With the largest bloc of Democrats in the House, the New Democrat Coalition is putting forward a strategy to win back voters and boost the party ahead of 2026.
The group will send around a memo Wednesday morning laying out its vision of how it plans to tackle major policy issues this Congress as President Donald Trump and the Republican trifecta pushes forward their agenda. The memo, exclusively obtained by NOTUS ahead of its release, lays out the three pillars: economic growth and opportunity, healthy and safe communities and strong national security and defense.
It’s all part of a bigger plan for the group, largely made up of moderate Democrats, to reach voters in key battleground districts that are essential to Democrats winning back the House majority.
“We are very focused on addressing the issues that our constituents are talking to us about, and those are pocketbook issues. Bringing down the cost of living, helping them get ahead, growing our economy,” Brad Schneider, the New Democrat Coalition’s chair, said in an interview with NOTUS.
Democrats have struggled to cohesively respond to Trump or put forward a winning message in the aftermath of the 2024 election. And more moderate Democrats have argued the party has swung too far to the left — and gotten far too caught up in identity politics — in recent years.
The memo is the group’s plan to fix that. It calls for nine working groups tackling the economy, health care, education, housing and border security and immigration. Many of the caucus’ members serve in swing or red districts.
“Every one of our working groups is going to be touching on all three of those pillars — economy, community, security — and individuals who make up the working groups are going to be bringing forward bold ideas that will translate into action,” Schneider said.
New Democrat leadership surveyed its members and the policy issues their constituents were prioritizing and found that voters cared most about the economy, safety and national security, which is what helped leadership decide what to prioritize for its vision in this Congress.
“So what the New Dems are about is putting our heads down and actually getting something done,” said first-term Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet of Michigan, who won in a Trump district. “And putting a public statement out about not only our intent to do that but how we’re going to get it done is incredibly important as we move forward.”
—
Daniella Diaz is a reporter at NOTUS.