People are tired of politics that feel like shouting matches. They are tired of being told they must choose between two extremes. And they are especially tired of hearing politicians argue over ideology while the cost of groceries, housing, health care, gas and essentials they buy every day are going up.

Rep. Adam Gray, a California Democrat, and I have known this for years, so it’s no surprise that he and I helped develop — and became the first Democratic elected officials to sign — the Promise to America.

Adam and I know something about talking to voters who don’t always agree with us. We were the only two Democrats in 2024 to flip congressional districts won by President Trump. We didn’t win by lecturing people. We won by listening to them, showing them respect no matter their voter registration, and focusing on the problems they deal with every day.

The Promise to America isn’t a complicated pledge. It’s a common-sense commitment to a fair economy, lower costs, secure borders, safe communities, fiscal responsibility, effective government, free speech, patriotism, and respect for people who may see things differently. It’s a declaration of values from common-sense Democrats:

We are capitalist, not socialist.

We want safety, not lawlessness.

We are responsible, not reckless.

We believe government should solve problems, not create them.

We are mainstream, not extreme.

We are proud, not ashamed of America.

We believe Democrats must unite around a common purpose of rebuilding the middle class. The United States has achieved great economic success over the past 50 years, but too many Americans don’t feel like they have benefited from it. We must ensure that hard work is rewarded with enough money to buy a home, raise a family, afford health insurance, and retire without being scared.

We must secure our border while also treating immigrants with dignity. We must support public safety, and honestly tackle our debt, while making sure government works. To earn trust, we must reject extremism and reaffirm that we share the common-sense values of the American people.

We must reclaim the language of patriotism. Democrats have long believed that America is great not because it is perfect, but because it has the capacity to become better. Leadership is at its best when it brings people together, allows for disagreement without division, and ensures that no one gets left behind.

When everything’s said and done, I’m a Democrat. I believe that climate change and wealth inequality are real. I believe the immigrant injustice in our country today is immoral and illegal.

I believe government has an important role to play. I believe that Democrats and Republicans need to work together to find common ground and to make government work. Government should make life easier, not harder. It should answer the phone, process the application, fix the road, protect the border, keep the neighborhood safe, and spend taxpayer money carefully.

I believe that our national debt is in crisis, and that we have to get serious about bringing it down. Every dollar we add to the deficit puts upward pressure on interest rates and inflation, and drives costs up. We can’t keep charging everything to our children and grandchildren and expecting they’ll figure out how to foot the bill. Fiscal responsibility is not a Republican idea or a Democratic idea. It is an American obligation.

The Democratic and Republican parties have a trust problem. Democrats won’t solve our problem simply by telling people what we’re against. Being against Donald Trump is not a governing philosophy. Voters want to know what we are for, what we will do, and whether we understand their lives.

The Promise to America says we will choose persuasion over purity, problem-solving over posturing, and common purpose over endless division.

Most Americans aren’t living on the political extremes. They’re working, raising children, caring for parents, paying bills, and trying to get ahead. They want leaders who are practical, decent and focused on results.

Keeping our promise is how we can build a durable majority capable of governing this country, and doing so responsibly. That is how we rebuild the middle class. That is who Democrats must fight for. That is how we restore trust.

And that is the promise we owe America.

Tom Suozzi represents the 3rd Congressional District.