Dingell launches Heartland Caucus to promote issues important to middle of US
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There are dozens of informal caucuses in Congress representing lots of different interests, ranging from the afterschool caucus to the zoo caucus.
You can add the flyover states to the list.
On Wednesday, U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Ann Arbor, launched the Heartland Caucus, with its primary purpose being to advocate for issues of particular import to people living in the Midwest and beyond, namely manufacturing, labor rules, the Great Lakes, energy and environment, agriculture and more.
Some of those topics (like manufacturing and labor) already have caucuses — which are essentially groups of legislators with shared interests because of the regions they represent. Caucuses allow them to present, in theory, more of a united front on those issues. But Dingell — who late last year launched an unsuccessful bid to become vice chair of the House Democratic Caucus noting how the middle of the country lacked party leadership slots in the chamber — said this effort is intended to make sure voices from the heartland are heard.
"The heartland built this country into what it is today," she said. "We make things and we grow things — our states are rich in resources, the most important of which are the hard-working men and women who live, work and raise their families (there). We must ensure that as we’re creating policy here in Washington, that we’re prioritizing the views, values and issues."
More:Debbie Dingell wanted to be a nun, instead she's at the center of everything in Washington
At a news conference Wednesday to announce the caucus, Dingell was joined by more than a dozen members of the U.S. House, all Democrats. They included U.S. Reps. Marcy Kaptur, Joyce Beatty and Emilia Sykes of Ohio; Jan Schakowsky, Mike Quigley, Bill Foster, Sean Casten, Nikki Budzinski, Jonathan Jackson, Delia Ramirez and Eric Sorensen of Illinois; and Angie Craig, Ilhan Omar and Dean Phillips of Minnesota. Other Michigan members attending the announcement were U.S. Reps. Haley Stevens of Birmingham and Rashida Tlaib and Shri Thanedar, both of Detroit.
Contact Todd Spangler: tspangler@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @tsspangler.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Debbie Dingell launches Heartland Caucus to represent middle of US
