Democrats sneered when Georgia Republican U.S., Rep. Newt Gingrich unveiled his “Contract With America” about six weeks before the 1994 midterm elections.
But Democrats weren’t laughing when the returns rolled in that November; the GOP gained 54 House seats, thrusting Gingrich into the post of speaker.
Almost 31 years later, one Democratic lawmaker from Ohio is trying to use Gingrich’s example to jump-start ideas inside his own party. U.S. Rep. Greg Landsman,calls the plan his ‘Pledge to America.’
“What Democrats need is a clear and compelling roadmap for the future,” Landsman said, calling for “a change agenda that differs clearly from the path set by Trump and congressional Republicans.”
What do Democrats stand for in 2025? That sounds like a slightly dumb question at first, but the more you think about it, the more it raises uncomfortable questions about where the party is going in the era of Donald Trump.
“We should prioritize public safety, border security, immigration reform and a strong national defense,” Landsman argues.
A former city councilman in Cincinnati, this is only Landsman’s second term in Congress. He’s not well-known and certainly doesnt have the stature Gingrich did in 1994.
But just as Gingrich wanted to tell voters what his party stood for, Landsman sees that need for Democrats. Others watching from outside Capitol Hill agree.
“They are lost,” tweeted ex-U. S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger, a fierce GOP critic of Trump from Illinois, “ And Democratic voters know it.”
Credit: TNS
Credit: TNS
Landman’s 10-point plan includes repealing the GOP’s “big, beautiful bill.” It also includes more general calls for tax reform, new housing and infrastructure, health reform, crime legislation, education changes, and more.
“Democrats must get organized and lay out a legislative agenda,” said Landsman.
While Landsman has a bevy of ideas, Gingrich’s contract had headlines that were much more specific and easier to grasp — even if Republicans were unable to enact some of it into law.
That Gingrich plan from 1994 included items like term limits for Congress, a balanced-budget amendment to the Constitution, and welfare reform, which actually happened in a bipartisan deal with President Bill Clinton.
History teaches us that the party in power usually doesn’t do that well in a midterm election, so it would be no surprise if Democrats win back control of the House in 2026.
But if it happens, would the reason be mainly because of a political backlash to Trump and his policies? Or because of the ideas put forward by Democrats?
Landsman wants to make sure it’s the latter. To get there, he might need to take some more pointers from Newt.
Jamie Dupree has covered national politics and Congress from Washington, D.C. since the Reagan administration. His column appears weekly in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. For more, check out his Capitol Hill newsletter at http://jamiedupree.substack.com
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