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WASHINGTON— Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) Co-Chairs Reps. Raúl M. Grijalva (D-AZ) and Keith Ellison (D-MN) released the following statement today after the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) announced that it would move forward with a rule to protect Americans from predatory ‘payday’ lending practices.

“We are pleased the CFPB is acting swiftly on a rule to protect working Americans from unfair payday lending practices. Fraudulent payday loans threaten the economic well-being of many Americans, especially those from low-income communities of color, by trapping them in a cycle of debt. The Congressional Progressive Caucus led a letter along with the Congressional Black Caucus, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, and Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus to the CFPB recommending it take bold action to improve the small dollar loan market.

“We applaud the CFPB and President Obama for acting on our concerns and moving forward to protect Americans. We urge them to issue a rule that leaves no room for unscrupulous lenders to continue their harmful conduct.”

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WASHINGTON – Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) Co-Chairs Reps. Raúl M. Grijalva (D-AZ) and Keith Ellison (D-MN), along with CPC Members Reps. Mark Pocan (D-WI), Judy Chu (D-CA), Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Grace Napolitano (D-CA), Janice Hahn (D-CA), and Barbara Lee (D-CA) unveiled the Progressive Caucus’ FY 2016 budget alternative called The People’s Budget: A Raise for America.  

The executive summary for The People’s Budget is below and the full budget can be found here.

The press conference to introduce The People’s Budget will be live streamed at noon and can be seen here.

“The most important thing Congress can do as we recover from the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression is pass a budget that invests in the American people,” Rep. Grijalva said. “The People’s Budget create good paying jobs by addressing our nation’s biggest challenges head-on, from rebuilding crumbling roads to updating antiquated energy infrastructure. It’s a down payment on the continual effort to improve the quality of life for all Americans by raising wages, restoring and enhancing vital programs like SNAP and emergency unemployment compensation, and making bold new investments like debt-free college for all, which will increase our global competitiveness and ensure every student has a fair shot at achieving their dreams.”

"Too many working Americans open their paychecks each week and ask themselves how they will make ends meet," Rep. Ellison said. "The People's Budget fully funds childhood health, education and affordable housing to help working families stretch their paychecks. The Progressive Caucus budget is a blueprint of proven investments to end grinding poverty, promote economic mobility and enable shared prosperity. It asks the wealthiest Americans and multi-national corporations to pay their fair share, so we can afford debt-free college, universal pre-kindergarten, paid sick leave and workforce training for all. The People's Budget makes smart cuts to the Pentagon budget and puts the money towards working families. The People's Budget invests in people, providing hard-working Americans with a raise they deserve."

“First and foremost The People’s Budget reflects our progressive priorities – leveling the economic playing field by increasing wages for middle- and low-income workers," Rep. Pocan said. "With families struggling to make ends meet, it is clear the American people want Congress to help create good-paying jobs and expand economic opportunity for all."

“Working a full time, 40 hour schedule is supposed to lift you out of poverty, not chain you to it,” Rep. Chu said. “It’s not just unfair, it’s wrong. It flies in the face of the promise of America. And it is why this budget – The People’s Budget – is so necessary. This budget promises to not only to grow our economy but to tackle inequality.”

“During our economy’s best decades, Congress invested in the American workforce and every family was better off for it. But recent years have been dominated by growing inequality and a Republican majority in Congress obsessed with slashing the budget, making it harder for working Americans to find decent jobs and save for the future,” Rep. Jackson Lee said. “The Congressional Progressive Caucus’ People’s Budget reverses the damage budget austerity has inflicted on hard-working families and restores our economy to its full potential by creating 8.4 million good paying jobs by 2018.”

“Today Americans are working more and earning less. Republicans, however, continue putting forth a budget that gives tax breaks to the wealthy instead of helping working American families,”  Rep. Gallego said. “While the GOP budget would end Medicare guarantees and make cuts to education that would make college even less affordable, the Congressional Progressive Caucus does the opposite ensuring that we make investments in the American people - creating good paying jobs, providing universal pre-K, and restoring funding for programs like SNAP that many American families rely on. It’s time for us to pass a budget that reflects the needs of the American people and focuses on giving American families the best opportunity to move ahead.”

“The Progressive Caucus works on everyday issues of the working family, and our budget reflects this commitment,” Rep. Napolitano said. “We will continue to fight to deliver that which we all feel is a necessity for our districts, for our working class.”

“The Congressional Progressive Caucus budget expands economic opportunity for middle class and lower income families and reflects priorities different from the House Republican proposal,” Rep. Hahn said. “Our budget creates jobs and invests in essential repairs and upgrades to America’s roads, highways and bridges to keep us globally competitive in the future.  The CPC budget also includes my recommendation to fully spend the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund, returning money collected at our nation’s ports so they can make necessary improvements.”

“Despite a recovering economy, too many Americans are still struggling to make ends meet,” Rep. Lee said. “This budget supports American families and focuses on much needed investments here at home. This budget also reins in waste, fraud and abuse at the Pentagon and ends the OCO slush funds for defense contractors.”

The People’s Budget Executive Summary

The People's Budget fixes an economy that, for too long, has failed to provide the opportunities American families need to get ahead. Despite their skills and work ethic, most American workers and families are so financially strapped from increasing income inequality that their paychecks barely cover basic necessities. They earn less and less as corporations and the wealthy continue amassing record profits. It has become clear to American workers that the system is rigged.

The People’s Budget levels the playing field and creates economic opportunity by increasing the pay of middle- and low-income Americans. More customers and higher consumer spending advance American businesses, not tax cuts and relaxed regulations. The People’s Budget drives a full economic recovery by creating high-quality jobs and reducing family expenses, restoring the buying power of working Americans.

