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Washington, D.C. – Members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC), led by CPC Chairwoman Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), incoming Deputy Chair Katie Porter (CA-45) and incoming Deputy Whip Ro Khanna (CA-17), sent a letter to House and Senate leadership on Friday, December 12th, calling for the inclusion of expanded Unemployment Insurance and other direct cash payments in any COVID stimulus deal. Direct cash assistance has been shown to be far more effective in delivering critically-needed aid to communities and stimulating our economy, compared to other programs like the Paycheck Protection Program. The letter, which was signed by seventeen members of the CPC Executive Board, can be accessed here.

“Initial research into the impact of the Coronavirus, Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act shows an overwhelming advantage to each dollar spent on UI,” the letter notes. “While the CARES Act committed only about half of the $510 billion it included for the Payment Protection Program (PPP), increasing UI had a far greater and more equitable impact on the U.S. economic recovery than PPP did.”

“Enhanced UI benefits and direct payments are a crucial part of any COVID relief package, and should be included alongside housing and homelessness assistance, expanded SNAP benefits, and increased funding for state and local aid,” the letter continues. “All pandemic UI benefits and bonus payments for all UI beneficiaries should be fully funded for at a minimum of six months. The next COVID relief package should build on the successes rather than repeat the shortcoming of the CARES Act. Accordingly, we strongly encourage increased investment into enhanced UI and direct payments, while capping PPP loans to target relief toward small businesses.”

Read the full letter here.

Washington, D.C. – Today, the Congressional Progressive Caucus announced its senior leadership – known as the CPC Executive Board – for the 117th Congress. The incoming Executive Board is made up of twenty-six members – one Chair, one Deputy Chair, one Whip, two Chair Emeriti, two Special Order Hour Conveners, ten Vice Chairs, one Executive Board Member At-Large and eight Deputy Whips.The CPC Executive Board is representative of the diversity within the caucus – more than half of Executive Board members are people of color and more than half are women.

“As a lifelong organizer, I am honored that my colleagues have elected me to lead the Congressional Progressive Caucus at this pivotal moment. We have massive crises knocking at our nation’s door, and the work of the Progressive Caucus has never been more important. The American people need Congress to lead with vision, conviction, empathy, and dedication to people and families in every community who are struggling right now,” said CPC Chair Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal. “It’s time for Congress to act boldly, restoring power to where it belongs — with the people. I am confident that with this talented leadership team and the expertise and passion of our entire caucus, we can deliver progressive policies that bring real relief to families, advance racial justice, tackle poverty and inequality of any kind, strengthen worker power, advance climate justice, break up monopolies, bring humanity to our immigration system, and help transform this country so working people finally get ahead.”

“I’m deeply honored to have the opportunity to serve in the new role of Deputy Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus,” said incoming CPC Deputy Chair Congresswoman Katie Porter. “In 2018, many of my Democratic colleagues and I successfully ran campaigns rooted in progressive values. Rather than shying away from our core principles, we embraced them—making it clear that a progressive agenda is not only the right policy for America, but also a winning political message. I’m eager to continue fighting for progressive ideals, and I look forward to working with Chair Jayapal, Whip Omar, and our newly elected Vice Chairs to push the CPC agenda and make the Progressive Caucus a more unified, effective, and powerful force for progress in Congress.”

“I am honored to be reelected Whip of the Progressive Caucus. We have a unique opportunity to fight for transformative change in the 117th Congress—whether that is addressing the coronavirus pandemic, passing universal healthcare, tackling the climate crisis or reorienting our foreign policy,” said CPC Whip Congresswoman Ilhan Omar. “I look forward to continuing to represent my colleagues in building an effect progressive voting bloc in Congress alongside fearless leaders like Reps. Pramila Jayapal and Katie Porter.”

