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RECAP OF THE 116TH CONGRESS

For 25 years, the Blue Dog Coalition has led the way bridging the gap between Republicans and Democrats to develop commonsense solutions for serious problems Americans face in their daily lives. Over the course of the Coalition's history, the members have changed, but the reason the organization has lasted for a quarter of a century-and will continue to live on-is because its members have always united on the same policy mission: to fight for fiscal responsibility, a strong national security, and a pragmatic approach to governance. We hope you take the time to look back on the Congress that has been marked by some of the nation's most daunting challenges and some of the work our members have done to tackle them head on.



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The Blue Dog Coalition of the 116th Congress (2019-Present). BACK ROW (LEFT TO RIGHT): Rep. David Scott (GA-13), Rep. Ed Case (HI-01), Rep. Xochitl Torres Small (NM-02), Rep. Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05), Rep. Max Rose (NY-11), Rep. Charlie Crist (FL-13), Rep. Jim Costa (CA-16), Rep. Mikie Sherril (NJ-11), Rep. Ben McAdams (UT-04), and Rep. Sanford Bishop (GA-02). FRONT ROW (LEFT TO RIGHT): Rep. Henry Cuellar (TX-28), Rep. Dan Lipinski (IL-03), Blue Dog Co-Chair Kurt Schrader (OR-05), Blue Dog Co-Chair for Communications Lou Correa (CA-46), Blue Dog Co-Chair for Administration Stephanie Murphy (FL-07), Blue Dog Co-Chair for Policy Tom O'Halleran (AZ-01), Blue Dog Co-Chair for Whip Anthony Brindisi (NY-22), Rep. Kendra Horn (OK-05), Rep. Abigail Spanberger (VA-07), and Rep. Joe Cunningham (SC-01). NOT PICTURED: Rep. Jim Cooper (TN-05), Rep. Jared Golden (ME-02), Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (TX-15), Rep. Collin Peterson (MN-07), Rep. Brad Schneider (IL-10), and Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-05).

THE RESURGENCE OF THE BLUE DOGS: The headlines spoke for themselves. Washington Post<[link removed]> noted it's a different kind of Blue Dog Coalition today. Christian Science Monitor<[link removed]> declared these aren't your father's Blue Dogs. POLITICO<[link removed]> called it the resurgence of the Coalition under the leadership of Rep. Stephanie Murphy (FL-07), Blue Dog Co-Chair for Administration. The headlines may say the members are different, but the mission is the same. Throughout the Blue Dog Coalition's 25-year history, the members have changed along with the country. But the mission of the Coalition has always remained same-to fight for fiscal responsibility, a strong national security, and a pragmatic approach to governance.



CELEBRATING 25 YEARS OF THE BLUE DOGS: Twenty-five years ago, 23 members of the House Democratic Caucus held a press conference to announce the formation of the Blue Dog Coalition, a caucus of pragmatic Democrats who are dedicated to fiscal responsibility and ensuring a strong national defense. Since that time, the makeup and size of the Coalition has changed over the years, but the Coalition continues to be an influential voice in the U.S. House of Representatives. Marking the Blue Dog Coalition's 25th anniversary in February 2020, the Washington Post reported "Blue Dog Democrats celebrate a milestone but stand alone on a core issue - fiscal restraint."<[link removed]> As part of the celebration, the Coalition released a set of resources<[link removed]> documenting its history.



GETTING THINGS DONE FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE





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Rep. Lou Correa (CA-46), the Blue Dog Coalition's Co-Chair for Communications, delivers remarks during a Blue Dog Coalition press conference on election security in the summer of 2019. PICTURED LEFT TO RIGHT: Rep. Abigail Spanberger (VA-07), Rep. Brad Schneider (IL-10), Rep. Kendra Horn (OK-05), Rep. Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11), Rep. Tom O'Halleran (AZ-01), Rep. Lou Correa (CA-46), Rep. Stephanie Murphy (FL-07), and Rep. Anthony Brindisi (NY-22).