The People’s Budget closes tax loopholes that companies use to ship jobs overseas. It creates fair tax rates for millionaires and provides needed relief to low- and middle-income families. It invests in debt-free college, workforce training and small businesses within our communities, helping return our economy to full employment and giving a raise to Americans who need it most. Investments in The People’s Budget boost employment and wages by addressing some of the biggest challenges of our time: repairing America’s rapidly aging roads and bridges, upgrading our energy systems to address climate change, keeping our communities safe, and preparing our young people to thrive as citizens and workers.

A fair wage is more than the size of a paycheck. It’s having enough hours, paid overtime, sick and parental leave, and affordable health and childcare. It’s being able to afford a good education for your kids and never living in fear that your job will be sent overseas. It’s knowing you can make ends meet at the end of the month. The People’s Budget helps achieve that with a raise for American workers, a raise for struggling families and a boost to America’s long-term global competitiveness.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), and Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) sent a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder urging the Department of Justice (DOJ) to close loopholes in the revised DOJ profiling guidance released in December of 2014. While the revised guidance prohibits profiling based on ethnicity, gender, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, and gender identity, the guidance provides exceptions for activities within the Federal Bureau of Investigations, Transportation Security Administration, and Customs and Border Patrol. The Chairs of the caucuses released the following statements:

Congresswoman Judy Chu (CA-27), CAPAC Chair:

“The updated guidance is an important step toward ending profiling that has come after a decade’s work on this issue.  But, more work must be done to close the loopholes that still allow certain law enforcement agencies to continue biased-based profiling. Approximately half of the House Democrats, representing thousands of minority communities, have sent a strong message to the Department of Justice (DOJ) that bias-based profiling is unacceptable, without exception. We also urge the DOJ to hold law enforcement accountable to the guidance through data driven tracking of profiling complaints and a thorough complaint process. In the end, these steps will help to bridge the divide between communities of color and law enforcement, and make us more secure.”

Congressman G. K. Butterfield (NC-01), CBC Chair:

“The Congressional Black Caucus has asserted for years that Black Americans are treated unfairly and disproportionally in the criminal justice system, and we know that police bias and excessive use of force are real in the African American community.  This is a critical time in our country and an opportunity to restore the trust of the American public in our criminal justice system. We must ensure that all Americans are treated equally before the law, and it starts with efforts to reform the guidelines used by federal law enforcement.  The CBC joins with our colleagues from the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), and the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) to urge the DOJ to take stronger action and reform the 2014 federal law enforcement profiling guidance to end racial and discriminatory profiling.”

Congresswoman Linda Sánchez, CHC Chair:

“The Department of Justice’s updated guidance on racial profiling was a necessary first step. There are still a number of loopholes affecting immigrants and Latinos that need to be addressed. Given current events, it is critically important that we prevent and eliminate discriminatory profiling once and for all. Our communities of color deserve equal justice under the law.”

Congressman Keith Ellison, CPC Co-Chair:

“The Department of Justice report on Ferguson made it clear: when we break from our values, our communities suffer. Equal protection under the law is a bedrock American principle and it cannot be compromised, especially by law enforcement. It's time to end discriminatory profiling once and for all.”

Congressman Raúl Grijalva, CPC Co-Chair:

“Discriminatory profiling by law enforcement will not end through half-measures and exceptions for our rules. I am heartened by the revised guidelines the Department of Justice released to address this continuing problem, but where loopholes remain, profiling will too. I am particularly concerned by the fact that the DOJ’s exemptions are for the exact same areas of law enforcement where profiling is relied upon the most. This practice is a complete departure from our values as a nation that values equality, and it must be stopped, once and for all.”

A link to the letter can be found here.

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WASHINGTON –The Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) released broad principles today to establish standards for U.S. trade policy that put workers first, balance trade deficits, and improve labor and environmental protections around the world. The Congressional Progressive Caucus believes it is possible to negotiate a trade agreement that doesn’t replicate the mistakes of the past, and instead creates a new model for trade, promoting balanced growth for the global economy.

The text of the executive summary is below and the full version can be viewed here. 

Principles for Trade: A Model for Global Progress

America’s current trade policy fails working families while increasing profits for the world’s largest corporations. Trade agreements should create a net increase of good American jobs, spur more balanced trade between partners, and improve governance, public health, and environmental protections around the world. The Congressional Progressive Caucus believes the following principles can ensure fairer trade agreements by prioritizing middle class families and removing special protections and privileges for corporations:

• Protect Congress’ Authority to Set Trade Policy
• Restore Balanced trade
• Put Workers First
• Stop Currency Manipulation
• Expand Buy America Procurement Practices
• Protect the Environment for Future Generations
• Prioritize Consumers above Profits
• Protect Nationhood Rights
• Secure Affordable Access to Essential Medicines and Services
• Respect Human Rights
• Provide a Safety Net for Vulnerable Workers

Since implementation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in 1994, the United States has lost millions of jobs in key sectors like manufacturing, wages have stagnated, and the standard of living for working families has dropped.

Outside of the United States, misguided trade policies are devastating both rural and urban communities in emerging nations, from the displacement of millions of small farmers in Mexico to low wages and terrible conditions for garment factory workers in Honduras.  Trade agreements that destroy local livelihoods and provide workers with little economic opportunity create strong incentives for immigration to the United States. U.S. trade policy must focus on creating economic opportunity for working people in the United States and abroad, not only on maximizing short-term profits for large corporations.

The United States negotiates some of the world’s largest trade agreements. These deals must put working families and our environment first. The United States must stop using trade agreements as investment deals for the world’s wealthiest corporations and instead prioritize higher wages, safer work and environmental standards, and a healthier world economy.

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