New Democrat Coalition

New Democrat Coalition is the "centrist" grouping of the Democratic Party. It 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," and announced the election of Representative Ron Kind as the Coalition's Chair. As of January 2015, there were 46 members in the House of Representatives and 5 in the Senate.

Overview

The New Democrat Coalition was founded in 1997 by Representatives Cal Dooley (California), James P. Moran (Virginia) and Timothy 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.

The NDC is a member of the Alliance of Democrats international; the Democratic Party as a whole does not participate in any internationals on account of its political divisions, but does permit its affiliated organizations to do so.

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. Due to the pressing issues our country faces, the task forces for the 113th Congress changed to: Energy chaired by Rep. Ed Perlmutter (CO-07) and Rush Holt, Jr. (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).

Members, 113th Congress

In the 113th Congress, the following 50 members of the House of Representatives currently belong to the New Democrat Coalition:

Alabama

• Terri Sewell (AL-07)

Arizona

• Kyrsten Sinema (AZ-09)
• Ann Kirkpatrick (AZ-01)

California

• Pete Aguilar (CA-31)
• Ami Bera (CA-07)
• Lois Capps (CA-24)
• Tony Cardenas (CA-29)
• Susan Davis (CA-53), Vice-Chair
• Scott Peters (CA-52)
• Loretta Sanchez (CA-46)
• Adam Schiff (CA-28)
• Juan Vargas (CA-51)

Colorado

• Jared Polis (CO-2), Vice-Chair
• Ed Perlmutter (CO-7)

Connecticut

• Joe Courtney (CT-2)
• Elizabeth Esty (CT-05)
• Jim Himes (CT-04), Vice-Chair

Delaware

• John Carney (DE-At Large), Whip

Florida

• Patrick Murphy (FL-18)
• Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-23)
• Gwen Graham (FL-02)

Georgia

• David A. Scott (GA-13)

Illinois

• Bill Foster (IL-11)
• Michael Quigley (IL-05)

Indiana

• André Carson (IN-7)

Louisiana

• Cedric Richmond (LA-2)

Maryland

• John Delaney (MD-06)

Nebraska

• Brad Ashford (NE-02)

New Hampshire

• Ann McLane Kuster (NH-02)

New York

• Sean Patrick Maloney (NY-18)
• Gregory Meeks (NY-5)
• Eliot Engel (NY-16)
• Kathleen Rice (NY-04)

Oregon

• Kurt Schrader (OR-5)

Puerto Rico

• Pedro Pierluisi (PR-At Large)

Tennessee

• Jim Cooper (TN-05)

Texas

• Joaquin Castro (TX-20)
• Filemon Vela (TX-34)

Virginia

• Gerry Connolly (VA-11), Vice-Chair
• Don Beyer (VA-08)

Washington

• Suzan DelBene (WA-01)
• Denny Heck (WA-10)
• Derek Kilmer (WA-06)
• Rick Larsen (WA-2)
• Adam Smith (WA-9), charter member

Wisconsin

• Ron Kind (WI-3), Chair, charter member

Senate New Democrat Coalition members

The following Senators belong or belonged to the Senate New Democrat Coalition.

Current senators

• Dianne Feinstein (CA, by 2001)
• Thomas Carper (DE, by 2001; co-chair from 2003)
• Bill Nelson (FL, by 2001)
• Debbie Stabenow (MI, by 2001)
• Maria Cantwell (WA, by 2001)

Former senators

• Blanche Lincoln (AR, founder, from 1999; defeated in 2010)
• Evan Bayh (IN, founder, retired from senate in 2011)
• Hillary Rodham Clinton (NY, from 2001; retired from Senate in 2009 to become Secretary of State)
• Bob Graham (FL, founder, chair from 2000–2003; retired from Senate in 2003)
• Max Cleland (GA, from 2000; defeated in 2002)
• Zell Miller (GA, from 2001; retired from Senate in 2004)
• John Breaux (LA, from 2000; retired from Senate in 2004)
• Jean Carnahan (MO, from 2001; defeated in 2002)
• John Edwards (NC, from 2000; retired from Senate in 2004)
• Bob Kerrey (NE, from 2000; retired from Senate in 2000)
• Richard Bryan (NV, from 2000; retired from Senate in 2000)
• Chuck Robb (VA, from 2000; defeated in 2000)
• Jon Corzine (NJ, from 2004; retired to run for Governor in 2005)
• John Kerry (MA, from 2000); resigned to take office as Secretary of State in 2013
• Tim Johnson (SD, from 1996; retired from Senate in 2014)
• Mary Landrieu (LA, from 1996; defeated in 2014)