DelBene, like her New Dem colleagues, ignores the squawking from the left. She stays relentlessly on message and avoids any mention of progressives or divisions within the party.

“When I first came to Congress, someone told me that there are two types of lawmakers: legislators and provocateurs. New Dems are legislators. New Dems care about good policy and getting things done. That’s what most Americans want to see in their legislators,” she said.

Voters may not be aware of the force of moderates in the House. The coalition makes up more than 40% of House Democrats, but DelBene said New Dems are representative of where the American people are. “We really are the center of gravity. We really are the reason we are in the majority,” she said…

New Democrats have the ear of the president, and made the case to him at the White House the same day he met with progressives last month. Will he heed their advice and choose popular, durable policies over bypassing Congress for pen-and-phone politics future presidents can erase? The coming months will tell.