Political position Center to Center-left | Founded 1997 | |
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Ideology CentrismThird WayFiscal conservatismCultural liberalism International affiliation Alliance of Democrats (until 2012) |
The New Democrat Coalition is a Congressional Member Organization within the United States Congress made up of Democrats who support an agenda that the organization describes as "moderate" and "pro-growth". A November 2012 press release described the organization as "Congress' largest coalition of "moderates" heading into the 113th Congress. As of January 2015, there were 46 members in the House of Representatives. On December 3, 2016, Connecticut congressman Jim Himes was appointed Chairman.
Contents
- Overview
- Political donations
- New Democrat Coalition members House
- Alabama
- Arizona
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- llinois
- Indiana
- Louisiana
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New York
- Oregon
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Virginia
- Washington
- Wisconsin
- US Virgin Islands
- Former Representatives
- Disaffiliated members
- Former senators
- References
Overview
The New Democrat Coalition was founded in 1997 by Representatives Cal Dooley (California), Jim Moran (Virginia) and Timothy J. Roemer (Indiana) as a congressional affiliate of the avowedly "centrist" Democratic Leadership Council, whose members, including former President Bill Clinton, call themselves "New Democrats." In November 2012, the New Democrat Coalition announced the election of its new leadership team. New Dems elected Rep. Ron Kind (WI-03) as the Chair and re-elected Reps. Jim Himes (CT-04), Rick Larsen (WA-02), and Allyson Schwartz (PA-13) as Vice Chairs and added Rep. Gerry Connolly (VA-11) as a Vice Chair.
The Senate New Democrat Coalition was founded in the spring of 2000 by Senators Evan Bayh (Indiana), Bob Graham (Florida), Mary Landrieu (Louisiana), Joe Lieberman (Connecticut), and Blanche Lincoln (Arkansas).
The NDC has worked to craft and pass legislation, including Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) for the People's Republic of China, fast track Trade Promotion Authority, digital signatures, and H-1B visa reform and continues to work on matters such as privacy, broadband, expanding e-learning opportunities and making government more accessible and efficient through the use of technology. Many in the Democratic Party's left-wing criticize the group, however, accusing it of ignoring social justice and the poor.
Prior to the 113th Congress, the New Democrat Coalition had seven task forces: Critical Infrastructure and Manufacturing; Education; Energy; Financial Services; Health Care; Innovation, Competitiveness and Tax Reform; and Trade. The task forces for the 113th Congress were changed to: Energy chaired by Rep. Ed Perlmutter (CO-07) and Rush Holt (NJ-12),Financial Services and Retirement Security chaired by Rep. Gary Peters (MI-14), Rep. John Carney (DE-At Large), and Carolyn McCarthy (NY-04), Health chaired by Rep. Allyson Schwartz (PA-13), Bill Owens (NY-21), and Rep. Kurt Schrader (OR-05), National Security chaired by Jim Moran (VA-08), Colleen Hanabusa (HI-1), and Rep. Ron Barber (AZ-2),Tax Reform and Fiscal Responsibility chaired by Rep. Jim Himes (CT-4), Rep. Jim Cooper (TN-5), and Terri Sewell (AL-07),Tech, Education, and Entrepreneurship chaired by Rep. Gerry Connolly (VA-11), Rep. Susan Davis (CA-53), and Rep. Jared Polis (CO-02), and finally, Trade, Critical Infrastructure and Manufacturing chaired by Rep. Rick Larsen (WA-02) and Cedric Richmond (LA-02).
Political donations
According to the Center for Responsive Politics, as of 2009 the top contributors to the New Democrat Coalition caucus members were the finance, insurance and real estate industries and in the two decades between 1989 and 2009 members of the New Democrat Coalition had collected $50 million from those industries.
New Democrat Coalition members (House)
In the 115th Congress, the following 52 members of the House of Representatives currently belong to the New Democrat Coalition:
Alabama
Arizona
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
llinois
Indiana
Louisiana
Maryland
Massachusetts
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New York
Oregon
Tennessee
Texas
Virginia
Washington
Wisconsin
U.S. Virgin Islands
Former Representatives
Members who have left Congress:
Disaffiliated members
Former members who remain in Congress, but who are no longer affiliated with the NDC:
Former senators
The following Senators previously belonged to the defunct Senate New Democrat Coalition.