WASHINGTON — U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, issued the following statement after the 96-member coalition’s meeting about the ongoing infrastructure and Build Back Better negotiations:

“We remain fully committed to passing President Biden’s entire Build Back Better agenda and delivering the transformative change that people throughout this country urgently want, need, and deserve. Moving forward without the Build Back Better Act would put long-overdue investments in child care, paid leave, health care, affordable housing, pre-k, community college, climate action, and a roadmap to citizenship for Dreamers, TPS recipients, and essential workers at risk. Our Progressive Caucus members remain clear: we will not allow this process to be dictated by special interests and corporations at the expense of women, working families, and our communities. We will not leave anyone behind.

“This agenda is not some fringe wish list: it is the President’s agenda, the Democratic agenda, and what we all promised voters when they delivered us the House, Senate, and White House. It is supported by nearly every Democrat in Congress and is overwhelmingly backed by the American people. It was committed to in a deal among Senators when they passed the infrastructure bill in that chamber — a commitment reiterated just last week. We articulated this position more than three months ago, and today it is still unchanged: progressives will vote for both bills, but a majority of our members will only vote for the infrastructure bill after the President’s visionary Build Back Better Act passes.”

In June, the Congressional Progressive Caucus shared that, “A recent poll of our 96-member Caucus showed overwhelming support for the House not passing a bipartisan infrastructure bill unless a larger reconciliation package containing our progressive priorities moved simultaneously.” In July, the Caucus reiterated that position, saying, “a small and narrow bipartisan infrastructure bill does not have a path forward in the House of Representatives unless it has a reconciliation package, with our priorities, alongside it.”

More than a month ago, the Caucus once again confirmed that, “We will work to first pass the Build Back Better reconciliation bill so we can deliver these once-in-a-generation, popular, and urgently needed investments to poor and working families, and then pass the infrastructure bill to invest in our roads, bridges, and waterways.” The chair added, “As our members have made clear for three months, the two are integrally tied together, and we will only vote for the infrastructure bill after passing the reconciliation bill.”

WASHINGTON — Rep. Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, issued the following statement on the Education and Labor Committee’s passage of its portion of the Build Back Better Act. The bill includes a universal child care policy that guarantees no family will pay more than 7 percent of its income on this critical service, funding for a Civilian Climate Corps, universal two-year community college and pre-K, school infrastructure, and steep monetary penalties against companies who violate care workers’ rights.

“The Progressive Caucus has been laser-focused on achieving transformative outcomes for working families, and I am proud that our members on the Education and Labor Committee have secured wins in this bill that will be felt by millions of families across the country. Thanks to the leadership of Progressives, in partnership with frontline members, our committee has passed legislation that is going to make a real, meaningful difference.

“We secured universal child care with the cost capped at no more than 7 percent of income for every family in America — nothing short of life-changing for our communities. This program will catalyze economic growth by creating high-quality child care jobs, and allowing parents — especially women — to return to work with their children safely looked after. It will address long-standing economic and racial disparities in child care access, so that those who need this program the most will directly receive assistance.

“Thanks to Progressives and our allies, this bill will also allow us to make real progress on aggressive climate action, with funding for a Civilian Climate Corps in impacted communities, and updates to our crumbling school infrastructure. It includes strong labor protections for the care workforce, so that the mostly women of color who serve in these critical roles will finally be treated with fairness, dignity, and as central to our economy as they are. And it will advance funding for universal pre-K and two years of community college, addressing pervasive education inequities and ensuring every child, from their first years of school to their last, is set up to succeed.

“As Speaker Pelosi said, with the Build Back Better Act, our ‘children finally have leverage’ — and the Education and Labor Committee bill represents the best of our fight on their behalf. And it serves as a clear sign to working people across this country that Congress understands what parents have endured during the pandemic, that we understand the economic realities holding them back, and that we are coming to work for them. We urge our Democratic colleagues in the House and Senate to ensure these provisions are included in the final bill, and we look forward to voting for it on the floor, sending it to the President’s desk, and delivering for the people.”

Progressive Caucus members on the Education and Labor Committee were instrumental in securing bold, progressive policies in the Build Back Better Act. They include: Committee Vice Chair Rep. Jamaal Bowman (NY-16), Rep. Alma Adams (NC-12), Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Rep. Mark DeSaulnier (CA-11), Rep. Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Rep. Raúl Grijalva (AZ-03), Rep. Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Rep. Mondaire Jones (NY-17), Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez (NM-03), Rep. Andy Levin (MI-09), Rep. Kweisi Mfume (MD-07), Rep. Joe Morelle (NY-25), Rep. Donald Norcross (NJ-01), CPC Whip Rep. Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Rep. Mark Pocan (WI-02), Rep. Mark Takano (CA-41), Rep. Frederica Wilson (FL-24), and Rep. John Yarmuth (KY-03). 

