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It’s the latest sign that the Democratic Party has begun not just to unite to defeat Trump but to assemble a governing coalition amid growing hopes Biden wins the White House this fall — a party-wide cohesion that was absent in 2016 and could bolster Democrats as they prepare for a post-Trump landscape.

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In interviews with more than a dozen lawmakers and aides, most said they’ve seen a notable shift from just weeks ago, when they described Biden’s attempts to coordinate with Hill Democrats as falling flat. Democrats said the global pandemic was partly to blame: Biden seized the party mantle just as the U.S. shuttered overnight, forcing him into his now-famous basement TV studio.

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Biden’s campaign, for example, had been holding regular calls with Hill communications directors since March, but several Democrats still complained they were receiving minimal messaging guidance just weeks ago.

Then Biden’s team added calls with chiefs of staff over the summer, sometimes multiple times a week, as well as outreach to specific groups like the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, the moderate New Democrat Coalition and state delegations like New York and Michigan. The campaign is also helping to coordinate media appearances for lawmakers advocating for the Biden agenda.

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Biden has also incorporated ideas from senior Democrats into policy proposals that his campaign unveiled in recent weeks. Biden consulted with House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) on his “Made in America” jobs proposal. And on his clean energy plan, Biden included a proposal from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) to incentivize the use of electric vehicles.Biden’s team has also shared details of the candidate’s economic recovery plan with lawmakers ahead of time as he rolls it out in several parts.

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