Monday, July 24, 2017
BERRYVILLE, Va. (AP) — Promising "A Better Deal" for American workers, Democratic Party leaders rolled out a new agenda with a populist pitch on today as they sought to bounce back from their losses in November and look ahead to the 2018 midterms.
They left the Beltway for small-town Berryville, Va., in an attempt to appeal to the working-class voters that Donald Trump appealed to last November and Democrats hope to win back.
"Too many Americans don't know what we stand for," said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York. "Not after today."
The Democrats' new platform has three overarching goals: raising wages, lowering costs for families, and giving working Americans better skills for the 21st century economy.
"People need to know not only what we're fighting against, they need to know what we're fighting for," said Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland.
Attempting to bridge all parts of the party, Democrats invited moderate Sen. Mark Warren of Virginia and liberal Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts.
The event took place in the district of one of the GOP House members they hope to defeat next year, Barbara Comstock.