New Democrat Coalition Weekly Wrap 11/15/2019

Weekly Wrap 11/15/2019

Last week, the New Democrat Coalition (NDC), led by the NDC Climate Change Task Force Co-Chairs Don Beyer, Sean Casten, Elaine Luria, and Susan Wild, issued a statement in response to President Trump’s decision to begin the withdrawal process from the Paris Climate Accord. This decision would leave the United States as the only nation to abandon the global effort to fight climate change. NDC Chair Kilmer and thirteen other NDC Members also testified at the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis Member Day.

NDC Chair Emeritus Jim Himes led a letter with Republican Study Committee Chair Mike Johnson to Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, urging an extension for the bipartisan Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress. Following the receipt of this letter, House Leadership announced the Select Committee would be extended.

This week, the House passed the NDC-endorsed United States Export Finance Agency Act of 2019, which reauthorizes the Export-Import Bank for ten years and makes other improvements. The Bank is fundamentally important to supporting American workers, jobs, entrepreneurship, and the U.S. manufacturing economy.

Finally, the NDC is pleased to announce Rep. Norma Torres will serve as the new Co-Chair of the NDC Housing Task Force. She will join fellow Co-Chairs Denny Heck and Ben McAdams in working to combat the nation’s housing crisis through strategic policy solutions.

More on what Members have been up to below.

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ICYMI: Kilmer: Climate Change Solutions Can’t Wait for the Politics to Catch Up via Roll Call
NDC Chair Derek Kilmer (WA-06) penned an op-ed in Roll Call outlining the New Dem Priorities for U.S. Climate Policy and addressing the urgent need to overcome partisan politics to combat the climate crisis: “With each passing day, as more greenhouse gases are emitted into our atmosphere, this crisis becomes more difficult to combat. We cannot let solutions get caught up in partisan battles or wait until Democrats hold all levers of power. We need to make progress now… Our coalition’s bill endorsements and policy roadmap are just the beginning.”

Kilmer and NDC Members Testify at House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis Member Day
NDC Chair Derek Kilmer and thirteen additional NDC Members testified at the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis Member Day, making up more than half of the Members addressing the Committee. Kilmer urged action on this undeniable and existential threat, highlighting the NDC’s actionable policy agenda on climate to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 at the latest. Watch his testimony here.

House Passes of NDC-Endorsed Ex-Im Bank Legislation
The House passed NDC-endorsed H.R. 4863, The United States Export Finance Agency Act of 2019, which reauthorizes and expands the Export-Import Bank for ten years, with bipartisan support. The Export-Import Bank plays a fundamental role in supporting American workers, protecting jobs, and promoting entrepreneurship and the U.S. manufacturing economy. NDC Members serve as a key block of Members on the Financial Services Committee and, led by Rep. Denny Heck, played an important role in striking the right balance to ensure the bank’s reauthorization had business and labor support.

Himes Leads Letter to House Leadership to Extend Bipartisan Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress
Chair Emeritus Jim Himes (CT-04) co-led a letter with Republican Study Committee Chair Mike Johnson to Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy urging an extension on the bipartisan Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress, which is chaired by Rep. Derek Kilmer.
Related, Rep. Dean Phillips (MN-03) joined 30 freshmen members in a bipartisan letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy asking for an extension for the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress. This week, the House passed a resolution to extend the committee to the end of the Congress.

NDC Announces New Co-Chair of the Housing Task Force
The NDC announced the appointment of Rep. Norma Torres (CA-35) as the newest Co-Chair of the NDC Housing Task Force. She will join fellow Co-Chairs Denny Heck (WA-) and Ben McAdams (UT-04) in working to address the housing crisis through pragmatic, actionable policy solutions.

NDC Statement on Trump’s Decision to Begin the Withdrawal Process from the Paris Climate Accord
The NDC, led by Chair Derek Kilmer (WA-06) and NDC Climate Change Task Force Co-Chairs Don Beyer (VA-08), Elaine Luria (VA-02), Sean Casten (IL-06), and Susan Wild (PA-07), spoke out against the Administration’s announcement that it would begin the legal process for withdrawal from the Paris Agreement and stressed the importance of the United States’ recommitment and our role as a global leader in combatting climate change.