January 10, 2025

New Democrat Coalition Weekly Wrap 1/10/2025

Press Releases

New Dem Chair Schneider Celebrates Swearing in of 110 New Dem Members, including 25 Freshmen

New Democrat Coalition (NDC) Chair Brad Schneider (IL-10) issued a statement following the swearing in ceremony of all 110 New Dem Members in the 119th Congress – including 25 freshman Members:

“I am thrilled to congratulate and welcome the 25 new Members joining Congress and our New Dem Coalition today. This Freshman class represents one of the largest in New Dems history – each unique and exceptional in their own right. I have no doubt they will strengthen New Dems with their knowledge and experience and deliver for their constituents.

“The New Dems of the 119th are officially larger and more influential than ever before, making up more than half the House Democratic Caucus. As House Democrats prepare to enter a second Trump Presidency with a razor thin House Republican majority, New Dems are poised to use our thoughtful, commonsense leadership to work across the aisle whenever possible to deliver for the American people, and to push back against the right wing extremists wherever necessary.”

The following 25 freshman New Dem Representatives were sworn into office for the 119th Congress:

  • Rep. Shomari Figures (AL-02)
  • Rep. Adam Gray (CA-13)
  • Rep. Sam Liccardo (CA-16)
  • Rep. George Whitesides (CA-27)
  • Rep. Gil Cisneros (CA-31)
  • Rep. Derek Tran (CA-45)
  • Rep. Sarah McBride (DE-AL)
  • Rep. Johnny Olszewski (MD-02)
  • Rep. Sarah Elfreth (MD-03)
  • Rep. April McClain Delaney (MD-06)
  • Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet (MI-08) 
  • Rep. Kelly Morrison (MN-03)
  • Rep. Wesley Bell (MO-01)
  • Rep. Herb Conaway (NJ-03)
  • Rep. Nellie Pou (NJ-09)
  • Rep. Maggie Goodlander (NH-02) 
  • Rep. Laura Gillen (NY-04) 
  • Rep. Josh Riley (NY-19)
  • Rep. John Mannion (NY-22) 
  • Rep. George Latimer (NY-16)
  • Rep. Janelle Bynum (OR-05)  
  • Rep. Eugene Vindman (VA-07) 
  • Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10) 
  • Rep. Julie Johnson (TX-32)
  • Rep. Emily Randall (WA-06)

 New Dems' New Laws

Rep. Salud Carbajal (CA-24) and Rep. Glenn “GT” Thompson (PA-15)'s bipartisan legislation to improve military families’ ability to compare housing options and identify subpar living conditions was signed into law by President Biden. The Military Housing Transparency and Accountability Act, introduced by Carbajal and Thompson in May 2023, will expand access to the tool, upon implementation, to all servicemembers and their dependents, as well as enhance the reporting requirements to ensure accountability.

Rep. Susie Lee's (NV-03) bipartisan Accelerating Appraisals and Conservation Efforts (AACE) Act was signed into law last weekend by President Biden. The legislation will expand access to qualified land appraisers necessary for reducing bottlenecks that undermine housing, infrastructure, and conservation projects on public lands, all without spending a single additional taxpayer dollar.

Member Highlights

Rep. Sarah McBride (DE-AL) and U.S. Senators Chris Coons and Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE) celebrated over $13 million in federal funding coming home to Delaware as part of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) discretionary grant program, a program funded by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. 

Rep. Sam Liccardo (CA-16) began his first week in Congress with a new social media series "Sip with Sam," where he breaks down what's going on in Washington for folks back home in CA-16. 

New Dems in the News

Rep. Ami Bera (CA-06) joined NewsNation to discuss the ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles, emphasizing the importance of coming together as a nation to reduce the devastation and support the victims of these horrific wildfires.

Rep. Emilia Sykes (OH-13) spoke to Spectrum News about the impact of the Social Security Fairness Act on Ohio's teachers, firefighters, other public service employees, and their spouses.

Member Legislation

McBride Introduces First Bill in Congress, Bipartisan Legislation to Protect Consumers from Credit Repair Scams
Congresswoman Sarah McBride (DE-AL) and Congresswoman Young Kim (CA-40) introduced the Ending Scam Credit Repair Act (ESCRA) (H.R.__) to crack down on fraudulent practices in the credit repair industry. The bipartisan bill targets credit repair organizations (CROs) that deceive consumers with high fees and empty promises to improve credit scores. The bill will ensure transparency and accountability for consumers. With this bill, Congresswoman McBride became the first freshman Democrat to introduce a piece of legislation in the 119th Congress.

Wasserman Schultz, Salazar Re-Introduce Bipartisan REVOCAR Act to Defund Repressive Maduro Regime
Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25), co-chair of the Congressional Venezuela Democracy Caucus, and María Elvira Salazar (FL-27), Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, re-introduced the bipartisan Revoke Exemptions for Venezuelan Oil to Curb Autocratic Repression Act, or REVOCAR Act (H.R.328), to prohibit new and existing licenses for companies to transact with Venezuela's state oil company, which provides revenue for the Maduro regime's crimes against humanity.

Houlahan, Co-Sponsors Reintroduce Benjamin Franklin Statue Placement Act
Congresswoman Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06), Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01) and Senators Chris Coons (D-DE) and John Boozman (R-AR) re-introduced the Benjamin Franklin Statue Placement Act (H.R.250). This bill aims to recognize Benjamin Franklin’s immeasurable impact on the nation’s founding by placing a statue of him along the U.S. Capitol Tour route.

Reps. Pettersen, Luna, Jacobs, Lawler Introduce Bipartisan Resolution to Allow Proxy Voting for New Parents
Congresswoman Brittany Pettersen (D-CO) and Reps. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL), Sara Jacobs (D-CA), and Mike Lawler (R-NY) introduced a bipartisan resolution to allow proxy voting for Members of Congress who are new parents under the Rules of the House for the 119th Congress (H.Res.23). Pettersen will be just the 14th Member - and the first from Colorado - to give birth while serving in Congress.

Reps. Crow, Correa Reintroduce the Capitol Remembrance Act to Honor the Brave Law Enforcement Officers Who Defended Capitol on January 6th
Congressmen Jason Crow (CO-06) and Lou Correa (CA-46) reintroduced the Capitol Remembrance Act (H.R.212), legislation to erect a memorial in honor of the brave law enforcement officers who were injured and killed protecting the Capitol from the violent insurrectionists seeking to stop the certification of the U.S. presidential election on January 6, 2021.

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