PROTECTED PAYGO: As reported in McClatchy<[link removed]>, at the start of the new Congress, the Blue Dogs fought to protect a section of the House rules package which required new spending to be offset. Throughout this Congress, the Coalition has called on leadership to abide by PAYGO. In June 2019, the Coalition urged leadership<[link removed]> to only designate items on the Consensus Calendar for consideration under a process that does not waive other House rules. In November 2019, the Coalition sent a second letter<[link removed]> urging committee leaders to abide by PAYGO.



PROPOSED THE PLAN TO END THE GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN: On January 23, 2019, the Blue Dog Coalition sent a letter<[link removed]> to leadership of both parties in the House and Senate calling for reopening the government, followed by a substantive, bipartisan, bicameral discussion on border security that would produce legislation that could quickly pass both chambers of Congress-ideally with a veto-proof majority. Two days later, President Trump announced<[link removed]> he would take up the same path the Blue Dog Coalition proposed. On February 14, 2019, Congress announced<[link removed]> it had reached a bipartisan deal on legislation to strengthen border security and keep the government open. That border security deal was the result of the Blue Dog Coalition's proposal for bipartisan, bicameral negotiations, which ended the longest government shutdown in United States history. The Blue Dogs have since taken steps to prevent future government shutdowns by endorsing legislation<[link removed]> that requires daily reports on the economic consequences of future government shutdowns as well as the No Budget, No Pay Act<[link removed]> and the Funding Deadline Enforcement Act<[link removed]>.



URGED CONGRESS TO GET OUR NATION'S FISCAL HOUSE IN ORDER: As reported in The Hill<[link removed]>, prior to the pandemic, the co-chairs of the Blue Dog Task Force on Fiscal Responsibility & Government Reform, Reps. Ed Case (HI-01) and Ben McAdams (UT-04), released the Blue Dog Blueprint for Fiscal Reform<[link removed]>, a comprehensive plan to help restore fiscal discipline in Congress. Reps. Case and McAdams led a Special Order<[link removed]> discussing our nation's current fiscal state and what we can do right now to reduce our debt and deficits. The Coalition endorsed several pieces of legislation as part of the Blueprint for Fiscal Reform, they include the following: 1) Taxpayers Right-to-Know Act<[link removed]>, 2) Time to Rescue the United States' Trusts (TRUST) Act<[link removed]>, 3) Sustainable Budget Act of 2019<[link removed]>, 4) No Budget, No Pay Act<[link removed]>, 5) Balanced Budget Amendment<[link removed]>, and 6) Funding Deadline Enforcement Act<[link removed]>.



CALLED FOR URGENT, BIPARTISAN ACTION TO SECURE U.S. ELECTIONS: As reported in the Daily Beast<[link removed]>, the Blue Dog Coalition released a package of legislative proposals<[link removed]> in response to the conclusions presented in Volume I of the Mueller Report regarding Russia's attack against the U.S. political system and attempts to interfere in the 2016 election. The announcement brought down the value of the Russian ruble and it was widely praised<[link removed]> by policy experts. The Blue Dog proposal served as a roadmap for Congress to take concrete steps to secure the U.S. election infrastructure ahead of the 2020 election. Several of the Blue Dog-endorsed policies were included in the SAFE Act<[link removed]> and the SHIELD Act<[link removed]>, both of which have passed the House and await action in the Senate. Additionally, the House passed the Blue Dog endorsed Election Technology Research Act of 2019<[link removed]>, a bipartisan bill that will give the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) new resources to conduct research to promote the security and modernization of U.S. voting systems. As a follow up to the Coalition's letter<[link removed]> to House and Senate Appropriations leaders, the Coalition secured<[link removed]> the largest amount of funding to date for states to secure elections.



BACKED MEASURE TO HOLD CHINA ACCOUNTABLE FOR FUELING OPIOID EPIDEMIC: The President signed into law the Blue Dog-endorsed Fentanyl Sanctions Act<[link removed]> as part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). This law applies pressure on the Chinese government to honor its commitment to make all forms of fentanyl illegal and provide the United States more tools and resources to go after illicit traffickers in China, Mexico, and other countries. It was introduced in the House by Reps. Max Rose (NY-11), Anthony Brindisi (NY-22), French Hill (AR-02), and Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01).



