Can Democrats win back the blue-collar voters that flipped to Trump?

WASHINGTON - Donald Trump assumed the presidency by winning blue-collar states like Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, and congressional Democrats are fighting to regain their former base.

To fight back against Trump's gains, Fort Worth Democratic Rep. Marc Veasey and Pennsylvania Democratic Rep. Brendan Boyle officially launched the Blue Collar Caucus in Congress this week, complete with a bevy of floor speeches highlighting economic issues Trump capitalized on to win in November.

"When you talk about prevailing wages, when you talk about strengthening labor in this country, he's done absolutely nothing," Veasey said of Trump. "He's running a scam and people need to know that he's running a scam."

Veasey's and Boyle's districts are very different. Veasey's district, which stretches from downtown Fort Worth to downtown Dallas, is nearly 70 percent Hispanic and only 1 percent non-Hispanic white. Boyle's district is nearly 90 percent white and centers on Philadelphia's northern suburbs. Veasey is from a deep red state that hasn't elected a Democrat statewide in years, while Boyle's state voted Republican in a presidential election for the first time since 1988.

"I agree Democrats have not been focusing on the problems of blue-collar Americans," Boyle said.

Both members stressed the importance of increasing wages and taking a hard look at trade deals. Boyle and Veasey voted against fast-tracking the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which was supported by former President Barack Obama and many congressional Republicans.