Post-presidential run, Dean Phillips speaks to EP Chamber

“It’s funny how liberated you get when you’re not going to run again,” U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips said as part of his opening remarks to an Eden Prairie Chamber of Commerce gathering at Fat Pants Brewing Co. in August. 

Philips, a third-term Democrat representing Minnesota’s 3rd Congressional District, is not running for reelection in 2024, following his withdrawal from a presidential bid during primary season. He offered candid remarks at the chamber’s Aug. 14 legislative luncheon about presidential politics, the possibility of a third major political party, the federal deficit, challenges to attracting people to public service, and more.

In response to a question regarding Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s nomination as the Democratic candidate for vice president, Phillips said he would have preferred competition within the national Democratic Party after President Joe Biden dropped out of the race. However, he thought Vice President Kamala Harris’ quick coalition of support was a sign of leadership. Phillips also said he expected both Harris and Walz to return to what he called their centrist roots.

“I love the fact that we might have a Minnesotan in the VP’s office, no matter your politics,” Phillips said. Referring to Walter Mondale and Hubert Humphrey, previous vice presidents who hailed from Minnesota, Phillips said, “We’re like No. 2, but we always try.”

Phillips himself had a brief run for the No. 1 job in the nation, announcing his candidacy for the presidential nomination in October 2023 before withdrawing from the race in March 2024. “I ran for president not thinking that I had a good chance of actually securing the nomination, because it’s designed to prevent that, but I did it to inspire a conversation I knew would have to be had and to speak the truth,” Phillips said. He stated throughout his campaign his concerns about the perceived weakness of Biden as a 2024 presidential nominee.

During his presidential campaign, Phillips announced that he would not seek reelection to his House seat. (Voters will choose this fall between DFL candidate Kelly Morrison and Republican candidate Tad Jude as his replacement.) Although he stated at the chamber event that, “I’m not saying never again,” regarding his own political plans, Phillips added, “I also recognize that when I made the decision to speak the truth, that not only would it not be rewarded, but it would likely result in the end of my career, whether that be by the party making it difficult or by me coming to the conclusion that I have.”

That conclusion, Phillips said, was influenced by his disappointment in people he served alongside. “To work with people that are willing to compromise their principles in the spirit of their own personal self-preservation was really difficult, and that was probably the thing that really forced my own decision to pass the torch,” he said.

What’s ahead: encouraging public service – and a third party? 

Phillips indicated his disappointment was with members of both major parties and, in response to an audience question at the Eden Prairie event about whether it is time for a third major political party, he answered, “I hope that happens. I’m a Democrat, and I’m a Humphrey Democrat, a Bill Clinton Democrat. The party’s not there anymore, no question. And those of you who are Republicans, the party ain’t the Reagan party anymore, either. That, to me, has created, from an entrepreneurial perspective, perhaps the greatest opportunity I’ve ever seen where you have 350 million people, over 50% of whom don’t want the products offered by Coke and Pepsi. So why shouldn’t there be a Red Bull?” 

Phillips said he would like to play a role in what he described as a “pro business and pro person” kind of party, while also suggesting that the term “common sense” would likely factor into such a party’s name. 

He also said that his next chapter would involve trying to inspire and cultivate interest in public service, particularly among young people. “The ebb of talented young people pursuing careers in law enforcement and teaching and firefighting and teaching and public service – the erosion of that interest is tragic in a democracy,” he said. “Participation is the vitamin in this system of governance, and we have to inspire people to get out and vote and participate, run for office. If people fail to participate in democracy, nefarious interests on the far right and far left will absolutely fill that vacuum.”

The current political climate poses a challenge in drawing people to public service, Phillips said.

“I grew up in an America in which public service was honorable,” he said. “Now, it’s remarkably toxic. I know my children, who are two daughters, (aged) 27 and 25, they’ve never seen Democrats or Republicans act reasonable and responsible and respectfully.” 

Instead, he said, younger generations have only seen what he called “nonsense and vitriol and toxicity.” Philips also placed part of the blame on what he called the “anger-tainment industry.” Speaking of people being discouraged from running for public office, he said, “Why would you pursue something that you know is going to open up every social media account and every post you’ve ever made, right? You know, talk to every friend you’ve ever had, find something to destroy.”