URGED HOUSE LEADERSHIP TO PASS RESOLUTION SUPPORTING TWO-STATE SOLUTION AND OPPOSING THE GLOBAL BDS MOVEMENT: Last year, the House passed a bipartisan resolution opposing efforts to delegitimize the state of Israel and the Global Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) Movement targeting Israel. The resolution was introduced by Democratic Congressmen Brad Schneider (IL-10) and Jerry Nadler (NY-10) and Republican Congressman Lee Zeldin (NY-01) and Congresswoman Ann Wagner (MO-02). It was endorsed<[link removed]> by the Blue Dog Coalition. As reported in the Hill<[link removed]> and the Washington Post<[link removed]> the Blue Dogs urged House leadership to bring the resolution to the House floor for a vote prior to the 2019 August district work period.



CALLED ON CONGRESS TO TAKE UP REDISTRICTING REFORM: In the wake of the Supreme Court decision in the cases of Rucho v. Common Cause and Lamone v. Benisek, the Blue Dog Coalition called on Congress to take up redistricting reform and endorsed<[link removed]> two pieces of legislation authored by Rep. Jim Cooper (TN-05) to stop partisan gerrymandering and to expose the secret congressional redistricting process to all Americans. Rep. Joe Cunningham (SC-01) said it best in an op-ed in the Post & Courier<[link removed]>: "Of all the cancerous and anti-democratic components of modern-day politics-dark and unlimited money, voter suppression, and outsize corporate influence-I believe gerrymandering to be the No. 1 cause of the dysfunction in government, both federally and on the state level. When people rightfully ask why there is such a divide in Washington, D.C., and why our elected officials can't meet in the middle or simply work together, it is because the battle lines have already been drawn."



ANNOUNCED A SET OF PRIORITIES TO IMPROVE THE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM: In midst of the larger health care debate, the Blue Dogs announced a set of priorities<[link removed]> to improve our country's health care system and increase access to care. The priorities focus on ways to protect the Affordable Care Act, improve it, and build on its success, rather than start from scratch. Additionally, they point out needs that are specific to rural and tribal communities, which do not typically have the same resources as urban areas. The priorities also focus on ways to lower the cost of prescription drugs and combat the opioid epidemic.



URGED CONGRESS TO TAKE ACTION TO COMBAT THE THREAT OF DOMESTIC TERRORISM: In the wake of two mass shootings in less than 24 hours in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, the Blue Dog Coalition endorsed <[link removed]> Rep. Brad Schneider (IL-10) and Vicente Gonzalez's (TX-15) Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act to address the growing threat of white supremacists and other violent right-wing extremists. As reported in POLITICO<[link removed]> House Democrats are now moving ahead with broader efforts to combat the threat of racist or ideological-based violence. The Blue Dogs have also endorsed other legislation to combat the threat of domestic terrorism, including Rep. Rose's Transnational White Supremacist Extremism Review Act and the Raising the Bar Act.



CALLED ON CONGRESS TO TAKE UP BIPARTISAN DRUG PRICING LEGISLATION: The Blue Dog Coalition endorsed and called on Congress<[link removed]> to take up a series of additional prescription drug pricing bills that, if taken up individually, could pass a Democratic-led House and a Republican-led Senate. Four of those bills - the Public Disclosure of Drug Discounts Act, the Payment Commission Data Act of 2019, the Purple Book of Continuity Act, and the Orange Book of Transparency Act of 2019 - have passed the House. One of those bills, the bipartisan Creating and Restoring Equal Access to Equivalent Samples (CREATES) Act of 2019, was signed into law.



JOINED TUESDAY GROUP TO URGE LEADERSHIP TO FULLY FUND THE GOVERNMENT: Members of the Blue Dogs joined<[link removed]> numerous House Republicans, including members of the Republican Tuesday Group, to send a letter to House and Senate leadership calling on them to come to a bipartisan agreement that will fully fund the federal government through the end of fiscal year 2020. The House and Senate then came to a bipartisan agreement that will fund the government through September 2020.



