Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from California for organizing today's Special Order to celebrate the life of Ellen Tauscher. I didn't serve with Ellen. I had the opportunity to meet her and enjoyed that, and I now have the distinct honor of serving in a role that she held, not just previously but exceptionally, as chair of the New Democrat Coalition. As my friend from Wisconsin said, the New Dems is made up of forward- thinking, pro-growth, pro-innovative, and fiscally responsible Democrats. This Congress, we have 101 members, making us now the largest ideological caucus in the House. It is the largest the coalition has ever been. It is safe to say, and it is certainly not hyperbole to say, that this coalition would not be what it is if it wasn't for Ellen Tauscher. The coalition came into existence with the election of Ellen Tauscher and several other current and former colleagues back in 1996. Shortly after she took office, Peter Beinart wrote a profile piece about Ellen and the New Democrats in Time magazine. In it, Beinart describes the early days of a growing New Democrat Coalition that represented predominantly suburban districts across the country. He declared the Democratic center was moving toward what he called Tauscherism, a phrase that stuck around to describe the socially progressive, fiscally moderate, pro-business focus that were many of the policies New Democrats advocated not just then but now as well.…”