Senator Coons lays out policy vision for Democrats in new Democracy Journal essay: “Opportunity, Security, Justice”

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) published a new essay today in Democracy: A Journal of Ideas, urging his party to adopt a new policy framework to help win back the trust and support of Americans centered around three key values.

"Today, I and many others worry that we've lost sight of those values, and that we've in turn lost sight of how to engage Americans," Senator Coons writes. "We need to offer voters a concise, accessible framework that rests on the ideas that drew me and so many others to the party in the first place: opportunity, security, justice."

In the essay, Senator Coons outlines the personal journey that led him to switch from the Republican to the Democratic Party as a young man, and the values and lessons that he believes have driven the Democratic Party at its height:

• Opportunity: "Opportunity means social mobility is possible-that your children can do better than you if you work hard, play by the rules, and invest in their education and well-being… We are a party that sees exciting and positive opportunities ahead for all of us-and will work to make them come true."
• Security: "Security means much more than the military and national defense. It means you don't wake up afraid of crime on your drive to work, and you don't go to bed wracked with worry over your bills."
• Justice: "True justice is much broader and deeper than purity tests and the 'cancel culture' that so many Americans are tired of… My conception of justice is rooted in my faith, and in that verse from the Book of Micah. Across the Torah and the Gospels, the message is clear: We must fight for a better life for all, which must include the working classes and 'the least of these.'"

Senator Coons also explores how this framework can translate to real policy proposals that appeal to most Americans on crucial issues facing the country, such as immigration policy and retirement security.

"[Democrats need to focus] on the opportunities that will help American families build a future. We defend their security so they don't have to sit at the kitchen table each week worrying about how they're going to pay their bills and retire. We make justice real, so Americans no longer wonder why our party seems to have chosen to help some other family instead of theirs," Senator Coons concludes. "If we leave behind the weight of culture wars and focus on improving people's lives, we can start to rebuild the trust we've lost. From there, we can rebuild our coalition. From there, we can rebuild our country."

The full essay can be found HERE.