News

Congressional Progressive Caucus Condemns Vote to Removal of Rep. Omar from Foreign Affairs Committee

January 30, 2023

WASHINGTON — Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, issued the following statement on Republicans’ attempt to bring to a vote on the House floor a resolution to remove Representative Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Deputy Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, from the House Foreign Affairs Committee:

“The Congressional Progressive Caucus stands fully behind our Deputy Chair, Representative Ilhan Omar. Rep. Omar is a valued member of the Democratic Caucus and of this Congress. Throughout her service in Congress and on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, she has brought her essential and unique voice and lived experience to bear: as a refugee, war survivor and soon, as the first African-born Ranking Member on the Africa Subcommittee.   

“You cannot remove a Member of Congress from a committee simply because you do not agree with their views. This is both ludicrous and dangerous. In the last Congress, Republican members were removed from committees with a bipartisan vote for endangering the safety of their colleagues. Speaker McCarthy is attempting to take revenge and draw false comparisons.  I applaud those Republican members who have already rejected this idea and hope that more will join them to state their opposition so it is not brought to the floor, or vote against it should it be brought to the floor. 

“As a fellow woman of color and Chair of the CPC, I am proud that our Caucus will stand strongly with Rep. Omar: an esteemed and invaluable legislator, a respectful and kind colleague, and a courageous progressive leader.”

Congressional Progressive Caucus Leaders Echo Community Demands for Justice for Tyre Nichols

January 27, 2023

WASHINGTON — Representatives Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, and Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), Chair of the CPC Policing, Constitution, and Equality Task Force, issued the following statement in response to the body camera footage from Memphis Police in the killing of Tyre Nichols:

“Like so many across the country, we are horrified and appalled by the actions seen in the video of the murder of Tyre Nichols. The utter lack of humanity on display in the video defies even the worst expectations.

“As mothers, seeing Tyre call out for his mother is deeply painful. As human beings, this vicious murder leaves us shaken to the core. We are outraged at the ongoing violence, injustice, and brutality that Black people face every day in our country.

“People are rightfully furious by what we’ve seen. That anger is justified, and must be directed toward demanding accountability and reform of law enforcement and the criminal legal system, including an end to the police culture of use of force. Just as we have had a national conversation about safety during mental health calls, we must also address safety during traffic stops. Preserving public safety means ending qualified immunity, reducing unnecessary contact between police and communities, and fundamentally reimagining public safety in our country. We must end the filibuster, pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act and the Mental Health Justice Act, and put a stop to this devastation.

“We mourn Tyre Nichols and extend our prayers to his loved ones. We mourn George Floyd, whose name was invoked by Keenan Anderson in a police killing earlier this month. We mourn Breonna Taylor. We mourn Eric Garner. We mourn Tamir Rice, Michael Brown, and every single innocent Black life taken by police who should still be with us today.

“We must all recommit ourselves to making real, systemic, lasting change — and progressives in Congress will not back down from this fight.”

Progressive Caucus Leaders Celebrate Administration Action Redesignating Temporary Protected Status for Somalia

January 12, 2023

WASHINGTON — Representatives Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Deputy Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, and Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04), Chair of the Caucus Immigration Task Force, released the following statement after Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas announced that the Department would extend and redesignate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Somalia:

“Secretary Mayorkas’ announcement to redesignate and extend Temporary Protected Status to Somalis living in the United States will deliver a sense of much-needed relief and stability. As conflict and humanitarian crises continue to impact the lives of Somalis, it is important that the United States continues to live up to its mission of granting and providing humanitarian relief to people who need it most. We commend Secretary Mayorkas and the Biden administration for taking this important step forward, and making Somalia the thirteenth country from the Congressional Progressive Caucus Executive Action Agenda to receive an extension or redesignation of TPS in the last year. 

“The fight for immigrants’ rights cannot, and will not, end here, and we will continue to push for the American Dream and Promise Act to become law. TPS, like DACA, is critical, lifesaving policy — but they are both temporary fixes, leaving immigrants and their communities in a constant state of limbo. If the United States is to create a more humane immigration system rooted in compassion and justice, we must finally provide immigrant community members with a roadmap to citizenship.”

In addition to Somalia being included in the CPC Executive Action Agenda, Representatives Jayapal and Omar were joined by Representatives Adam Smith (WA-09) and Yvette Clarke (NY-09) to lead members of Congress in calling for the extension and redesignation of TPS for Somalia. 

Congressional Progressive Caucus Leaders on Biden Administration’s Border Enforcement Announcement

January 6, 2023

WASHINGTON — Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, and Representative Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04), chair of the CPC Immigration Task Force, released the following statement in response to the Biden administration’s announcement on increased border enforcement actions:

“The Biden Administration’s announcement of expanded legal pathways to come to the United States — something President Trump ripped away ruthlessly — is long overdue. The moves to expand the parole process to include Nicaraguans, Haitians, and Cubans; increase the number of individuals permitted to come through this parole program; and triple refugee resettlement from the Western Hemisphere over the next two years are commendable. 

