New Democrat Coalition Urges Trump to Focus on Unifying Issues in State of the Union Address
Today, New Democrat Coalition (NDC) Leadership Members sent a letter to President Donald Trump urging the President to work with Congress on shared priorities during his State of the Union Address.
“There are sharp differences between many of your priorities and ours, but we are hopeful that we can find opportunities this year for your administration and Congress to act on our shared priorities for the American people. Over the last year, the New Democrat Coalition has been working on durable solutions to the issues facing Americans in every community across our country. In order to enact lasting change, we need leaders who will work together to solve these challenges,” the letter reads.
The letter urges the President to tone down partisan rhetoric and focus on working across the aisle on the following five priorities:
- Improve the Existing Health Care System to Expand Affordable Access to Care
- Follow Through on a Commitment to Rebuild Our Crumbling Infrastructure
- Prioritize a Future That Works for All Americans
- Take Immediate Action to Build Long Lasting Solutions to Reduce Carbon Emissions
- Restore America’s Role as a Leader of the Multi-Lateral System and Global World Order
There are many issues on which NDC Members disagree with the President, but NDC Members want to get things done and make progress for the American people. NDC Members will continue to urge the President and our colleagues across the aisle to join us in our efforts. The nation needs leaders who are willing to work together to solve these challenges.
Read the full letter below or here.
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February 3, 2020
Dear President Trump,
There are sharp differences between many of your priorities and ours, but we are hopeful that we can find opportunities this year for your administration and Congress to act on our shared priorities for the American people. Over the last year, the New Democrat Coalition has been working on durable solutions to the issues facing Americans in every community across our country. In order to enact lasting change, we need leaders who will work together to solve these challenges.
As you prepare to present this year’s State of the Union to the joint session of Congress, we urge you to focus on the issues that unite Democrats and Republicans, knowing there is common agreement that action is needed. Based on our work, we recommend you prioritize the following issues:
1. Improve the Existing Healthcare System to Expand Affordable Access to Care
Since you took office three years ago, our healthcare system has been under constant attack leading to fewer Americans having access to affordable healthcare. Unfortunately, your administration has taken actions that has led to higher premiums and deductibles and jeopardized coverage for individuals with preexisting conditions. We need leaders to work together to improve upon our existing health care system to get more people covered and expand access to affordable care. The House has advanced many important bills to lower drug costs and expand affordable access to insurance and care, many of which have bipartisan support.
Mr. President, there is an opportunity for Democrats and Republicans to come together to make commonsense improvements to our healthcare system that will benefit millions of Americans. We urge you to join us in prioritizing improving our healthcare system.
2. Follow Through on Commitment to Rebuild our Crumbling Infrastructure
Since you took office three years ago, we have not made progress towards revitalizing our nation’s crumbling infrastructure. In 2017, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) gave our nation’s infrastructure a D+ and estimated our 10-year investment gap at a towering $2 trillion. Continued failure to invest and act could cost us $3.9 trillion in lost GDP by 2025. There are no Republican or Democratic potholes, and the cost of inaction is even longer commute times, more lost productivity, less time with family, and more traffic-related and vehicle damage-related threats to public safety. Further, communities’ economic success depends on a connection to the 21st century economy through traditional infrastructure as well as digital infrastructure, like high speed internet. Unfortunately, despite the national economic growth and stock market performance, many of our constituents are missing out because they are not easily connected to opportunities, either physically or digitally.
Mr. President, there is an opportunity for Democrats and Republicans to come together to follow through on your commitment to invest over two trillion dollars in our physical and digital infrastructure. We urge you to join us in prioritizing rebuilding our infrastructure.
3. Prioritize a Future that Works for All Americans
Since you took office three years ago, the nature of work for Americans has continued to radically change, and more change is coming. The consulting firm McKinsey & Company estimates that with current technology, about half of all work activities around the world could be automated. McKinsey also projects that by 2030, as many as 375 million workers may be displaced by automation globally. Beyond that, millions more workers will have to upskill and adapt in their existing occupations as certain tasks within their duties become automated. Government cannot, and should not, stop this change, but we must do more to empower workers to navigate the disruption and win the economy of the future. Unfortunately, the laws, policies, and support structures that protect and promote American workers have failed to keep up with our rapidly changing economy.
Mr. President, it is critical that we act now to ensure that all Americans have the opportunity to succeed in the changing economy. We urge you to join us in working toward innovative solutions to ensure a future that works.
4. Take Immediate Action to Build Long Lasting Solutions to Reduce Carbon Emissions
Since you took office three years ago, the United States government has abdicated its commitments to reduce carbon emissions. By withdrawing from the Paris Climate Accord and rolling back commonsense environmental regulations, your administration is taking actions that put American safety, property, and prosperity at risk, and cedes leadership on the energy economy of the future. The science is clear. Climate change is an existential threat to the health, national security, economic prosperity, and future of our people and planet.
Further, the clean energy sector will be a core driver of economic growth and job creation in the 21st century. The U.S. has the highest skilled innovators and workers in the world – we should be leading the global economy in this transition with technologies developed here, built by American workers. We must act now to protect the health of our people, the security of our nation, allies, and operations around the world, and to take advantage of the economic opportunities of this moment. Our retreat from these issues puts us at a competitive disadvantage against every country that is taking this issue seriously.
Mr. President, now is the time to reverse course and act now to return the U.S. to its role in leading the global community on the biggest threats and opportunities that face us, including climate. We urge you to join us in supporting many of the common sense and bipartisan proposals to take concrete action to curb carbon emissions, spur economic growth, and create jobs.
5. Restore America’s role as a leader of the multi-lateral system and global world order
Since you took office three years ago, the United States is losing its position as the leader of the free world. Your “America First” policy has led to America being left behind and losing the respect of the international community. You and your administration have disregarded and disrespected our long-time allies while coddling long-time adversaries. Further, you are undercutting and attempting to dismantle the national security and economic multi-lateral alliances and organizations that the United States helped create and subsequently lead post World War II. The result is an America that is less powerful and less safe than before. The United States is made stronger through its alliances and its leadership role around the world.
Mr. President, now is the time to reverse course before it is too late. We urge you to reengage constructively in the multi-lateral system, prioritize our allies, and restore our role as the leader of the global world order.
Mr. President, we have no doubts that you will boast that the state of our union is strong. However, despite your perspective, these are very trying times for our nation for a number of reasons. We can make our nation stronger if we, as America’s elected leaders, focus on our shared priorities to make meaningful progress on challenges facing all Americans.
Despite the partisan entrenchment of the past three years, there are areas of agreement between Democrats and Republicans on many issues, including those we highlighted. If you are willing to tone down the partisan rhetoric and call for a bipartisan agreement on health care or infrastructure, for example, we believe there are Democrats and Republicans who are interested in working together. There are many issues on which we disagree, but the New Democrat Coalition wants to get things done and make progress for the American people. We hope that when you address us and our colleagues at the joint session, your speech is a call to join us in our efforts.
Sincerely,
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