Call him an optimist, but U.S. Sen. Chris Coons said he believes it is possible for Democrats and Republicans in Congress to come together to find common ground to solve the nation’s problems.

Coons spoke to members of the Rehoboth Beach-Dewey Beach Chamber of Commerce April 22 at Kings Creek Country Club focusing mainly on bipartisanship. He said his goal as a senator is to move the ball forward by working together without partisan bickering.

A Democrat, Coons cited the work he has done with Republican Sen. Marco Rubio. The two collaborated on the AGREE Act, introduced in 2011, aimed at providing tax incentives to encourage startups and small businesses. This year, Coons and Rubio introduced another bill, the America INNOVATES Act, aimed at reforming the national lab system and enable federally funded research labs to partner with the private sector.