First things first: Last week, we launched The Abundant Future, a Substack that will dive into the open questions about the national abundance movement – the strategic debates, the ideological tensions, and the policy fights on Capitol Hill. We then celebrated at a packed party with a conversation featuring Rep. Jake Auchincloss and Marshall Kosloff. Check out our first post HERE – then subscribe and share with friends!
The Abundant Future is one of several ways we’re kicking off 2026 with a bang after a successful 2025. We wrapped up the year with an exciting development in the push for permitting reform: we organized a meeting between Utah Governor Spencer Cox and the Congressional Build America Caucus about the need to build infrastructure and energy faster and cheaper. And later that day, we supported a Congressional staff-level briefing from the energy leads for Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro. These governors organized a letter outlining a promising bipartisan approach for comprehensive grid modernization. See coverage in Politico Pro.
In the new year, we’re planning to grow abundance’s impact on Capitol Hill and with federal candidates across the country. Here’s the latest about our approach:
Our Impact
Inclusive Abundance spent every week last year on Capitol Hill – and that work paid off. The Build America Caucus we helped launch last summer grew from 31 to 41 members (22-D; 19-R) in the fall in part thanks to our recruitment efforts. And beyond pushing for energy permitting reform, Chair Josh Harder led 30 bipartisan members to demand House leadership pass significant housing reforms.
We’re also excited to add two new members to the Inclusive Abundance team. Please join me in welcoming Gillian Pressman as our new Head of Development and Scott Quinn as our Director of Government Affairs! Get to know Gillian and Scott via their bios and Meet the Team questionnaires, and reach out if you’d like to connect.
We’ve also been busy:
- Joining Third Way and Breakthrough Institute to thank New York Gov. Kathy Hochul for approving the Northeast Supply Enhancement project, which we called a “pragmatic and advisable step in delivering energy abundance and reducing carbon emissions.”
- Sharing the abundance gospel, including at YIMBYTown, the Roots of Progress conference, and at Yale Law School. And at the New Liberal Action Summit, our very own Baillee Brown hosted a panel with Build America Caucus Chair Harder, Majority Democrats’ Rohan Patel, and Francis Fukuyama!
What We Are Thinking
2025 marked the start of the “Abundance Era.” A year ago, abundance was a niche concept debated on X. Now, it’s a full-fledged movement, with candidates increasingly embracing abundance ideas.
It’s been a few months since November, but we shouldn’t forget that the elections proved abundance is already shaping governance. New Jersey governor Mikie Sherrill ran on an abundance-aligned agenda – that we advised her team on! – and four pro-housing, pro-government-efficacy city ballot measures won in New York City. And earlier this month, NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani promised to deliver “an agenda of safety, affordability, and abundance.” Already Governor Sherrill and Mayor Mamdani have worked to accelerate permitting and build more housing – showing abundance is making our leaders better.
If 2025 was the start of a movement, 2026 will be the year it takes off. With Congress continuing to debate housing and energy and the midterms coming up, we see a tremendous opportunity to make the case that more leaders need to campaign and govern on abundance ideas (they don’t need to use the word – it’s all about affordability, economic mobility, and national security).
What We Are Reading
- The Long Run on how 2025 was the year Democrats finally began to act on housing – featuring Derek!
- FAI’s Kevin Hawickhorst on what the abundance movement can learn from the Tennessee Valley Authority
- Derek Thompson on why Democrats have been laser-focused on affordability
- Marc Dunkelman’s NYT op-ed, “What the Left Could Learn from Trump’s Brutal Efficiency”
- Niskanen’s take on core questions for the abundance movement: Abundance of what? Abundance for what?
- Jason Crawford on the difference between the progress and abundance movements – an important follow-up from the Roots of Progress conference!
What We Are Watching
- Derek joined Comcast Newsmakers to explain how abundance answers our country’s housing and electricity challenges
This newsletter is a product of Inclusive Abundance Action, our 501(c)(4).