WHAT THEY ARE SAYING: New Dems were the Key to Passing the Bipartisan Budget Agreement Through the House, Preventing Catastrophic Default
Note from New Democrat Coalition Vice Chair for Communications Brad Schneider (IL-10):
It’s clear: New Dems delivered, just as we always do. Throughout negotiations, our Members remained in close contact with our partners at the White House about the Coalition's priorities and once a deal was announced, we mobilized our Members with 95% of New Dems backing the agreement in the end. There is no question, New Dems were pivotal in preventing a first-ever default. Our Members remain committed to our solutions-oriented approach to politics and will continue working across the aisle to improve the lives of the American people.
Rep. Annie Kuster (NH-02) joined MSNBC’s Morning Joe to lay out why New Dem leaders are supporting the Bipartisan Budget Agreement and highlights the crucial role our Members are playing in avoiding the catastrophic consequences of default.
Rep. Annie Kuster (NH-02) joined BBC News following her vote to pass the Bipartisan Budget Agreement through the House.
Rep. Annie Kuster (NH-02) joined Forbes to discuss her support for POTUS’ bipartisan agreement to raise the debt ceiling and avoid default.
Rep. Annie Kuster (NH-02) joined CBS News to discuss the New Dem leadership team’s support for the bipartisan debt ceiling agreement.
Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05) went on MSNBC to criticize the House GOP’s debt ceiling brinkmanship and emphasize the need to protect the full faith and credit of the United States.
Rep. Josh Harder (CA-09) went on MSNBC to discuss POTUS’ bipartisan agreement to raise the debt ceiling and the need for action to avoid the catastrophic consequences of default.
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25) went on CNN to highlight POTUS’ work to secure funding to protect veterans’ medical care and push back against Republican budget cuts in the Bipartisan Budget Agreement.
Rep. Don Davis (NC-01) went on FOX News to urge lawmakers to rise above partisanship and act to avoid the catastrophic economic consequences of default.
Rep. Gregory Meeks (NY-05) went on CNN to illustrate the catastrophic economic consequences of default and the urgent need for a bipartisan action to raise the debt ceiling.
Rep. Adam Smith (WA-09) joined FOX News to discuss the Bipartisan Budget Agreement reached between President Biden and Speaker McCarthy.
Rep. Henry Cuellar (TX-28) went on FOX News to discuss the politics surrounding the passage of the rule for floor debate on the Bipartisan Budget Agreement.
The Washington surprise: Centrists push back against fringes in debt deal
“I had said from the very beginning that this would be a vote from the middle out,” said Rep. Ann Kuster (D-N.H.), the Chair of the New Democrat Coalition, a group of almost 100 center-left House members. “I expect we will get to 218 with Republicans and Democrats. We’re divided government. And frankly, let’s demonstrate to the American people that mature and pragmatic legislators will get the job done.”
Biden tried an ice-then-court strategy with House Dems. It worked.
The centrist New Democrat Coalition, a group that the White House knew early on would be needed for many of the party’s votes, leveraged that position to advocate for two key policies: permitting reform and funding veterans’ health programs. They said that working with the White House — including giving them their policy positions — paid off, both in keeping lines of communication open and in shaping the legislative product. “We were able to change the negotiations and get some significant wins for veterans, namely, getting the funding for the toxic exposure fund — the PACT Act — into mandatory funding. That’s huge,” said the Coalition chair, Rep. Annie Kuster (D-N.H.). The nearly 100-member coalition, in turn, came out early in support of the bill, swiftly boosting the measure’s whip count and lending a degree of legitimacy to the final product in Democratic circles.
White House to Dems: The debt deal could have been a LOT worse
The New Democrat Coalition — a 98-person voting bloc of centrists who are among the most likely to support an agreement — kept in close conversation with the White House’s legislative affairs office, including Terrell and liaison Ashley Jones, said the group’s chair, Rep. Annie Kuster (D-N.H.). They’ve had “very, very close contact with the White House team from the very beginning for several weeks now right up until talking with them [Saturday] night,” Kuster said. “We were listened to, we were heard and we helped to influence a better agreement and that’s a positive role for us to play.”
A break-glass option, gumbo and a bike ride: How the debt ceiling deal got done
One of the first calls Biden made after the deal was announced was to Rep. Ann McLane Kuster, D-N.H., the chair of the 98-member New Democrat Coalition. As they two discussed selling the deal to fellow Democrats, Kuster said she focused not on what the White House got from the negotiations but rather how “we got everything out of the agreement” that Republicans had been pushing to enact.
Inside a debt ceiling standoff ‘far more dangerous than people will recognize’
After Rep. Annie Kuster, the chairwoman of the 99-member strong New Democrat Coalition, endorsed the bipartisan deal in a statement Monday, Biden called to thank her for support…“We talked about how we would work together to get the votes to get it passed,” Kuster told CNN. “We both agreed that this was not an ideal circumstance to be in, but once we went to work and really put our shoulder to the wheel that the outcome in terms of protecting the programs that are so important to our constituents was very positive.”
