Democratic Policy Committee

The Democratic Policy Committee (DPC) was established in January 1947, after President Truman signed legislation to create majority and minority party policy committees in the Senate. Under the leadership of Chairman Byron L. Dorgan and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, the DPC has been a dynamic part of the Senate leadership.

Since its creation over sixty years ago, the DPC has served Senate Democrats by developing new policy proposals, providing research and legislative support, publishing reports on important legislation and policy issues, conducting oversight hearings, tracking roll call votes, differentiating Democratic policy positions from Republican positions, and promoting Caucus unity and cohesion.

Policy and Legislative Analysis

The Democratic Policy Committee has a five-member team of policy advisors who cover domestic, economic, national security, and foreign policy issues. These advisors provide the following services for Democratic Senators and staff:

• Conduct policy analysis and research for Leadership and Caucus staff and help implement Caucus initiatives;
• Serve as a central source for information about legislation, amendments, and policy issues;
• Write Legislative Bulletins on major legislation and Special Reports and Fact Sheets on key policy issues;
• Organize Caucus staff briefings, including ones featuring experts from think tanks, research organizations, and universities;
• Work with Leadership and Caucus staff to develop and communicate the Democratic message on key issues; and
• Support the DPC "new policy network" and oversight and investigations functions.

Oversight and Accountability

Contact: Leslie Gross-Davis

Members of Congress have a Constitutional obligation to oversee the activities of the Executive Branch and improve the efficiency, effectiveness, and economy of governmental operations. The Oversight and Accountability Project works with standing committees in the Senate to help coordinate hearings and investigations, providing historical and legal resources relating to congressional oversight, and publishing reports that highlight oversight work in the Senate. The DPC also conducts its own oversight hearings, focusing on topics of importance that the committees decide not to pursue. Since 2003, the DPC has held 18 hearings on waste, fraud and abuse in Iraq contracting.

New Policy Development

Contact: Carrie Wofford

In early 2005, the DPC launched an initiative to generate new policy ideas for Senate Democrats. The "new ideas network" consists of more than 200 academics, policy experts at think tanks, state and local government officials, thought leaders from business and labor, and bloggers. The DPC works with network partners to facilitate bold, original thinking and develop innovative policy solutions to existing and emerging problems.

As part of this project, the DPC issues an annual Fresh 50 report, which contains fifty cutting-edge policy proposals available for individual members of the Caucus to adopt and develop as their own. In the 110th Congress, the DPC produced more than twenty-five papers that proposed new policy ideas for individual Senate offices to consider. The DPC also hosts regular staff briefings from innovative sources of new policy proposals. The point person for this initiative is the New Policy Director, who works to build the network, directs its activities, and coordinates with Democratic Senators and staff.

Technology and Special Projects

The DPC "Technology Special Projects" team oversees the following DPC activities:

• e-Citizen Project. The DPC recently launched the e-Citizen Project to give Senate Democratic offices access to best practices in new media and help them adapt the high-tech tools used by the Obama campaign to governing and the legislative process. The DPC report, A Blueprint for the Use of New Media, describes the opportunities Senators have to encourage citizens to participate in the legislative process, mobilize constituent support, and create constituent-based message delivery networks.
• DPC Lunches. Every Thursday the Senate is in session, the DPC hosts a lunch at which Senators hear from leading figures in government, politics, business and journalism. Past guests have included Al Gore, Madeleine Albright, Condoleezza Rice, Colin Powell, Henry Paulson, Warren Buffett, Bill Gates, Michael Bloomberg, John Sweeney, Rupert Murdoch, Bill Moyers, Tim Russert, and Tom Friedman.
• DPC Issues Conferences. Members gather twice a year at issues conferences to hear the latest thinking on policy issues and review recent political trends. Senate Democrats use these conferences to brainstorm and strategize on the most important economic, social, and political issues facing our nation. A one-day conference is held each winter in the Washington area and a three-day event is held each spring at a location outside the Washington area.
• Message Project. The DPC Message Project brings together leading practitioners from various fields, including marketing and advertising executives, public opinion leaders, policy makers, political consultants, and writers, to provide their ideas on messaging and the use of language in politics.
• DPC 2010 Member Services. The DPC customizes DPC products and services, including vote analyses, policy reports, and research studies, for Democratic Senators who are members of the Class of 2010.

Senate Votes

Contacts: Doug Connolly, Mike Mozden

For 60 years, the DPC Vote Analysis team has provided comprehensive information about Senate voting records to Democratic Senators. Today, the team tracks and compiles information on record votes, including concise summaries of the debate on amendments and the major provisions of bills, and provides online access to Senate voting records via the VoteWatch website (dpcvotes.senate.gov). Vote-related research materials maintained by the office go back to 1933.