Will Marshall, President of the Progressive Policy Institute, released the following statement celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the New Democrat Coalition (NDC):
“Since 1997, the New Democrat Coalition has played an indispensable role in Congress. In the hothouse of House politics, it has been a steadying force, resisting ideological fads and extremism and keeping Democrats in touch with the essentially pragmatic American mainstream.
“The NDC’s members run and win in the most competitive places in America. They are the majority makers — Democrats can’t govern without them. At a time of rising extremism on the right and the left, New Democrats enable their party to govern from America’s pragmatic center.
“The NDC is home base for pro-growth progressives who believe that government and private enterprise must be partners for economic progress, not enemies. New Democrats champion U.S. science, innovation, and entrepreneurship, both to raise living standards at home and ensure we win today’s contest with China for economic and technological leadership. They back fiscally responsible social investment to reward work, promote social mobility, and equip working Americans with the tools they need to get ahead.
“New Democrats also stand for a politically sustainable transition to clean energy to generate new jobs and protect the climate. Their views on guns, crime, immigration, and national security meet the test of common sense. At a time of rising isolationism, they support energetic U.S. leadership to uphold trade, maintain strong alliances and defend democracy.
“Having been present at its creation, I applaud the NDC’s resilience and expanding influence over the past 25 years. PPI raises a glass to Chair Suzan DelBene and the hardworking NDC staff, as well as the congressional staff who support the Coalition’s work.”
The Progressive Policy Institute (PPI) is a catalyst for policy innovation and political reform based in Washington, D.C., with an office in Brussels. Its mission is to create radically pragmatic ideas for moving America beyond ideological and partisan deadlock. Founded in 1989, PPI started as the intellectual home of the New Democrats and earned a reputation as President Bill Clinton’s “idea mill.” Many of its mold-breaking ideas have been translated into public policy and law and have influenced international efforts to modernize progressive politics.
Today, PPI is developing fresh proposals for stimulating U.S. economic innovation and growth; equipping all Americans with the skills and assets that social mobility in the knowledge economy requires; modernizing an overly bureaucratic and centralized public sector; and, defending liberal democracy in a dangerous world. Learn more about PPI by visiting progressivepolicy.org.
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Media Contact: Aaron White – awhite@ppionline.org
