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WASHINGTON — Members of Congress and the Japanese parliament issued a joint letter today to call on President Biden and Prime Minister Kishida to support a declaration of a no-first-use nuclear weapons policy for the United States. Their advocacy to the executives comes following a Nuclear Posture Review from the Biden administration that clarifies the Pentagon’s nuclear capacity.

The 35 American and 39 Japanese lawmakers, representing the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) and the Progressive Caucus of Japan (PCJ), encouraged both governments to clarify that they do not support the United States being the first nation to introduce the use of nuclear weapons in conflict. It was led by Representatives Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), CPC Chair, and Mark Takano (CA-41), Senators Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Ed Markey (D-MA), and Japanese Diet House of Representatives member and PCJ chair Masaharu Nakagawa.

While a no-first-use policy is the de facto position of both countries — a longstanding CPC priority — it is essential to clarify and strengthen that position in the wake of Russia’s illegal and unjustified invasion of Ukraine and a moment of heightened nuclear tensions. The lawmakers write: “A U.S. declaration stating that it would never start a nuclear war, supported by Japan, would breathe new life into international efforts to reduce and eventually eliminate the danger of nuclear war. This is especially important at a time when tensions between the nuclear-weapons-possessing states, especially between the United States and China, are increasing.” 

Japan is part of a group of non-nuclear countries covered by the U.S. nuclear “umbrella,” which pledges the United States to retaliate if any of the included countries were attacked with nuclear weapons. Analysis by the Union of Concerned Scientists found the Japanese government would accept a U.S. no-first-use declaration and is unlikely to develop its own nuclear weapons in response — and that the assurance to the umbrella countries would remain even with a no-first-use declaration. 

The letter concludes, “Though the U.S. has recently completed its Nuclear Posture Review, it is never too late to commit to a no-first-use policy. Making this sensible change to U.S. nuclear weapons policy enjoys overwhelming support, both in our respective legislatures as well as among the citizens we represent.”

The full list of American signatories includes: Representatives Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Mark Takano (CA-41), Donald S. Beyer Jr. (VA-08), Earl Blumenauer (OR-03), Judy Chu (CA-27), Steve Cohen (TN-09), Peter DeFazio (OR-04), Lloyd Doggett (TX-35), John Garamendi, Jesús G. “Chuy” García (IL-04), Raúl M. Grijalva (AZ-03), Sheila Jackson Lee (TX-18), Henry C. “Hank” Johnson Jr. (GA-04), Andy Levin (MI-09), Mike Levin (CA-49), Ted W. Lieu (CA-33), Alan Lowenthal (CA-47), Carolyn B.  Maloney (NY-12), James P. McGovern (MA-02), Gwen Moore (WI-04), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Mark Pocan (WI-02), Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Jamie Raskin (MD-08), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Rashida Tlaib (MI-13), Nydia M. Velázquez (NY-07), Maxine Waters (CA-43), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), Peter Welch (VT-AL), and Senators Ed Markey (D-MA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA).

WASHINGTON — Today, on the occasion of the first hearing on universal health care coverage in the 117th Congress, the Congressional Progressive Caucus celebrated this historic moment for the Medicare For All movement.

The Congressional Progressive Caucus has long championed health care as a right, not a privilege, with a history of members introducing single-payer legislation. Today’s Medicare For All Act, introduced by CPC chair Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) and Representative Debbie Dingell (MI-12) in both the 116th and 117th Congress, is the most comprehensive Medicare for All bill yet, providing a clear roadmap to achieving single-payer healthcare. It is co-sponsored by 120 members of Congress in the House; similar legislation was introduced in the Senate last Congress by CPC co-founder Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT).  

For its three decades, CPC members have consistently fought to expand Medicare and access to coverage, including health care benefits for immigrants, equitable gender and LGBTQ+ inclusive coverage, lower cost premiums and prescription drugs, and abortion and reproductive health coverage. In the 116th Congress, for the first time, three committees of jurisdiction held hearings on Medicare for All and the need to expand healthcare coverage. Today’s hearing, the first on the bill in the 117th Congress, continues to build necessary momentum and education on the need for Medicare for All. We applaud the House Oversight and Reform Committee for holding this hearing.

Representative Jayapal said:

“The pandemic has made it clear now more than ever that we must guarantee health care as a human right with no copays, no deductibles, and no premiums. We need Medicare for All now, when nearly 100 million people are uninsured or underinsured in the richest nation on the planet. There’s no excuse for this broken system — where parents have to choose between taking their kid to the doctor or paying rent. Today, we take a major step forward on this critical legislation in the House Oversight Committee. The path ahead is tough, but Medicare for All is necessary, popular, and most importantly will save thousands of lives. I’m going to continue fighting to make it the law of the land.”