“However, the new Department of Homeland Security proposal also includes expanding the use of Title 42, a public health law weaponized by Donald Trump to deny legal rights to asylum seekers, as well as potential regulations that would restrict the legal right to seek asylum. That is unacceptable. We recognize that President Biden has inherited a broken immigration system, and that he has taken steps to restore it by ending the Trump administration’s discriminatory and xenophobic implementation of Title 42. Even as that effort has unfortunately been thwarted in the courts, we cannot go backwards. Immigrants and their families are not a political football, and seeking asylum is a legal right. We must work to find policy solutions to meet the deep humanitarian need at the border and uphold U.S. treaty obligations by continuing to expand legal pathways to the United States and ensuring efficient and timely processing of people seeking protection. We must address the root causes of this crisis, including reconsidering Trump-era sanctions that have fueled much of the economic deterioration that triggered the latest wave of migration. Democrats must refuse to participate in Republicans’ games with people’s lives. 

“Despite congressional Republicans’ refusal to humanely engage with this issue, the American people want to see our government treat people with humanity, keep families together and recognize the value and necessity of immigrants. The details of this new rule will be critical. We strongly urge the Biden administration to reconsider this proposal, and work in consultation with members of Congress and immigration organizations to find solutions that live up to our American values.” 

Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Applauds Proposed FTC Rule to Ban Non-Competes

January 5, 2023

WASHINGTON — Representative Pramila Jayapal, chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and vice chair of the House Antitrust Subcommittee in the 117th Congress, issued the following statement on a new rule proposed today from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to prohibit non-compete clauses in employment agreements and contracts:

“President Biden and his administration continue to cement their legacy as antitrust champions. This new proposed rule from Chair Khan and the FTC represents a major pro-worker move and advances the President’s vision of a fair and equitable society that lessens market concentration, and supports small businesses, innovation, and workers. Nearly half of private businesses force non-compete clauses on workers as just another way to exert employer control and deny workers their basic right to seek another often higher-paying job in their chosen field. When employers don’t have to compete for potential employees against other offers, they can decrease wages and keep them low, knowing their workers cannot quickly secure better pay and working conditions elsewhere. As President Biden said, capitalism without competition isn't capitalism; it’s exploitation. If this rule is finalized, it would increase worker wages by nearly $300 billion across the economy, including in both low-wage and high-wage industries, and support the creation of new start-ups and small businesses. 

“Prohibiting non-competes removes a key lever of power used to keep the labor market rigged against workers. That’s why as a member of the House Select Committee on Economic Disparity and Fairness in Growth, I championed a focus on market concentration, including the importance of limiting non-compete agreements in our recommendation for policies to build a fair economy, and it was ultimately included in the Select Committee’s final report. I’m thrilled to see Chair Khan and the FTC continue to take advantage of the commission’s unique power to put government to work for working people and take on monopoly power and market concentration.”

Congressional Progressive Caucus Celebrates Progressive Wins in Government Funding Legislation

December 23, 2022

WASHINGTON — The House of Representatives voted to pass the Consolidated Appropriations Act of FY2023, including funding several key progressives priorities, the Congressional Progressive Caucus announced today.

Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, issued the following statement:

“The Consolidated Appropriations Act of FY2023 is another powerful example of progressives’ governing skill. Our advocacy was particularly key in increasing National Labor Relations Board funding for the first time in nearly a decade, extending robust Medicaid support for American citizens in the territories, strengthening nutrition programs for low-income children, expanding affordable housing, and other programs that directly support and invest in working people. CPC members were also essential in leading so many of the progressive priorities attached to the spending bill. We are particularly grateful to CPC member and House Appropriations Chairwoman Rosa DeLauro for her tireless work and to Congressional leadership in the House and Senate for their partnership.

“While we are disappointed that Republicans blocked the reinstatement of an expanded Child Tax Credit to reduce child poverty, we are pleased that a number of massive corporate tax giveaways, provisions to continue Title 42, and fossil fuel permitting proposals were excluded from the bill. Progressives kept our promise that there would be no corporate tax breaks without relief for working families, and will continue to fight for the essential and hugely successful Child Tax Credit to be brought back. We will also need to remain vigilant against the ballooning of military spending in future budgets. Republicans exploited their leverage with the filibuster to break the longstanding tradition of equal military and non-military spending increases, but we cannot allow that to become the new normal.”