CALLED ON THE BUDGET COMMITTEE TO PRODUCE A BUDGET: Following House Budget Committee Chairman John Yarmuth's comments<[link removed]> regarding the 2020 budget, the Blue Dog Coalition sent a letter<[link removed]> to Chairman Yarmuth calling on the House Budget Committee to produce a budget. Specifically, the Blue Dogs acknowledged that although spending caps have been set through the end of FY2021, producing an annual budget is a necessary first step toward reducing the deficit.



URGED TRUMP ADMINISTRATION TO PRODUCE IRAN STRATEGY: Following the operation killing Qasem Soleimani, Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, vowed that Iran would conduct a direct counterattack against the United States. The Co-Chairs of the Blue Dog Task Force on National Security issued a statement<[link removed]> calling for the Trump Administration to produce a comprehensive national security strategy to address the increased threats posed by Iran and its proxies following the U.S. operation.



PROVIDED A VOICE FOR RURAL AMERICA: This year, the Blue Dogs were able to secure bipartisan, bicameral legislation<[link removed]> to address the growing rate of suicide in rural communities as part of the NDAA. In order to address the physician shortage in rural America, the Blue Dogs supported bipartisan, bicameral legislation<[link removed]> to expand teaching health center programs in rural communities. When it became clear that the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) was leaving out community-based financial institutions that primarily serve rural communities, the Blue Dogs sent a letter to the SBA Administrator<[link removed]> calling on the Trump Administration to fix the problems community-based financial institutions faced when it came to accessing the PPP. Following that letter, the Trump Administration took up several of the Blue Dog Coalition's proposals, including setting aside $10 billion set for CDFIs in second round of PPP funding, setting aside hours to process loan applications from smaller institutions, and setting up a dedicated a tool to connect small business with CDFIs and smaller lenders. As COVID-19 continues to ravage rural communities across the country, the Blue Dogs hosted a series of Rural Opportunity Roundtables to shine a light on various issues that have been compounded by the pandemic and discuss a path forward for rural communities to recover. The series began with a discussion with local and tribal leaders<[link removed]> about the effects of the COVID-19 crisis on their communities, followed by a discussion on expanding access to high-speed broadband internet<[link removed]>, a discussion on expanding access to affordable quality health care<[link removed]>, a discussion on mental health care and addiction treatment<[link removed]> in rural communities, a discussion on small business and entrepreneurship<[link removed]>, a discussion on strengthening the outdoor economy<[link removed]>, and a discussion on education and workforce development<[link removed]>.



SECURED KEY POLICIES IN THE CARES ACT: Early on, the Blue Dogs called on Congress<[link removed]> to ensure emergency funding is designated only for the pandemic response, to include strong spending oversight measures, and to include sunset clauses to ensure funding is regularly evaluated for need and effectiveness. Blue Dog leadership also published an essay<[link removed]> calling for a balanced economic rescue package that focuses on the middle class. The Coalition's policy task forces issued a series of policy recommendations<[link removed]> to be included in the pandemic response. They secured<[link removed]> several of these policies in the bipartisan CARES Act, including strong oversight measures.



CALLED FOR STRONG OVERSIGHT OF PANDEMIC SPENDING: Since the onset of pandemic, the Blue Dogs have called for strong oversight measures to protect taxpayer dollars and ensure the money goes to the right places. Following a series of actions<[link removed]> by the White House that have undermined the ability of Inspectors General to oversee the government's pandemic response, and raised bipartisan concern on Capitol Hill, the Blue Dogs backed legislation<[link removed]> to empower and protect IGs. In an op-ed<[link removed]> they argued that Congress must strengthen IGs in order to protect taxpayer dollars. In addition to securing oversight measures in the bipartisan CARES Act, the Blue Dogs urged House and Senate leadership to include the Blue Dog Coalition's plan to protect taxpayer dollars<[link removed]> in the next round of COVID-19 response funding. The Blue Dogs were able to secure the Taxpayers Right-To-Know Act, a key part of their four-point plan to protect taxpayer dollars, in the NDAA conference report for FY2021.



