New Democrat Coalition Weekly Wrap 5/16/25
Press Releases
New Democrat Coalition Leadership Calls on Republicans to Abandon Disastrous Reconciliation Bill after Failed Budget Committee Vote
New Democrat Coalition Leadership issued a statement after the House Republican reconciliation bill failed to pass through the House Budget Committee. The vote failed 16-21, with four Republicans joining every Democrat in voting against the bill.
“The House Budget Committee’s rejection of President Trump's reconciliation bill revealed what Democrats knew all along: Speaker Johnson is failing to unite House Republicans around this harmful, morally bankrupt piece of legislation.
“The Republican’s failure today is not the end of our fight. We will continue to speak out against all the Congressional Republican efforts to strip health care coverage from millions of Americans, take food out of the mouths of hungry children, and make life more difficult for hardworking families – all while they add another $5 trillion to our nation’s debt to give more costly tax breaks to their billionaire backers and friends.
“New Dems won’t rest until we convince the Republicans to join us in putting working families first.”
New Dem Ways & Means Members Slam Republicans for Advancing Bill that Cuts Health Care & Food Programs to Pay for a Megabillionaire Tax Cut
New Democrat Coalition Ways & Means Members, including New Dem Chair Brad Schneider (IL-11) and Reps. Don Beyer (VA-08), Terri Sewell (AL-07), Jimmy Panetta (CA-19) and Stacey Plaskett (VI-AL), issued a statement following the marathon Ways & Means committee markup and eventual passage of the House Republicans’ reconciliation bill:
“For more than 17 hours and through the dark of night, Democrats on the Ways & Means Committee exposed the Republican reconciliation package for what it really is: a tax cut for the wealthiest billionaires in the country, financed by gutting the healthcare and benefits of millions of working people, families, seniors, and Veterans.
New Dem Energy & Commerce Members Blast Republicans for Voting to Strip Health Care Coverage from 13.7 Million Americans to Finance Billionaire Tax Breaks
New Democrat Coalition Energy & Commerce Committee Members, including Rep. Greg Landsman (OH-01), Rep. Jennifer McClellan (VA-04), Rep. Scott Peters (CA-50), Rep. Lori Trahan (MA-03), Rep. Troy Carter (LA-02), and Rep. Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07) issued a joint statement following the Committee’s markup and party-line passage of the Republican reconciliation package:
“The reconciliation package our Republican colleagues just forced through the Committee shocks the conscience. In their effort to give the richest billionaires yet another unearned tax cut, House Republicans are betraying the American people.
New Dem Agriculture Committee Members Condemn Republican Effort to Slash Food Assistance for 42 Million Americans, including 16 Million Children, in GOP Budget Reconciliation Bill
New Democrat Coalition Agriculture Committee Members, including Committee Ranking Member Angie Craig (MN-02), Vice Ranking Member Shontel Brown (OH-11), Subcommittee on Nutrition, Foreign Agriculture, and Horticulture Ranking Member Jahana Hayes (CT-05), New Dem Vice Chair for Policy Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), Vice Chair for Outreach Salud Carbajal (CA-24), Freshman Leadership Representative Kristen McDonald Rivet (MI-08), Leadership Member Andrea Salinas (OR-06), and Reps. Jim Costa (CA-21), Sharice Davids (KS-03), Gabe Vasquez (NM-02), Eric Sorensen (IL-17), Eugene Vindman (VA-07), and April McClain Delaney (MD-06) issued a statement following the Committee’s markup and passage of the House Republican reconciliation bill.
“At a time when rising grocery prices are hurting hardworking American families, Agriculture Committee Republicans just forced through a bill that would make food more expensive for the millions of households already struggling to put food on the table each month.
New Dems in the News
By Rep. Johnny Olszewski (MD-02)
"The Trump administration has the right – perhaps even the obligation – to ensure that the government runs as efficiently as possible. Americans, likewise, are right to expect it.
I fully support the president’s stated goals of rooting out waste, fraud and abuse. However, in dispatching Elon Musk and his DOGE team, he sent the proverbial bull into a china shop, wreaking havoc on a civil service that has worked effectively for the American people since 1883. There has been no method to Musk’s madness and little to show for his efforts..."
Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-02) joined WBUR's Here & Now to call out President Trump's corrupt and costly plan to accept a $400 million Qatari plane. Rep. Courtney explained that the Boeing jet won’t actually be free due to the expensive security and technology updates required.