“The omnibus package will also pass legislation from CPC members, including Representative Jerry Nadler (NY-10)’s Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, which will ensure no worker can be fired or retaliated against on the job for needing reasonable accommodations for their pregnancy; Representative Joe Neguse (CO-02)’s Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act to continue antitrust reform; Representative Frank Pallone (NJ-06)’s Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act, which expands programs and grants to improve mental health and substance abuse; and Representative Jan Schakowsky (IL-09)’s INFORM Consumers Act, to combat online retail crime and identity theft. It also includes the Electoral Count Reform Act, which will protect the certification of American presidential elections from subversion.

“I feel proud that as the 117th Congress ends, the Progressive Caucus has done everything we could deliver for our communities.”

The FY23 omnibus appropriations bill includes the following progressive priorities:

  • Increases funding for the National Labor Relations Board for the first time in nearly a decade, adding $25 million to the agency’s budget that is essential to keep pace with expanded worker union organizing and collective bargaining across the country, and to protect workers’ rights from union-busting and retaliation;

  • Extends robust Medicaid funding for Puerto Rico and other U.S. territories to protect these American citizens’ access to care, including ensuring that more than 1 million Puerto Rico residents do not lose their health coverage or experience deep cuts to eligibility and benefits;

  • Extend the summer school meals program for low-income students, including rural home delivery, to ensure that children do not go hungry while school is out of session;

  • Provides new, permanent food assistance for low-income families in the summer with a $40 grocery benefit per child per month;

  • Adds $1 billion to the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program so that the support available to families will increase to account for higher energy costs;

  • Appropriates $27 billion for disaster relief for communities impacted by extreme weather events, which are critical to helping the agency meet the increased frequency and severity of natural disasters;

  • Increases funding for child care, Head Start, and Pre-K for low-income families by nearly $3 billion;

  • Expands access to affordable housing and rental assistance for tens of thousands of families at risk of homelessness;

  • Continues coverage for 40 million children on Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), ensuring uninterrupted access to health care throughout the year;

  • Significantly increases funding support for antitrust enforcement at the Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice;

  • Permanently extends Medicaid postpartum health care coverage for 12 months to participating states;

  • Fully funds the implementation of the Honoring our PACT Act, which will provide medical care to millions of veterans exposed to toxins during their military service;

  • Provides robust funding for FEMA’s Case Management Pilot Program to help people navigate immigration proceedings;

  • Extends the Afghan Special Immigrant Visa program through the end of 2024 and adds 4,000 more visas; and,

  • Provides billions of dollars in federal support to thousands of community projects across the United States, advocated for by House Democrats.

Congressional Progressive Caucus Leaders Applaud President Zelensky Speech to Congress

December 21, 2022

WASHINGTON — Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, and Representative Barbara Lee (CA-13), CPC chair emeritus and chair of the Caucus Peace and Security Task Force, issued the following statement in response to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s address to Congress:

“Tonight, President Zelensky demonstrated the same bravery and defense of democracy that has rallied the United States and the world to his and the Ukrainian people’s side in the ten months since Russia’s brutal, unjust, illegal invasion. Alongside President Biden, Vice President Harris, Speaker Pelosi, and our colleagues, we were pleased to welcome him to Washington, and are proud to continue Democrats’ support of the Ukrainian people’s fight for sovereignty and democracy. We expect strong support from progressives for aid for Ukraine included in the year-end spending agreement. Our commitment to the Ukrainian people, in accordance with our progressive values for peace, diplomacy, and human rights around the world, will not wane.”

Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Appoints Members to Complete Caucus Executive Board for 118th Congress

December 20, 2022

WASHINGTON — Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, announced 14 appointments to complete the Caucus executive board for the 118th Congress today. 

These leaders will serve alongside their colleagues elected to CPC leadership earlier this month, and assume their roles in January 2023 as part of the 30-member executive board. The executive board will be 50 percent women and 73 percent people of color and LGBTQ members, with representation from 18 states in the East, West, South, and Midwest, making it the most diverse leadership in the history of the CPC. Together, they will also oversee the largest Progressive Caucus in history which, with the addition of at least 16 freshmen, will grow to include 103 members at the start of the 118th Congress.

The members appointed to the executive board include:

Deputy Whips

  • Representative Veronica Escobar (TX-16)

  • Representative Debbie Dingell (MI-12)

  • Representative-Elect Chris Deluzio (PA-17)

  • Representative Lloyd Doggett (TX-37)

  • Representative Jimmy Gomez (CA-34)

  • Representative Ro Khanna (CA-17)

  • Representative Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20)

  • Representative Chellie Pingree (ME-01)

Executive Board Members-at-Large

  • Representative Joe Neguse (CO-02)

  • Representative Jan Schakowsky (IL-09)

  • Representative Nydia Velázquez (NY-07)

Special Order Hour Convenors

  • Representative-Elect Summer Lee (PA-12)

  • Representative-Elect Morgan McGarvey (KY-03)

  • Representative-Elect Delia Ramirez (IL-03)

On the CPC Executive Board for the 118th Congress, Chair Jayapal said:

“I am thrilled to announce these appointments today and complete our CPC Executive Board for the 118th Congress. These members represent the diversity of the progressive movements, our caucus, and our country: they are immigrants and first-generation Americans, freshmen and senior members, state legislators and organizers, people of color and women, from working class backgrounds and diverse geographies. Each of them are committed to our progressive values and to leaving no one behind. As we enter the unique challenges of the minority, I know these members are dedicated to finding ways to deliver for working families and holding the line to protect the progressive we’ve won so far. I look forward to convening this new Executive Board next year and to the work ahead.”

