. I’ll be able to work with like-minded representatives from any political party to get the job done.

By sending me to Washington, you send a message of democracy to the entire country: “We want solutions, we want Congress to represent the people, not the political parties or the power brokers.”