The Blue Dog Coalition was created in 1995 to represent the commonsense, moderate voice of the Democratic Party, appealing to mainstream American values. The Blue Dogs are leaders in Congress who are committed to pursuing fiscally-responsible policies, ensuring a strong national defense, and transcending party lines to do what’s best for the American people.
The name “Blue Dog” was inspired by the famous Blue Dog paintings by Cajun artist George Rodrigue. The term is also based on the long-time tradition of referring to a strong Democratic Party supporter as being a “Yellow Dog Democrat,” who would have “sooner voted for a yellow dog than a Republican.” The founding members of the Blue Dogs said they felt that they had been “choked blue” by the extremes of both political parties, leading to the Coalition’s name.
Currently, the Blue Dog Coalition is comprised of moderate, fiscally-responsible Democrats who represent every corner of the country and continue to work to end the divisive and toxic nature of politics today. They have a long history of working with members of both parties to find areas of compromise and to advance public policies that benefit the entire nation.
The Blue Dogs are not beholden to any political party leadership, but rather the constituents they represent.
Washington – Today the Blue Dog Coalition announced Congressman Wiley Nickel (NC-13) as its newest member. Rep. Nickel is the third freshman Democrat to join the Blue Dog Coalition in recent months, growing the group’s membership to 10. “Since its inception, the Blue Dog Coalition has consistently been at the forefront of finding pragmatic, bipartisan Read More…