‘Time To Get Back To Building’: Dem Rep. Josh Harder Uses GOP Policy Points To Form Anti-Red Tape Caucus

A new Democratic-led Congressional caucus focused on energy and housing appears to have employed multiple frequently-used GOP policy points in its introductory press release Thursday.

The bipartisan Build America Caucus‘ creation was spurred in part by its chair, Democratic California Rep. Josh Harder, and some other Democrats’ efforts to fix their “post-2024 message” and recognize the “potential failure of governance in blue cities and states,” Politico reported. In a press release, Harder’s office bills the caucus as “pro-growth” and supportive of “unleashing American energy” and “cutting red tape,” policy positions frequently echoed by Republican lawmakers and the administration of President Donald Trump.

Harder’s office described the caucus as a group of “nearly 30 members from across the ideological spectrum … in a strong position to pass meaningful legislation,” per the press release. The members of the caucus include 11 Republicans and 18 Democrats.

“Voters have lost faith in government because they don’t see results — they see gridlock, red tape, and delay,” Harder said in the release. “It’s time to get back to building. Housing costs are out of control, our energy grid is strained, and foreign adversaries are racing ahead in critical manufacturing. The Build America Caucus is bringing Republicans and Democrats together to deliver real, pro-growth solutions. Our mission is simple: pass effective legislation that unleashes America’s full potential.”

“This is a moment that has been building for a while,” Harder told Politico. “I think there’s been a lot of simmering interest in permitting reform and making sure that things are built faster, better, cheaper. But now, I think over the past year or so, it’s really reached a boiling point on both sides.”