News

WASHINGTON — Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Rep. Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) issued the following statement on President Biden’s decision to commute the sentences of 37 individuals on federal death row.

“This is a historic day in America. We thank President Biden for this extraordinary act to spare the 37 individuals facing the death penalty, a discriminatory and fundamentally inhumane punishment. This is a powerful use of executive action to save lives and deliver justice.

“This moment would not be possible without the tireless organizing and activism of progressives in Congress and on the ground, who have been leading the fight for years to abolish the death penalty and institute a more just legal system. But our work is not done. The Congressional Progressive Caucus was proud to include the abolition of the federal death penalty in our Proposition Agenda earlier this year and we are committed to seeing it enacted into law. Additionally, more must be done to fix the systemic flaws in our justice system - including improving access to legal resources and addressing the disproportionate arrest and conviction rates for communities of color. We thank the President for this significant step and urge him to use his last few days in office to commute the sentences of the thousands of Americans impacted by the War on Drugs and decades of harmful, disparate convictions and sentencing.”

WASHINGTON — Today, Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair-Elect Rep. Greg Casar (TX-35) announced five additional appointments to the Congressional Progressive Caucus Executive Board for the 119th Congress, including Representatives Chris Deluzio (PA-17), Veronica Escobar (TX-16), Summer Lee (PA-12), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), and Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12). 

“The CPC is the most diverse major caucus in Congress — with leaders that span across all generations, backgrounds, and constituencies. Representatives Ocasio-Cortez, Escobar, Deluzio, Lee, and Watson Coleman are powerhouse progressives,” said Chair-Elect Greg Casar. “With this board, the CPC is going to lead the charge in retaking a Democratic majority and building a Democratic Party that working families can believe in.”

These members will join Chairs Emeriti Reps. Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Mark Pocan (WI-02), Raúl M. Grijalva (AZ-03), and the members elected to leadership positions by a Caucus-wide vote earlier this month on the Executive Board for the 119th Congress.

Congressional Progressive Caucus Leadership for the 119th Congress now includes: 

• Representative Greg Casar (TX-35) as Chair
• Representative Ilhan Omar (MN-05) as Deputy Chair
• Representative Jesús G. "Chuy" García (IL-04) as Whip
• Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Chair Emeritus
• Representative Mark Pocan (WI-02), Chair Emeritus
• Representative Raúl M. Grijalva (AZ-03), Chair Emeritus
• Representative Lloyd Doggett (TX-37) as Vice Chair
• Representative Maxwell Frost (FL-10) as Vice Chair
• Representative Jared Huffman (CA-02) as Vice Chair
• Representative Ro Khanna (CA-17) as Vice Chair 
• Representative Morgan McGarvey (KY-03) as Vice Chair
• Representative Delia Ramirez (IL-03) as Vice Chair
• Representative Jan Schakowsky (IL-09) as Vice Chair
• Representative-Elect Lateefah Simon (CA-12) as Vice Chair
• Representative Mark Takano (CA-39) as Vice Chair
• Representative Rashida Tlaib (MI-12) as Vice Chair
• Representative Chris Deluzio (PA-17) - newly appointed
• Representative Veronica Escobar (TX-16) - newly appointed
• Representative Summer Lee (PA-12) - newly appointed
• Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14) - newly appointed
• Representative Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12) - newly appointed

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WASHINGTON — Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC), issued the following statement on President Biden’s announcement granting clemency for nearly 1,500 individuals on home confinement and pardons for 39 individuals convicted of nonviolent crimes.

“Today’s announcement is a welcome use of executive power to change lives, reunite families, and address the consequences of systemic injustice and racial discrimination in our criminal justice system. Thanks to this historic action by President Biden, 1,500 Americans will be able to once again live and work in their communities without the threat of re-incarceration, and 39 individuals convicted of non-violent crimes will be pardoned.

“We commend the President for this promising first step and strongly urge him to continue using executive power in the remaining 39 days of his presidency to deliver justice by granting further clemency petitions including for the 40 Americans on federal death row, additional individuals convicted for nonviolent drug offenses, and Leonard Peltier, and issuing a pardon for Steven Donziger."

WASHINGTON — Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC), issued the following statement on H.R. 5009, the Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2025, after the CPC voted to formally oppose the NDAA as a caucus.

“It should alarm every American taxpayer that we are nearing a trillion-dollar annual budget for an agency rampant with waste, fraud, and abuse. The Pentagon failed its seventh consecutive audit this year and is the only major federal agency to never have passed one—yet it continues to receive huge boosts to funding every year. Our constituents deserve better.

“By cutting the Pentagon budget, we could reinvest in critical human needs—from health care to housing to child care—without sacrificing our national security or service member wages. It’s past time we stop padding the pockets of price-gouging military contractors who benefit from corporate consolidation and reallocate that money to domestic needs.

“Astronomical funding levels are not the only problem with this legislation. This year’s NDAA would prohibit medical treatment for military dependents under the age of 18 who are diagnosed with ‘gender dysphoria.’ If adopted, this anti-trans language banning gender-affirming care to minors would be the first federal statute targeting LGBTQ people since the 1990s when Congress adopted ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ and the Defense of Marriage Act. This dangerous bigotry cannot be tolerated, let alone codified into federal law.

“In addition, this NDAA also authorizes a second Virginia-class nuclear-powered attack submarine at $357 million, despite the Pentagon requesting only one; imposes a hiring freeze on personnel to enhance diversity, equity inclusion in the military; prohibits funding for the working group investigating and screening for white nationalist and other racist and extremist ideologies in the military; and defunds any effort by the Pentagon to minimize the risk of climate-change impacts in major federal procurements.

“The legislation does include a substantive 14.5 percent pay raise for junior enlisted service members and 4.5 percent pay raise for all other service members, as well as additional investments in housing, health care, childcare, and spousal support. Progressives will always fight to increase pay for our service members and ensure that our veterans are well taken care of; however, this legislation on balance moves our country and our national priorities in the wrong direction.”