The full CPC Executive Board for the 117th Congress will be:

• Chair: Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (WA-07)

• Deputy Chair: Congresswoman Katie Porter (CA-45)

• Whip: Congresswoman Ilhan Omar (MN-05)

• Chair Emeriti: Congressman Mark Pocan (WI-02), Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-13), and Congressman Raul Grijalva (AZ-03)

• Vice Chair for Policy: Congressman Jamie Raskin (MD-08)

• Vice Chair for Communications: Congresswoman-elect Marie Newman (IL-03)

• Vice Chair for New Members: Congressman Joe Neguse (CO-02)

• Vice Chair for Inter-Caucus Relations: Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee (TX-18)

• Vice Chair for Labor: Congressman Don Norcross (NJ-01)

• Vice Chair for Member Services: Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (MI-13)

• Vice Chairs At-Large: Congressman David Cicilline (RI-01), Congressman Jesus “Chuy” García (IL-04), Congresswoman Deb Haaland (NM-01), and Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12)

• Deputy Whips: Congressman Mark Takano (CA-41), Congressman Lloyd Doggett (TX-35), Congressman Ro Khanna (CA-17), Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-12), Congressman Mondaire Jones (NY-17), Congressman Andy Levin (MI-09), Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16) and Congresswoman-elect Cori Bush (MO-01)

• Executive Board Member At-Large: Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (IL-09)

• Special Order Hour Conveners: Congressman-elect Jamaal Bowman (NY-16) and Congresswoman-elect Teresa Leger Fernandez (NM-03)

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Washington, D.C. – This week, the leaders of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC), the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), and the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) sent a letter to Speaker Pelosi on the urgent need for the issuance of at least $2 trillion in Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to provide direct economic support to the developing world. The letter urged Speaker Pelosi to support these provisions in any year-end legislation expected to be enacted into law, including a domestic COVID relief package, year-end Appropriations deal or the conference report for the annual National Defense Authorization Act.

“More countries are experiencing economic recessions than ever recorded since 1870. There is no telling when the pandemic that is driving this unprecedented world recession will be over. These grim circumstances mean that millions of people could die, not only from COVID-19 itself, but from the pandemic’s impact on the world economy—and most of these lives could be saved,” the letter from CPC Co-Chairs Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) and Congressman Mark Pocan (WI-02), CBC Chair Congressmember Karen Bass (CA-37), CHC Chair Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), and CAPAC Chair Congresswoman Judy Chu (CA-27) notes. “SDRs and debt relief will not only prevent needless poverty, hunger, death, and disease abroad, but strengthen our economy at home, creating jobs by increasing demand for America’s agriculture industry and U.S. exporters. SDRs would allow private businesses in developing countries to quickly acquire U.S. dollars in order to buy U.S. exports.”

“SDRs, the IMF’s internal currency, would be distributed for free to low-income countries, which would then be available to be exchanged for hard currency such as U.S. dollars. This would help many countries avoid balance-of-payments crises, debt crises, and critical shortages of imports, such as food, medicine, and medical equipment,” continues the letter. “In countries already suffering from economic downturns, it would help them—and the world economy—recover more quickly. House Democrats’ support for this issuance is consistent with what the Fund’s leadership has itself proposed, and with the wishes of nearly all of the IMF’s 189 member countries.”

In addition to the broad support from the House Democratic Caucus and IMF member countries, the issuance of SDRs is broadly supported by NGOs and advocacy organizations dedicated to civil society and international economic development.

“As the pandemic continues to wreak havoc in Latin America, South Asia and Africa, we need a global response to the global economic crisis,” said Didier Jacobs, the Senior Policy Advisor for Oxfam America. “A major allocation of Special Drawing Rights by the IMF is a critical complement to more debt relief and more aid.”

“The unanimous support from the Democratic Party for the Special Drawing Rights legislation, which would enable trillions of dollars in relief from the International Monetary Fund, creates a unique opportunity,” noted Sarah Margon, the Foreign Policy Director for the Open Society Policy Center. “If passed, this measure would not only benefit millions of people around the world who have been impacted by COVID and the economic crisis, but would do so without costing Americans a dime.”

"A major allocation of IMF Special Drawing Rights can jump start the global economy and help save millions of lives, without costing US taxpayers anything,” said Alex Main, the Director of International Policy for the Center for Economic and Policy Research. “It’s heartening to see such strong Congressional support for this measure at a time when it is so critically needed, not just for developing countries but for the U.S. economy, which stands to benefit from an SDR-fueled surge in global demand."

“We applaud the leadership of Chairs Jayapal, Pocan, Castro, Bass, and Chu for bringing together the diverse Democratic caucuses around this initiative to save millions of lives abroad and strengthen the economy here at home, recognizing that this opportunity to provide costless global pandemic relief is a racial-justice imperative,” said David Segal, the Executive Director of Demand Progress. “We urge House Democrats to insist on the inclusion of SDRs in any bill that will be enacted by the end of the year to protect the world's poor from unimaginable suffering.”