Weekly Highlight
New Dems Drop Episode 7 of "The Fly-In": "Red Eye" with Rep. Gabe Vasquez
In Episode 7, “Red Eye” Reps. Greg Landsman (OH-01) and Marc Veasey (TX-33) are joined by Rep. Gabe Vasquez (NM-02), Member of the Committee on Agriculture, to discuss House Republicans’ disastrous budget bill that takes away food assistance and health care from Americans to pay for billionaires’ tax cuts and some of the unexpected things in the bill. Reps. Landsman and Veasey also introduced a new studio set up and a new segment – corruption corner – to talk about President Trump’s decision to accept a $400 million private jet from Qatar.
Member Highlights
Congresswoman Kristen McDonald Rivet (MI-08) kicked off National Police Week by hosting a press conference with Saginaw Deputy Police Chief Matthew Gerow to announce efforts to support law enforcement and public safety in mid-Michigan. Rep. McDonald Rivet highlighted new federal funding requests to be included in the Fiscal Year 2026 federal budget, as well as legislative solutions to support law enforcement.
Congresswoman Shontel Brown (OH-11) spoke about her experience growing up and relying on food stamps during the Agriculture Committee debate on the Republican Reconciliation Bill, which would cut the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program by $300 billion dollars.
Congresswoman Janelle Bynum (OR-05) announced she will be holding 10 town halls as part of the Give ‘Em Hell Tour. Rep. Bynum will travel over 450 miles across Oregon’s Fifth Congressional District throughout the summer to reject the Trump Administration’s harmful agenda and engage with her constituents. Rep. Bynum will be joined by several special guests at the town halls, including Senator Merkley and more to be announced.
Congresswoman Lucy McBath (GA-06) invited leadership from CobbWorks to a meeting in her district to discuss workforce initiatives in Cobb, particularly relating to challenges Cobb County faces due to the Workforce Innovation and Opportunities Act formula funding.
Member Legislation
Reps. Sarah McBride, Haley Stevens, Fitzpatrick Introduce FAIR Leave Act to Deliver Commonsense Fix for Working Families
Congresswoman Sarah McBride (DE-AL), alongside Reps. Haley Stevens (MI-11) and Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01) introduced the FAIR Leave Act (H.R. 3404), a bipartisan, commonsense fix to ensure that married individuals working for the same employer are each entitled to the full benefits provided under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).
Rep. Janelle Bynum Introduces Bipartisan Bill to Cut Red Tape for Small Businesses
Congresswoman Janelle Bynum (OR-05) and Rep. Zach Nunn (IA-03) introduced the Encouraging Local Emerging Ventures and Economic Growth Act (ELEVATE) Act (H.R. 3365), bipartisan legislation that would reduce bureaucratic red tape for small and mid-sized businesses seeking to raise capital investment through Initial Public Offerings (IPOs). Under current law, companies must submit three years of audited financial statements to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to go public, even when a company simply wants to spin off a part of their existing business.
Reps. Scott Peters and Huizenga Reintroduce Landmark Fiscal Commission Act
Congressman Scott Peters (CA-50) and Rep. Bill Huizenga (MI-04), co-chairs of the Bipartisan Fiscal Forum, reintroduced the Fiscal Commission Act (H.R. 3289). Their legislation would establish a bipartisan, bicameral, and open-doored commission to tackle our nation’s long-term debt, help us avoid automatic and across-the-board cuts to Social Security and Medicare, and secure a more prosperous future for our children. The commission would be required to put forward recommendations on adjusting both taxes and spending to reduce our borrowing, hold field hearings, and educate the public on its work.
Rep. April McClain Delaney Introduces Legislation to Expand Leave Benefits for Military Families
Congresswoman April McClain Delaney (D-MD-06) and Rep. James Moylan (GU-AL) alongside combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) introduced legislation to modernize the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) in order to help ensure that military caregiver benefits are available to more people who selflessly care for their servicemember or Veteran family member in medical need. The Making it Likely for Families of the Military to Live with Leave Access (MIL FMLA) Act (H.R. 3296) would expand FMLA leave benefits for military family members who aren’t currently covered under the FMLA.
Rep. Joe Morelle Introduces Resolution to Reaffirm America’s Commitment to Continued Investment in Science and Innovation in the fields of Optics and Photonics
Congressman Joe Morelle (NY-25), founder and Co-Chair of the bipartisan, bicameral Congressional Optics and Photonics Caucus—introduced a resolution (H.Res.__) officially marking May 16 as National Day of Light in the United States.
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