Many frustrated House Democrats whose party said there was a “weak and undefined brand” announced Tuesday that they were trying to form a new group to dig into their crisis.
The group is the brainchild of 40-year-old second-term MP Chris Delugio, from Pennsylvania’s competitive district, criticised members of his own party in a speech on the floor of his home on Tuesday, calling on Democrats to “protect the spirit of the struggle of economic populism.”
“It’s time to wake up that, as many of our party are losing it,” Delugio later declared:
He said the answer was for the party to focus on appealing to workers on economic issues, but it was not immediately clear how his plan would differ from what many in the party already advocated. Still, Delfio’s efforts are the latest indication that Democrats, who have been relegated to Washington’s minority and have been struggling with politically determined debates about how to move forward after the devastating losses of 2024.
Delugio highlighted his position as a young MP who surpassed former Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 elections in key districts in major battlefield states.
In an interview, Delugio said the “progressive” and “medium” labels didn’t work anymore as they had to reconstruct his entire ragged party in the economic populist message that he said was adopted by the right.
“I’m not interested in weak Democrats,” Delugio said. “For years, the party has kept too much stock in stock, avoiding fighting and naming big corporate villains,” he said.
The new group includes different Democrats, including Washington’s Pramila Jayapal, former chairman of the Progressive Caucus, and Pat Ryan, a moderate New York Democrat from the Swing District. The group spoke on the house floor had not yet included Democrats who won the Trump district in 2024, or members they identified as “frontline” members the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee deemed the most vulnerable.
“What people want is to change the party more populistly,” said Rep. Greg Casar, a Texas Democrat, and President Greg Casar, chairman of the Progressive Caucus, who is also a member of the new group. “Populists mean that we are for those who work across the spectrum, even if they don’t agree with us.
Casar, who made his weekend debut on Fox News in an attempt to reach out to conservative voters, argued that he could not become a party representing vulnerable people until Democrats are considered the party of all workers.
New economic patriots meet every other week to hash new platforms, with some patrons patrolling five-page memos among their colleagues, looking to take up what is considered a party crisis.
“Some of us believe we have to focus on the economy,” said a member of California Democrat Locanna. “We have to focus on issues affecting people’s pocketbooks. Democrats have not done this effectively for many years.”
Khanna added: “The 2024 message didn’t recognize how angry the anger was about the status quo, it didn’t recognize that offshoring of employment was happening. It didn’t recognize the pain people were still feeling.
Delfio said Democrats have both messaging and policy issues.
“Voters don’t think Democrats will lower costs first. This group is like that,” he said. “It’s not just putting the economy first. It’s clear why you’re being fooled. We’re very clear about who those villains are.”
But Democrats have been talking for months about Elon Musk, President Trump’s billionaire ally, who has led an aggressive campaign to slash the government as the main villain of a young administration.
When the group debuted Tuesday with a series of speeches on the House floor, Connecticut Democrat Rosa Delauro said she and other Democrats were no different to dozens of others whom she and other Democrats have gone against Trump’s policies in recent weeks.
Mr. Delgio brought him a poster committee that read “Anti-corruption, Pro-American Dream” simply and unofficially.
Some of their colleagues were skeptical of what the group was trying to achieve. Rep. Marie Grusenkamp Perez, a Washington Democrat, has long argued that her party is not tailored to the needs of working-class voters. Gluesenkamp Perez was invited to attend a new group meeting and performance on the house floor, but she refused to speak Tuesday, according to anyone familiar with her thoughts.
Delugio said Tuesday’s floor action was merely an “opening salvo” and the group would propose a clear platform to revive Democrats at a moment when voters are desperate to demonstrate effective ways for leaders to oppose the Trump administration.
Over the weekend, Vermont Progressive Stars Sen. Bernie Sanders and New York president Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez attracted tens of thousands of supporters on the “Fight Oligarchy” tour, focusing on the needs of workers.
Delugio and his colleagues said theirs was the right message for the Democrats and voters were ready for greater improvements to the party. (Neither Sanders nor Ocasio-Cortez are part of his group.)
“Too many Americans felt that Democrats had become elite parties and stopped meeting people where they were,” Ryan said on the floor of his house. “This moment is not ideological. It’s about who fights for people and who fights for the elite.”
