Editor’s note: U.S. House Blue Dog Democrats Coalition members Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, Rep. Jared Golden, Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, Rep. Lou Correa, and Rep. Adam Gray wrote the following commentary. Founded 30 years ago, the Blue Dogs are a coalition of House Democrats who stand for fiscal stability and national security. Blue Dogs embrace bipartisanship and work to find common sense solutions to the challenges facing our country.
The need for pragmatic policy and commonsense action has rarely been as pronounced as it is today. Across our nation, hardworking families are demanding effective representation that addresses our skyrocketing deficit, plummeting confidence in government and national security as tensions flare abroad.
Americans are experiencing a government moving further away from the values of their communities: one that talks at them instead of with them, and that prioritizes the well-connected and elites over their local interests. The 118th Congress was one of the least effective in our nation’s history, and Congress has yet to fully grapple with an economy that isn’t working for most Americans.
As the Blue Dogs reach our 30th anniversary, the antidote to today’s uncertainty lies in the groundwork built up by our coalition through its history.
On Valentine’s Day 1995, 23 House Democrats took the bold step of forming the Blue Dog Coalition — out of true love for and loyalty to our communities, not a commercialized or cheap lip service. By rising above hyper-partisanship, adhering to principles of good government, and remaining dedicated to our unique constituencies above all else, our coalition has made Americans safer and kept us on a path of responsible growth that benefits hardworking families.
A dedication to our national defense and fiscal responsibility allowed for the coalition to transcend party lines and enact pragmatic policies — championing sufficient funding and support for the U.S. military and the implementation of statutory PAYGO requirements. The need to live within your means and the burden of debt is a reality our communities understand clearly. The coalition's commitment to results has never wavered and it enabled them to deliver on a years-long effort to implement true bipartisan campaign finance reform in 2001.
Our coalition has evolved to address modern challenges, while staying true to a longstanding tradition of slipping the leash, even when it’s not easy.
Blue Dogs have long recognized that existing systems haven’t always represented our constituents — and we’ll continue to say it like it is. As farms and schools consolidate, family businesses disappear and rural America becomes hollowed out, D.C. politics have grown increasingly removed from the realities on the ground.
Today’s Blue Dogs bring a local lens to federal policy. We aren’t bound by ideology or geography. Our focus — a place-based approach — works to restore our country to a true representative democracy. A democracy where the things that matter to working families are reflected, addressed, and solved at the national level.
Congress can no longer reflexively defend the status quo — and public servants need to show up and listen to their constituents. Respect, humility, and curiosity are powerful tools in this work. With our constituents’ worldview and experience, Blue Dogs get a more full picture of what is productive, truly common sense legislation.
In an increasingly hegemonic world where power resides everywhere and nowhere, we argue for a representative government. This shouldn’t be revolutionary, but it feels like it at this time. We fight for localism, not in service of narrow self interest, but out of recognition that good federal policy can only be achieved when a wide diversity of interests are reflected at the table. In short, you don’t get good policy when people who are turning wrenches, changing diapers, and driving trucks aren’t at the negotiating table.
Today, the three Blue Dog co-chairs are all Mexican Americans, somewhat a coincidence of the diversity of our coalition as it exists today. All five of the Blue Dog leaders represent primarily working-class districts, where many of our constituents own small businesses in the trades and have felt disrespected and disregarded by the regulatory system as it exists. In order to hold an electoral majority, Democrats must prioritize serving and respecting communities like ours.
The road ahead is challenging, and we have our work cut out for us — but our coalition is ready to meet the moment. To get back on track and provide real results for all Americans, we need to flex the muscle of the middle and chart an independent, bipartisan path forward. Half our members represent districts President Trump won last year, and all Blue Dogs are ready to work hand-in-hand with anyone serious about respectful, effective, and level headed governance and interested in the nuance and depth that builds community.
The hard truth is that making government work better and holding Congress accountable for our fiscal and economic situation shouldn’t be as difficult as it is. By definition, actions that are common sense shouldn’t be such an accomplishment.
Instead of eliminating programs that are effective, or automatically funding those that aren’t, our coalition stands by the guiding principle that we should empower government that works.
For better or for worse, our government doesn’t pat a small business owner on the back for setting a realistic budget or properly servicing their debt. In fact, it’s the expectation set for them if they are entrusted with a loan from our government. Why should Congress be held to a different standard?
Our families, friends, and neighbors all want safe communities, greater economic power, and the right to steward our own things. Most of us agree on most issues, yet D.C. clickbait politics attempt to drive the most divisive issues like a stake through the heart of our culture and communities. As Blue Dogs, we refuse to let partisan division define the parameters of our work.
Thirty years ago, the 23 original members of our coalition broke the mold to fight for what mattered to their constituents and was in the best interest of our nation. In the 119th Congress — in a moment of worsening gridlock and divisiveness — we will continue this fight.
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U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez is a Democrat from Skamania County representing Washington’s Third Congressional District in Congress.
