New Democrat Coalition Chair Annie Kuster (NH-02) and Vice Chair Brad Schneider (IL-10) issued the following statement after Republicans failed to pass a series of hyper-partisan government funding bills that did not adhere to the government funding agreement set by last year’s bipartisan Fiscal Responsibility Act:

“When New Dems reached across the aisle to end the debt ceiling crisis last year, we did so with the expectation that a bipartisan deal on FY2025 government funding would ensure that this year’s appropriations process was timely and successful. Unfortunately, Speaker Johnson and House Republicans again turned their backs on that agreement and once more crafted appropriations bills laden with far-right policies that have no chance of becoming law.

“So, after repeatedly failing to pass their own hyper-partisan bills through the House, Speaker Johnson and House Republican Leadership have thrown in the towel and sent Members back to their districts early for the August work period, wasting precious time ahead of the September deadline to fund the government.

“If Republicans keep playing politics to appease the extremists in their ranks, we’ll be headed for a government shutdown this fall. Speaker Johnson must finally put aside partisan games, adhere to the bipartisan budget agreement, and work across the aisle to get this done.”

Ahead of the US-Sub-Saharan Africa Trade and Economic Cooperation Forum, New Democrat Coalition Trade Task Force Chair Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07) and Vice Chairs Don Beyer (VA-08) and Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), along with NDC Economic Growth and Fiscal Responsibility Task Force Chair Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06) and Vice Chair Nikema Williams (GA-05), issued the following statement on the African Growth Opportunity Act (AGOA):

“This week’s AGOA Forum offers Congress an opportunity to reflect on more than two decades of our progress to strengthen our trade relationships for years to come. To that end, New Dems call on Congressional leadership to prioritize the reauthorization and modernization of AGOA.

“Since 2000, AGOA has been critical to economic development, job creation, and innovation both in Sub-Saharan Africa and the U.S. and serves as the primary framework that supports our trade and investment relationships. 

“However, as we approach the expiration of AGOA in 2025, we risk uncertainty slowing the economic exchange between the U.S. and our African partners. It is imperative that we signal our support for the program and commit to renewing it as quickly as possible. Africa has changed dramatically since the inception of AGOA, and our trade program must reflect that transformation to increase economic growth and drive more investment to both Africa and the U.S.

“New Dems look forward to working with our colleagues across the aisle and the Capitol on a timely reauthorization and modernization of the AGOA program to restore certainty to intercontinental trade, secure our supply chains, and build the foundation for the future.”