The House Democratic Caucus unveiled a revamped Web site Thursday with a new focus on showcasing individual Members and legislation.

The relaunch of dems.gov is a big step up from the Caucus’ former site, which mostly provided a static listing of press releases and basic Caucus information. Now, users can find up-to-date information on the Caucus’ legislative priorities, access the social networking sites of their Democratic Representatives and read a regularly updated blog.

The new site also includes a feature story (with photos and video) on a “featured Member.— Michigan Rep. John Dingell — the House’s longest-serving Member — is first.

Rob Pierson, the Caucus’ director of new media, said the revamped site took about four months to develop and is now in a beta test mode.

“We created the site with the goal of making it easier for people to learn about what their Representatives in Congress are working on,— he said. “On the Web site, people can find statements from their Representatives categorized by issue, along with summaries of major legislation and what Members are saying about those bills.—

House Republicans post similar information on gop.gov, which is regularly updated with releases from Republican Members and information on legislative activity. Both parties are scrambling to use a variety of online tools to engage the public, integrating various new media tools in their Web sites.

“Speaker Nancy Pelosi often says that our Caucus is the most diverse and talented she has ever seen,— Caucus Chairman John Larson (Conn.) said in a press release. “This site will serve as a clearinghouse for information about our active, diverse membership and an important resource for all of our users.—