“I am delighted to see this letter to Speaker Pelosi,” noted Mark Harrison, the Peace with Justice Program Director for the United Methodist General Board of Church and Society. “IMF debt relief and emergency financial resources are an innovative and noncontroversial solution. This will help countries prevent the spread of COVID and resulting hunger ? without costing U.S. taxpayers a single penny.”

“While the G20 have been able to stimulate their economies during this unprecedented crisis, poor countries don’t have this possibility,” said Michael Sheldrick, the Chief Policy Officer for Global Citizen. “Many of them are crushed by debt on top of dealing with COVID. Now is the time for a new issue of IMF special drawing rights to assist poorer nations respond to the crisis.“

“Fiscal crises in developing countries threaten an even more severe global economic collapse than we have seen so far this year, which would then cause further unemployment and suffering for millions of American workers,” said Tobita Chow, the Director of Justice Is Global, a project of People's Action / People's Action Institute. “To support the wellbeing of billions of people in developing countries with SDRs and debt relief is to protect the American people as well. To do otherwise is not only cruel and racist but also self-destructive.”

“This coronavirus pandemic has caused a global health and economic crisis that is affecting millions of people around the word,” added Hassan El-Tayyab, Legislative Manager for Middle East Policy, Friends Committee on National Legislation. “Through the IMF, the U.S. has the power to assist with the coordinated international response and provide countries the economic and humanitarian relief they need to survive this pandemic. It's critical Congress and the Administration support calling for the issuance of special drawing rights in the FY2021 National Defense Authorization Act.”

“The U.S. Congress must show compassion and help save lives globally at $0 cost to the U.S. taxpayers. The issuance of special drawing rights at the IMF will help countries globally to protect their people from COVID-19, hunger, and economic devastation,” said Dr. Pauline Muchina, Policy, Education and Advocacy Coordinator for Africa, American Friends Service Committee. “Like many globally, African countries need these resources to survive COVID-19 and its economic downturn. It is our moral obligation to show compassion and save lives.”

“Now more than ever, debt means death. Maryknoll missioners see this in poor countries like Kenya and Ecuador where governments spend more on servicing debt than on health care. As the coronavirus hits, people fear unemployment and hunger as much as getting sick. If we don’t do what we can to shore up the global economy, we could see millions of people around the world destitute and dying,” said Susan Gunn, the Director of the Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns. “We will all suffer because our economies are connected and this virus knows no borders. The House legislation, and its companion in the Senate, the Support for Global Financial Institution Pandemic Response Act, recognize these facts and that Special Drawing Rights were created for this kind of emergency. Just as the United States supported the IMF allocating SDRs in the financial crisis in 2009, it should support it now.”

The full letter to Speaker Pelosi is available here.

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Washington, D.C. – The Congressional Progressive Caucus Co-Chairs, Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) and Congressman Mark Pocan (WI-02), released the following statement on the announced withdrawal of 2,500 troops from Afghanistan by January 2020:

“It’s long past time for the United States to end the war in Afghanistan and bring our troops home. This is the longest war in American history – and despite the enormous loss of life and rising costs to taxpayers, it’s clear that there is no military solution to this conflict.

“We think the decision to withdraw 2500 troops from Afghanistan is an important step to drawing down our military presence in the region. But President Trump has repeatedly failed to prioritize or invest in the diplomatic efforts necessary to build a sustainable peace. Worse, the Trump Administration has doubled-down on our forever wars, including providing U.S. military equipment for the Saudi-led war in Yemen. Rather than untangling us from military quagmires, President Trump has deepened U.S. involvement in conflicts around the globe.

“The war in Afghanistan must end – and a piecemeal approach is insufficient. Democrats in Congress must work with the Biden Administration to build a comprehensive plan to end our war in Afghanistan and our other forever wars around the world, reinvest in diplomacy and human-centered development, and facilitate lasting peace in the region. And Congress too must act by ending the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force, which has served as a blank check for war for far too long.”

This past July, 126 Democrats, one Independent and two Republicans voted to support CPC Whip Ilhan Omar’s amendment to begin the responsible withdrawal of American service members deployed in Afghanistan.

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