INTRODUCED LEGISLATION TO HOLD CHINA ACCOUNTABLE: In an interview with the Washington Post<[link removed]>, Rep. Stephanie Murphy called out both parties for politicizing China's actions in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. "Both parties must be sure they don't fall victim to the partisan posturing, because it just weakens the United States' position as a world leader and cedes ground to China," Murphy said. In a letter, the Blue Dogs called on Congress<[link removed]> to investigate the Chinese government's actions regarding COVID-19. They followed up by introducing legislation<[link removed]> requiring the U.S. government to identify, analyze, and combat efforts by the Chinese government to exploit the COVID-19 pandemic.



BACKED LEGISLATION TO STRENGTHEN PANDEMIC PREPAREDNESS: Recognizing the continuous threats pandemics will pose to our national security going forward, the Blue Dogs backed bipartisan legislation<[link removed]> that would establish bipartisan commission to assess the United States' preparation for and response to pandemics. The bipartisan National Commission on COVID-19 Act is modeled on the 2002 law establishing the 9/11 Commission, which was enacted in the wake of the 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States. The 10 members of the COVID-19 Commission, split equally between Democrats and Republicans, would examine the country's preparation for and response to the COVID-19 pandemic and recommend concrete steps the U.S. should take to ensure a stronger, more effective government response to future pandemics.



URGED CONGRESS TO TAKE UP LEGISLATION IN RESPONSE TO RUSSIAN BOUNTY PLOT: The Blue Dogs endorsed two bills, H.R 7553, Deadly Escalation by Foreign Entities Notification and Disclosure (DEFEND) Act<[link removed]>, and H.R. 7561, Stopping Malign Actions from Russian Terrorism (SMART) Act<[link removed]>, following credible reports revealing a Russian plot to pay bounties to the Taliban to kill U.S. troops in Afghanistan. Multiple congressional Democrats, including members of the Blue Dog Coalition, introduced legislation in response to those reports. However, no congressional Republicans put forward legislation and the Trump administration did not take steps to hold Vladimir Putin accountable following intelligence reports of a Russian plot to pay bounties to the Taliban to kill American troops were made public. The Blue Dogs urged Congress to take legislative action by bringing the DEFEND Act and the SMART Act to the House floor for a vote.



MOVED CONGRESS TO ACT ON FIFTH COVID-19 RELIEF PACKAGE: The Blue Dog Coalition was the first House Democratic caucus to call on House and Senate leadership to restart bipartisan negotiations on a fifth COVID-19 relief package in an August 21 letter<[link removed]>. The most recent COVID-19 relief legislation signed into law by President Trump includes a number of priorities the Blue Dogs called for in the August 21 letter, including the following: 1) an extension of unemployment insurance benefits; 2) measures to keep workers tethered to their jobs, including the extension and expansion of the Blue Dog-endorsed Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERTC); 3) a second round of economic impact payments, and 4) additional education funding. Following the August 21 letter and leading up to the most recent legislation, the Blue Dogs endorsed the Problem Solvers Caucus' "March to Common Ground" framework<[link removed]> and $908 billion COVID-19 relief framework<[link removed]>, which included several bipartisan priorities backed by the Blue Dogs and served as a roadmap for leadership of both parties to reach a bipartisan, bicameral deal on a fifth COVID-19 relief package.



WANT MORE NEWS?: If you want to stay in the loop on the latest news about the Blue Dog Coalition, be sure to sign up here<[link removed]> to stay up to date. You can also visit our website<[link removed]> to learn more, and get the latest news updates by following us on Twitter<[link removed]> or liking us on Facebook<[link removed]>.



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The Blue Dog Coalition is an official caucus in the U.S. House of Representatives comprised of fiscally-responsible Democrats, who are leading the way to find commonsense solutions. They are pragmatic Democrats, appealing to the mainstream values of the American public. The Blue Dogs are dedicated to pursuing fiscally-responsible policies, ensuring a strong national defense for our country, and transcending party lines to get things done for the American people. Visit our website<[link removed]> to learn more, and get the latest news updates by following us on Twitter<[link removed]> or liking us on Facebook<[link removed]>.