Progressive Caucus members of the House Oversight and Reform Committee issued the following statements:

“Americans deserve a health care system that guarantees health and medical services to all,” said Representative Cori Bush (MO-01). “Congress must implement a system that prioritizes people over profits, humanity over greed, and compassion over exploitation. The systemic racism perpetuating health inequities cannot be overstated — Black women are 3-4 times more likely to die during childbirth. We are more likely to have rates of asthma and cancer from generations living next to pollution centers. We are more likely to have foregone routine screenings and medical appointments for a real fear of having our pain dismissed. That’s why my colleagues and I are coming through in force for our first Medicare for All hearing since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. This policy will save lives, I want to make that clear. I hope this hearing will be one more step forward in our commitment to ensuring everyone in this country, and particularly our Black, brown and Indigenous communities, have the medical care they need to thrive.”

“When I was a child, my hospital visits for pneumonia nearly bankrupted my parents who worked multiple jobs without health insurance. No family should ever face this situation,” said Representative Jimmy Gomez (CA-34). “The time has come when we as a nation guarantee access to quality, affordable healthcare. I’d like to thank Chairwoman Maloney for calling today’s hearing, and I thank my Congressional Progressive Caucus Colleagues for leading the charge on Medicare for All.” 

 “For decades, Democrats have fought to protect and expand access to health care, and at every step, Republicans try to gut our efforts,” said Representative Hank Johnson (GA-04). For us, health care is a human right. Democrats want to move towards expanding access to health care, which is essential to improving health equity. Medicare for All and Medicaid expansion are tools to help get us there. Republicans have made it clear – they want to take health care away from the millions benefitting from Medicare, Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act to prioritize corporate profits over Americans’ health. Now is the time to expand access to healthcare, not cut it.”

“Universal health coverage is not optional: it’s urgent,” said Representative Ro Khanna (CA-17). “Private health insurance is a crushing tax on working families and businesses. Medicare for All would save an estimated 68,000 lives a year while reducing U.S. health care spending by billions of dollars. It’s good policy and the right thing to do."

“As Chairwoman of the Oversight Committee, I’m proud to convene today’s hearing and join with my colleagues in working to ensure that every person in the United States can access health care,” said Representative Carolyn Maloney (NY-12). “I have spent my career fighting to guarantee health care as a human right, and with Medicare for All, we have the opportunity to create a more equitable health care system that treats every person with empathy and dignity.”

“Healthcare is a fundamental human right and we must legislate accordingly,” said Representative Ayanna Pressley (MA-07). “For too long, our nation’s healthcare system, which puts profits over people, has threatened the very ability of poor, Black, brown, Indigenous, and disabled folks to live and survive in America—that must change. This historic hearing will move us one step closer to ensuring that every person has access to quality care when they need it and where they need it. We must enact Medicare for All and I am grateful to Congresswoman Maloney for holding this long overdue hearing and giving this critical legislation the attention it deserves.”

“The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the need for a comprehensive health care system that makes public health paramount. Covid showed us that every person’s health is integrally connected to everyone else’s,” said Representative Jamie Raskin (MD-08). “In the richest society in the history of our species at its richest moment, to deny our fellow Americans universal health care is to deny our common humanity. As a proud founding member of the Medicare for All Caucus, I’m committed to securing health care as a right for every American. I look forward to hearing from our witnesses at this hearing, like my friend the incomparable Ady Barkan, whose passionate, unyielding activism has helped move the needle across the country on this fundamental imperative for our people.”

"This pandemic exposed just how broken the health care system is in our country,” said Representative Rashida Tlaib (MI-13). “Millions of people across the country know that passing Medicare for All is long overdue. In the richest country, our residents should not face financial ruin, continue to be sick, or even die because they lack adequate coverage and care. We need Medicare for All now and we will not stop fighting until we have it. This hearing ignites the reality that we must act now.”

Progressive Caucus members also testified before the hearing:

“As a Member of Congress, I am more than adequately covered, can get a checkup anytime I want, and if something’s wrong, I can get treated on the spot — so many  people in this country don’t have that privilege,” said Representative Jamaal Bowman, Ed.D. (NY-16). “Those of us who support Medicare for All believe that every single person who lives in this country should have that level of care. It’s very simple: if people knew they had exemplary health care, they would go to the doctor more. But as it stands, millions of people often skip preventive and routine care, instead waiting until they are severely ill to seek treatment. And as a Black man, I am acutely aware of the specific care needs that Black people have in our society. It is well-known, for example, that Black Americans have the highest rates of hypertension, and Black women are facing a Black maternal health crisis. Medicare for All is urgently needed and this hearing brings us one step closer toward making it a reality for all.”