WASHINGTON — Today, Congressional Pro-Choice Caucus co-chairs Rep. Diana DeGette (CO-01) and Rep. Barbara Lee (CA-13), and Progressive Caucus chair Rep. Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) released the following statement in response to the enactment of S.B. 8, an extreme anti-abortion law in Texas: 

“This law is an all-out assault on reproductive health and rights in America ,and will have devastating and immediate consequences for patients in Texas. People have the right to make their own decisions about whether or not to seek abortion, but this law eliminates access to legal abortion after about six weeks — before many people even know they’re pregnant.

“While this law is now the most extreme abortion ban enacted in the U.S., Texas is not alone in its attempts to roll back decades of protections: nearly 600 abortion restrictions have been introduced in 2021 alone, and 90 have been enacted. In the coming months, the Supreme Court will hear a Mississippi case with the potential to gut the protections of Roe v. Wade.

“In light of the Supreme Court’s abdication of its duty to protect reproductive rights, the Pro-Choice Caucus and the Progressive Caucus call on Congress to immediately take action to enshrine the right to access abortion into federal law. The House should immediately pass the Women’s Health Protection Act, introduced by Rep. Judy Chu (CA-27), to ensure that states like Texas cannot ban this critical health service, and we urge the Senate to do whatever is necessary to send it to the President' desk. Congress must also continue to strike down other restrictions on access to abortion in federal law, including bans on insurance coverage like the Hyde Amendment, as well as protecting access to medication abortion from politically motivated attacks.

"The Biden administration has emphasized its commitment to protecting the right to abortion, and now is the time to put that into action. We call on Attorney General Garland to explore whatever steps the Department of Justice can take to respond to this blatant violation of Texans' constitutional rights.

“The PCC and CPC stand with people in Texas, and throughout the country, who are fighting these draconian restrictions, and working to ensure that all people have access to the abortion care they need. We know that bans like the one in Texas harm people who already face barriers to care the most: people of color, people with low incomes, people living in rural areas.  Everyone — no matter their income, where they live, or how they’re insured — has the right to make their own decisions about their bodies and their lives, and we are committed to promoting policies that protect the reproductive freedom of all people.” 

WASHINGTON — Rep. Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, issued the following statement on the situation in Afghanistan:

“In his remarks yesterday, President Biden provided a heartfelt and honest explanation to the American people regarding his commitment to ending America’s longest war. To those who advocate for an endless military presence in Afghanistan, he asked, ‘How many more generations of America’s daughters and sons would you have me send to fight Afghanistan’s civil war when Afghan troops will not? How many more lives, American lives, is it worth? How many endless rows of headstones at Arlington National Cemetery? I’m clear on my answer: I will not repeat the mistakes we’ve made in the past.’

“When President Biden announced his withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan, progressives applauded the move. We continue to maintain, as the White House clearly does, that even after spending $1 trillion, sending hundreds of thousands of troops into Afghanistan over 20 years and losing 2,300 American lives, the United States could not have averted this outcome without an endless military presence. And we agree with the President that the American government has a moral responsibility to all those affected by our actions.

“The President’s decision is overwhelmingly supported by the American people, with recent polling showing 70 percent of the country, with bipartisan majorities, supported his plan to withdraw all troops by September 11, 2021. Despite this consensus, Congressional Republicans have disingenuously chosen to play politics at this moment. Republican administrations began the war in Afghanistan, controlled it for 12 of the past 20 years, and initiated the peace process with the Taliban last year that led to an agreement for a U.S. withdrawal. They should participate in the needed examination of why 20 years of war have failed, rather than playing the blame game. Our focus now must be on the human beings on the receiving end of this policy.

“We appreciate the efforts the administration is undertaking to ensure the safety and security of those currently in Afghanistan, but our government needs to go farther — and work faster. The United States must ensure refugee processing moves forward without bureaucratic delay, and with special allowances recognizing the difficulty for people to leave Afghanistan. In addition to the State Department’s work to expedite Special Immigrant Visas, we must also expand these visas and grant Temporary Protected Status to Afghans residing in the United States. We must increase humanitarian aid to support civilians who fled to Kabul and provincial capitals and are without shelter, food, medical assistance or vaccines. The heartbreaking situation confronting ordinary Afghans after 20 years of American war requires us to act as quickly as we can.

“Finally, we urge the Biden Administration to continue engaging diplomatically with the Taliban and regional actors to avoid further bloodshed, protect human rights, and avoid mass migration and instability. This means cooperating with aid agencies, the United Nations, and neighboring countries with an interest in a positive outcome, including Russia, China, Iran, Pakistan, and Turkey.”