Congressional Progressive Caucus Celebrates Passage of Respect for Marriage Act

December 8, 2022

WASHINGTON — Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, and Representative Jerrold Nadler, (NY-10), chair of the House Judiciary Committee and author of the Respect for Marriage Act, issued the following statement upon the bill’s House passage today:

“Today, Congress finally righted the injustices of the Defense of Marriage Act and Jim Crow — and tonight, millions of same-sex and interracial couples can go to sleep knowing their partnerships will be protected under federal law.

“Thanks to the action of House Democrats, led by CPC members on the House Judiciary Committee, and Senate negotiators, we are sending a bill to President Biden’s desk to ensure that legal protections for same-sex and interracial couples will continue for every family across America, no matter what state they live in. This was an essential step to guard against the increasingly extremist, right-wing Supreme Court, which explicitly threatened the precedents of Obergefell v. Hodges and United States v. Windsor that legalized same-sex marriage, in Justice Thomas’ Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization concurrence.

“It might seem impossible that we’ve come so far in just a decade since that Windsor decision and the 26 years since DOMA was passed — but those of us who come from progressive movements are not so surprised. Every inch of progress in American history has been won by ordinary Americans seeking justice, and today’s victory is no different. We are here today because of civil rights and LGBTQ movements who never stopped pushing for equal treatment under law. We are here because of activists who died for the right to be recognized in their full humanity by the United States government. We are here because of the organizers who built coalitions and brought communities together such that the Respect for Marriage Act can be bipartisan today.

“Even as we celebrate this historic achievement, we know that the fight for equality and justice for LGBTQ people and communities of color has a long way to go. We will continue to fight for the Equality Act to be come law, and to push, as progressives always have, to address the crises of discrimination of Black, Latino, Asian, Indigenous, and LGBTQ, particularly transgender, Americans.”

Congressional Progressive Caucus Announces Elected Leadership for 118th Congress

December 8, 2022

WASHINGTON — The Congressional Progressive Caucus announced its elected leadership for the 118th Congress today, the sixteenth Congress in the history of the CPC. This elected leadership will oversee the largest Progressive Caucus in history which, with the addition of at least 16 freshman, will grow to include 103 members at the start of the 118th Congress.

The members elected by their colleagues today include:

  • Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) as Chair

  • Representative Ilhan Omar (MN-05) as Deputy Chair

  • Representative-Elect Greg Casar (TX-35) as Whip

  • Representative-Elect Jill Tokuda (HI-02) as Vice Chair for Communications

  • Representative Sheila Jackson Lee (TX-18) as Vice Chair for Inter-Caucus Relations

  • Representative Mark Takano (CA-41) as Vice Chair for Policy

  • Representative Jamaal Bowman (NY-16) as Vice Chair for Labor

  • Representative Rashida Tlaib (MI-12) as Vice Chair for Member Services

  • Representative-Elect Becca Balint (VT-AL) as Vice Chair for New Members

  • Representatives David Cicilline (RI-01), Jared Huffman (CA-02), Donald Norcross (NJ-01), and Representative-Elect Maxwell Frost (FL-10) as Vice Chairs-at-Large 

The members will assume their roles upon the opening of the 118th Congress in January 2023. Additional members will also be appointed to the Caucus executive board later this month, including CPC Chairs Emeriti Representatives Raúl Grijalva (AZ-03), Barbara Lee (CA-13), and Mark Pocan (WI-02).

Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), newly elected to her second term as Chair, said:

“As a lifelong organizer and activist, I have been honored to lead our dedicated, passionate, people-centered Progressive Caucus, and to continue to do so as Chair. In the last two years, we have accomplished so much together, delivering on progressive and Democratic priorities, and powerfully silencing any skeptics as to whether progressives can govern. We have evolved into a forceful bloc and a principled partner for progressive movements, Senate Democrats, Congressional leadership, and President Biden. Thanks to the work of our members, our Caucus enters the 118th Congress stronger and with greater numbers than ever — as evidenced by this inspiring new elected executive board. I thank my colleagues for entrusting me with this role for the second time, and I look forward to the work ahead.”

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