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Four freshman representatives who made headlines during their first year in Congress are touting their vision of turning the Congressional Progressive Caucus into a "new kind of centrism."

Reps. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York have promoted "Medicare for all," a federal $15 minimum wage, and social justice issues as cornerstones of a policy platform that helped elect both House Democrats in 2018.

We have the support of the majority of the public for the policies that we advocate for. And so we have to speak from a place of authority and power, Omar told BuzzFeed.

Omar and Ocasio-Cortez make up half of "the squad," a group of four young female Democrats who have attacked President Trump while pushing the Democratic Party further left on several policy issues.

The group also includes Reps. Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, who was dragged out of a 2016 Trump rally, promised to "impeach the motherf---er," and posted an Instagram video cheering the impeachment of Trump.

The group has challenged the moderate core of the Democratic Party and endorsed liberal candidates running against Democratic-held seats in Congress.

The Congressional Progressive Caucus co-chairwoman, Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington, who referred to Trump as a "combative racist" in 2019, said, "progressives are just the first to the best ideas."

Their growing stature comes, in part, due to their solidarity. The thing that gives the caucus power is that you can operate as a bloc vote in order to get things done, Ocasio-Cortez told podcast The Dig.

[It is] the nature of being a progressive caucus member you're maybe out there on issues first before it's hit the mainstream, added caucus co-chairman Rep. Mark Pocan of Wisconsin.

House Democrats slammed Pocan in early 2019 after he posted a now-deleted tweet that accused the moderate Problem Solvers Caucus of being the "Child Abuse Caucus.

Young Democrats, however, support the combative shift in tone and are eager to see more liberal policy ideas adopted by the Democratic Party. After a recent tour in support of presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, supporters labeled Ocasio-Cortez a "national voice" and suggested she run for president in the future.

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Ilhan Omar and AOC plan to make Progressive Caucus a 'new kind of centrism' - Washington Examiner