News

Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Greg Casar (TX-35) issued the below statement after Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky announced she would not seek another term in the House of Representatives:

“The Congressional Progressive Caucus celebrates the extraordinary career of our Vice Chair, Rep. Jan Schakowsky, and extends our heartfelt gratitude for her decades of principled leadership on behalf of Illinois’ 9th district. A fierce champion for working families, consumers, and seniors, Rep. Schakowsky’s tenure has undoubtedly changed the lives of millions of Americans—both in Chicago and across the nation—for the better.

“As a long-time leader of the CPC’s health care taskforce, Rep. Schakowsky played a key role in shaping the Affordable Care Act, led efforts to lower prescription drug costs, and fought to expand and protect Social Security and Medicare. As a vocal opponent of war and advocate for reproductive rights, LGBTQ+ equality, and climate action, she has consistently been on the right side of history.

“On the Energy and Commerce Committee and across her many caucus leadership roles, she brought both tenacity and compassion to the fight for justice. She showed us how to lead with moral clarity, courage, and care. We will miss her deeply in the Progressive Caucus—and we know her legacy will continue to light the path forward.” 

Washington, D.C. — Congressional Progressive Caucus Policing, Constitution, and Equality Task Force Chair Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12) and Chair Emerita Rep. Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) issued the following statement on acquittals in the Tyre Nichols case:

“Two years ago, we were horrified by the video that was released of the savage beating of Memphis resident Tyre Nichols. The brutality on display in body cam footage shocked the nation.

“Today, the country was again shocked to learn that three of the officers involved in Nichols’ killing were acquitted of charges. The lack of justice puts on display for all to see the continuing failure of our justice system to value the lives of Black men and women. 

“The decision to move the jury pool from the majority Black city of Memphis to the majority white city of Chattanooga raised concerns that the judicial system would fail the family of Mr. Nichols. Sadly, these fears appear to have been justified.

 “Our hearts go out to Mr. Nichols’ family, especially his young child who was robbed of their father, and his parents who were denied justice for their son. Our country has a long way to go to achieve an equitable, color-blind justice system. The Congressional Progressive Caucus remains committed to a future free of police brutality and bias.” 

Washington, D.C. — Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Greg Casar (TX-35) issued the below statement on a new data-sharing agreement between the IRS and ICE, which resulted in the resignation of the IRS’s Acting Commissioner:

“This unprecedented breach of data privacy puts every taxpayer’s data at risk. Every American should be deeply concerned that the Trump Administration is politicizing the use of taxpayer data and starting down a slippery slope that could hurt any one of us next.

“This illegal move is especially concerning because it is a bait and switch from how millions of taxpayers were promised their data would be used. For decades, the federal government encouraged immigrant families to pay their taxes, and now that same information is being used against them. We should all be able to trust that when we share information with the government, it will not be used against us.”

Washington, D.C. — Today, Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Greg Casar (TX-35) issued the below statement on the passing of CPC Chair Emeritus Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva (AZ-07).

“The CPC mourns the loss of our beloved colleague and esteemed Chair Emeritus Rep. Raúl Grijalva, a giant of the House and progressive movement and one of the greatest champions of environmental justice in American history. During his twenty years in Congress serving the people of Arizona, Rep. Grijalva fought relentlessly for working families and marginalized communities. He quickly rose to leadership positions atop the Progressive Caucus and Natural Resources Committee, where he skillfully led Democrats through key legislative fights like passage of the Affordable Care Act, pioneered the CPC’s work building enduring partnerships between progressive movements and labor with elected officials, and elevated overlooked issues in environmental justice, climate action, tribal sovereignty, and the U.S. Insular Areas in Congress and beyond. He was a leading champion of democracy in the Americas, including Honduras, Brazil, Bolivia, and Ecuador. Our longest serving Chair, Raúl will be dearly missed by the CPC. We send our thoughts and prayers to his loved ones. May he rest in peace.”

Some of his major accomplishments include:

• Introduction of the original bill to increase the minimum wage to $15 an hour, which eventually became the Democratic position. He also lobbied Obama to set the minimum wage for federal contractors to $10 through executive action in 2014.
• Passing the Great American Outdoors Act into law, which permanently authorized the widely popular Land and Water Conservation Fund.
• Passing the Environmental Justice For All Act, the most comprehensive environmental justice legislation in history, through the Committee. The Biden-Harris administration’s Environmental Justice for All executive order mirrors this legislation. 
• Under the leadership of the Grand Canyon Tribal Coalition, successfully advocating for President Biden’s designation of the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument.
• Holding the first congressional hearings in history on issues critical to Indian Country, including Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Indian Boarding Schools, tribal co-management of public lands, and his tribal consultation bill, the RESPECT Act, which later served as the model for the Biden-Harris administration’s executive memorandum on uniform standards for tribal consultation.
• Passing the Puerto Rico Status Act, which would grant the people of Puerto Rico the opportunity to determine their own political status, through the House.
• Championing the passage of historic climate and ocean action winsthrough major legislation, including the Inflation Reduction Act, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and the National Defense Authorization Act.
• Holding the first Trump administration accountable through multiple investigations, leading to the resignation in disgrace of the Interior Secretary and submission of the Committee’s first-ever criminal referral to the Justice Department. 
• Leading defeat of the "Dirty Deal,” an industry-led attempt to attach pro-polluter permitting provisions to must-pass legislation in 2022.