Phillips also said, however, “I think the anger-tainment industry would have us believe that we are more divided than we really are. When I ran for president, I didn’t meet one person, on any side of the aisle, including at MAGA rallies, who was disrespectful or unfriendly. Just the opposite: friendly, decent, cool people who just see things differently than others. That’s my biggest takeaway from this tenure in Congress, is that our country is remarkable. We’ve also got to get our s— together.”

Term limits for fiscal responsibility

Phillips also suggested during his remarks at the chamber luncheon that he would support term limits to encourage fiscal responsibility among elected officials. 

“There is no reward right now for being fiscally responsible. I never had someone come to my office and ask me to spend less on the program that’s important to them and to raise their taxes. Never had that happen in my life,” Phillips said. 

Instead, he discussed a national debt that currently exceeds $30 trillion, exceeding the fiscal year 2025 defense budget request of $849 billion. 

“You know, as well as anybody, you can’t continue to use a credit card and not pay it off, and that’s what we’re doing,” Phillips said, stating that Washington-based political and military industrial complexes “have made an art and science out of bringing the dollars to their businesses.

“I have started to take positions where I voted against the defense bill because we are out of control now in our spending,” he continued. “But I will tell you that it has really been difficult to try to express my perspectives on fiscal responsibility when faced with very simple up-and-down votes about keeping the government open or keeping our bills paid. And it is a design flaw of our Congress that puts members of Congress in these positions.”

He said no one wants to take the political risk of raising taxes or cutting spending because there is no reward.

“So that’s the crux of this real problem: How do you take common-sense ideas to fix this and actually get it done in a culture in which nobody has the courage to lose their job to do the right thing?” Phillips asked, while proposing 18-year congressional term limits (a combination of House and Senate terms) as a potential solution. He also favored 18-year term limits for justices on the U.S. Supreme Court. 

Foreign affairs, porch pirates, and Problem Solvers 

Phillips also addressed a variety of other issues during his remarks and responses to questions.

He suggested that the U.S. focus on diplomacy and plans for post-Putin Russia, post-Netanyahu Israel, and post-regime Iran, saying, “We need leaders in the White House on both sides of the aisle that recognize threats and address them before they become acute too far down the road.”

China, Phillips said, should be a U.S. competitor, not an enemy. In the Middle East, he said, “I love Israel” and “We’ve got to create a second state next to Israel for Palestinians and create some type of Marshall Plan to at least give them one chance. Because if you do not afford the basics to human beings, they will take it from their neighbor.”

He called for municipalities to create the office of a navigator to assist people in creating businesses and navigating through regulatory hurdles. Phillips used the discussion of small business to again encourage people to consider public service.

“I’m issuing the request to all of you who have some enterprise experience,” he said. “We need you in government, Democrats and Republicans, people who get this, because you’ve got too many people making decisions that directly impact business, who have no experience whatsoever in business.”

Priorities for his last months in Congress, Phillips said, include working to pass the Porch Pirates Act, which would change theft of non-United States Postal Service packages, including those delivered by United Parcel Service (UPS), FedEx, or Amazon, from local misdemeanors to federal felony charges. 

He also spoke about the Problem Solvers Caucus, a bipartisan group evenly split between Republican and Democratic members of Congress. While Phillips said that he was originally more excited about joining the Problem Solvers Caucus than the U.S. Congress, he indicated that the group has had deep fissures in the wake of the ouster of former Rep. Kevin McCarthy, a California Republican, as House speaker. “I’m concerned right now that it might disband altogether, which would be, I think, a real tragedy for the Congress,” he said.

Phillips said that, while reports featuring small numbers of people from each party mean those people “become the brand of each party,” in his experience, “There are so many unlikely friendships in Congress. Many of my dearest friendships are Republicans, some of whom you know, many of whom you don’t, and that’s the truth, but we are really struggling to distribute that truth because the media environment has realized it doesn’t attract eyeballs.”