House approves the Biden-McCarthy debt ceiling bill as default deadline looms
New Hampshire Rep. Annie Kuster, who chairs the centrist New Democrat Coalition which provided 91 Democratic votes Wednesday, told NPR she anticipated the vote coming from "the middle out." "There are some bitter pills for different members and different constituencies in different districts, but overall, this is a must pass bill," she said.
Can Republicans avoid a Rules disaster?
The centrist New Democrat Coalition is supporting the bill. Here’s Chair Annie Kuster (D-N.H.) on why: “As we carefully reviewed the provisions and carefully reviewed the language, we, on balance, feel that important programs were protected. “Most of what we care about was not taken up in this bill. This is a very narrow package. Overall, a small portion of the total budget. This budget, part of the negotiation is something that would be happening in the normal course at this time of year.”
Debt limit deal clears key hurdle; more land mines await
The leaders of the New Democrat Coalition, made up of about 100 self-described center-left members, announced its support for the bill Tuesday. “At the end of the day, you've got to step up and do the right thing,” New Democrat Chair Ann McLane Kuster, D-N.H., told MSNBC. “You know, you can either be part of the solution or part of the problem, and our members are choosing to be part of the solution.”
Lawmakers to Watch as the House Votes on the Debt Ceiling Deal
The big middle: Biden and McCarthy are counting on a quiet majority from the center to pull the bill over the finish line. Leaders of the Republican Main Street Caucus and New Democrat Coalition are supporting it, suggesting there’s a swath of lawmakers who see averting a default as more important than the ugly details in the deal.
Biden, McCarthy Work Lawmakers to Pass Deal as US Default Looms
The New Democrat Coalition leadership team, a key group of moderate House Democrats, also endorsed the deal, with chair Annie Kuster of New Hampshire saying it would avoid “economic collapse”, while “preventing cuts to key programs.”
Kevin McCarthy May Need Democrats to Save Debt Deal From Republicans
Meanwhile, Representative Annie Kuster of New Hampshire, who chairs the center-left New Democrat Coalition, said in a statement on the coalition's website that her caucus' members are "encouraged" by the agreement. "We want to be clear––our Members are committed to upholding the full faith and credit of the United States. We must act responsibly to ensure that we prevent the catastrophic consequences of default and protect the needs of the most vulnerable in our society," she said Sunday.
“There never has been and never will be anything ‘fiscally responsible’ about refusing to pay America’s bills,” New Dems Chair Annie Kuster said in a statement after the final vote. “Tonight, New Dems led a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers in rejecting the antics of some extreme Republicans and followed through on our duty to protect the full faith and credit of the United States.”
Rep. Suzan DelBene (WA-01) spoke on the floor to support the Bipartisan Budget Agreement and highlighted its protections for Veterans, seniors, law enforcement, and schools.
Rep. Brad Schneider (IL-10) spoke on the floor in support of the Bipartisan Budget Agreement, commended bipartisan dealmaking, and urged his colleagues to support the bill and put the American people over politics.
Rep. Jimmy Panetta (CA-19) spoke on the floor to support the Bipartisan Budget Agreement and stated we can only get serious about reducing our debt and deficit when we stop governing by crisis and start governing by leadership.
Rep. Terri Sewell (AL-07) spoke on the floor to support the Bipartisan Budget Agreement and to express frustrations at the crisis manufactured by the House GOP.
Rep. Frank Mrvan (IN-01) spoke on the floor to support the Bipartisan Budget Agreement and its protections of investments in American industry and the workforce.
Rep. Greg Landsman (OH-01) spoke on the floor calling for an end to brinkmanship, urging Members to back the agreement, and emphasizing the need for more pragmatic, bipartisan leaders in Congress.
Jim Kessler, Co-founder and Executive Vice President for Policy, Third Way
“When it came to preventing default and saving the economy, the New Democratic Coalition stood out front and delivered for this country. New Dems were in constant contact with Administration and Congressional leaders throughout negotiations, and New Dem leadership were quick to endorse President Biden’s agreement which ensured the economy and Biden agenda would not be derailed. They were there to ensure procedural hurdles were cleared, and then over 95% of the New Dem caucus backed the bill so our economy and the work of America can move forward. We deeply appreciate their leadership throughout this debt limit fight.”
Ben Ritz, Director of the Progressive Policy Institute’s Center for Funding America’s Future
“Members of the New Democrat Coalition stayed unified and put pragmatism over partisanship throughout the entire debt ceiling debate. We applaud the Coalition for supporting President Biden’s compromise and preserving the full faith and credit of the United States.”
Simon Rosenberg, Democratic Strategist
“The NDC’s early and enthusiastic endorsement of the deal helped create the momentum needed to pass the bill and avoid a catastrophic default. Democratic votes were needed in this case to bail out the Republicans from their reckless actions, and while not everyone may be happy with the final deal this was the right thing to do and I am grateful for the NDC’s strong leadership in what was a moment of crisis for the country.”
Next Article Previous Article