WASHINGTON — Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, issued the following statement on the hearings of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson for nomination to the Supreme Court:

“At the conclusion of the week of hearings, it could not be clearer why President Biden nominated Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to serve on the Supreme Court, and how deeply deserving she is of confirmation. Her knowledge, breadth of experience, and skill as a jurist were on full display under questioning. Her empathy, passion, and commitment to equal justice under law could not be dimmed, even with shameful attacks thrown at her. In the face of outrageous treatment from Republicans on the committee, she showed what can only be described as judicial temperament.

“But even as America applauds how Judge Jackson endured the hearings with fortitude and grace under fire, it demands to be said: she should not have been subjected to this treatment in the first place. The Republican party — from Senators on the committee, to members of the Caucus, to campaign arms on social media — have used this occasion not to undertake a serious constitutional obligation, but rather to berate, hector, and discredit the first Black woman nominated to the high court. The baseless and frankly racist attacks we have seen in recent days demean the Senate Judiciary Committee and these proceedings, and disparage the nominee to an unacceptable degree.

“Judge Jackson’s treatment will unfortunately be all too familiar to women, especially women of color and particularly Black women. We can recall every moment we’ve experienced what can at best be described as antagonizing and at worst as bullying. But of course, Judge Jackson responded as Black women and women of color will also recognize: with poise and unflappable dignity. I join millions around the country in applauding her nomination, her performance throughout these hearings, and look forward to recognizing her as Justice Jackson.”

WASHINGTON– Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, announced today that the membership of the CPC voted to endorse the Environmental Justice For All Act. The bill was introduced in the House by CPC Chair Emeritus Raúl M. Grijalva (AZ-03) and Representative A. Donald McEachin (VA-04). 

The lawmakers introduced the Environmental Justice For All Act on March 18, 2021, the culmination of a years-long, inclusive, transparent community-led process to draft comprehensive environmental justice legislation based on public input.

“Progressives understand the demands of this moment in our country. We know that as we work to rebuild from the Trump years, the pandemic, and combat the climate crisis, we cannot continue to leave low-income communities and communities of color behind,” said Rep. Jayapal. “We have a special duty to those who’ve borne the brunt of pollution and environmental racism. Our work to transition to renewable energy, build and develop technologies that protect our clean air and water, and create good, union paying jobs, has presented us with an opportunity to address the cumulative impact of environmental and social injustice on Black, Brown, Indigenous, and economically deprived communities. The Progressive Caucus is thrilled to endorse the Environmental Justice For All Act, and join Chair Emeritus Grijalva and Rep. McEachin in the fight for this visionary legislation.”

The bill’s co-authors issued the following statements: 

“For too long, unjust federal policies have allowed major polluters, like power plants and manufacturing facilities, to concentrate in poor communities and communities of color, putting their health, safety, and quality of life on the line,” said House Natural Resources Committee Chair Grijalva. “The Environmental Justice For All Act reverses course on that history, ensuring that all communities have the right to clean air, clean water, and an environment that enriches their lives. I’m proud to have the support of the Progressive Caucus as we continue the fight to make environmental justice a reality for all Americans”

“I thank the Congressional Progressive Caucus for endorsing the Environmental Justice for All Act,” said Rep. McEachin. “This legislation was developed through meaningful consultation with impacted communities, climate advocates, and other stakeholders to develop tailored, community-driven solutions to environmental injustice. The EJ For All Act will take comprehensive steps to combat generational inequities and empower vulnerable communities that are disproportionately impacted by environmental injustice and degradation. This endorsement adds important momentum to our efforts to ensure a healthy, livable future for all Americans.”

Among other provisions, the Environmental Justice For All Act:

• Strengthens environmental compliance and pollution standards by requiring the consideration of cumulative environmental impacts in permitting decisions under the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act. The bill ensures that permits will not be issued if projects are unable to show a reasonable certainty of no harm to human health after consideration of cumulative impacts. Currently, there is no federal limit on cumulative impact pollution for environmental justice communities that are already overburdened by industrial pollution. 

• Provides new enforcement tools to counter environmental discrimination by strengthening the Civil Rights Act to allow citizens and communities to legally challenge prohibited discrimination in court, overturning the Alexander v. Sandoval ruling; and

• Promotes more equitable access to environmental amenities, including through technical application assistance for federal grants, dedicated environmental justice community grants to support research, education, outreach, development, and implementation of projects to improve environmental conditions in environmental justice communities.