House Democrats decamp to Virginia for annual retreat as stopgap fight plays out

Mary Ellen McIntire, CQ-Roll Call on Mar 12, 2025

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LEESBURG, Va. – House Democrats gathered Wednesday roughly an hour outside of Washington for a three-day policy conference as they plot out their next two years in the minority.

The retreat here at the Lansdowne Resort comes a day after House Democrats were nearly unanimous in their opposition to Republicans’ stopgap spending bill, which their Senate counterparts appear opposed to supporting, upping the chances of a partial government shutdown.

“I don’t know why anyone would support that bill,” House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar said Wednesday at a news conference with party leaders. “There is nothing in this bill that gives the certainty that the American public need.”

“Elon Musk and Donald Trump are systematically already shutting down the federal government,” he added. “Why we would want any part of that, I have no idea.”

While emphasizing that their caucus was standing together in the face of unified GOP control of Washington, the Democratic leaders accused Republicans of not doing enough to lower the cost of living.

“House Democrats remain committed to building an affordable economy and driving down the high cost of living for everyday Americans. And House Democrats are united in our understanding that we must take back the majority next year with the fierce urgency of now,” Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said.

Jeffries said Democrats would hold a day of action in support of Medicaid next week, giving them an opportunity to highlight their support for a program that they argue Republicans are seeking to cut to help pay for tax cuts.

Underscoring Democrats’ plans for the next two years is their goal to win control of the House in the 2026 midterm elections. The House represents the party’s best shot at breaking the GOP trifecta next year, and while Democrats lost the White House and Senate last year, they managed to narrow Republicans’ margin in the House.

An Emerson College poll released this week, however, found voters held a less favorable view of the Democratic Party than they did the GOP. And Democrats have struggled so far this year with how best to respond to Trump and his actions since taking office.

Some House Democrats could begin holding town halls in Republican-held districts, which would be “filling a void,” according to Florida Rep. Maxwell Frost, a co-chair of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee.

Washington Rep. Suzan DelBene, the chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, cited affordability as the top issue in last year’s campaign. But Trump’s policy on tariffs is creating uncertainty for business owners, she said, which could help fuel support for Democrats focused on kitchen table issues.

“House Democrats and the American public are going to hold Republicans accountable for their broken promises, and we’re already seeing across the country people standing up and speaking out against their dangerous agenda,” DelBene said.

Democrats attending the conference are poised to hear from a trio of governors considered potential future presidential aspirants: Kentucky’s Andy Beshear, Pennsylvania’s Josh Shapiro and Michigan’s Gretchen Whitmer. Other expected speakers include several union leaders, as well as former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield and Stacey Dixon, the former principal deputy director of national intelligence.

Several commentators and pollsters were also due to address the lawmakers as Democrats weigh how to move forward into the Trump administration.

Those conversations come as Democrats are trying new forms of communication to try to meet voters where they are, including on social media platforms and through podcasts.

“We’re trying to talk directly to the American people about our positive vision for the future, but it’s based on data,” Aguilar said. “We’re doing different things. We’re trying to reach more people to get our positive message about the country and what we stand for.”

Illinois Rep. Lauren Underwood, like Frost a co-chair of the caucus’s messaging arm, said that outreach would include social media, which has seen a notable increase of Democrats posting videos.

“If folks want to rip, or point things out, if the White House wants to tweet at us, that means that we’re getting under their skin. And if anything, it’s expanding our reach,” Underwood said at a separate news conference Wednesday. “Last week, we had 50 million people interacting with our content, and I would call that a success.”