News

Progressive Caucus Applauds President for US-China Climate Deal

November 12, 2014

WASHINGTON-Congressional Progressive Caucus Co-Chairs Reps. Raúl M. Grijalva (D-AZ) and Keith Ellison (D-MN) released the following statement after President Obama announced a new agreement with China to reduce carbon emissions.

“We applaud President Obama for negotiating an historic agreement with China to reduce carbon emissions in the coming decades. The United States and China are the two largest emitters of greenhouse gases in the world, which makes the agreement announced today a vital step towards limiting the worst effects of climate change. It sets the stage for a larger deal that we hope will set emission targets needed to keep global temperature rise below 2 degrees. We urge Congress to follow President Obama’s lead and take concrete action to combat climate change now.”

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CPC Co-Chair Statement on the Close of APEC Summit

November 10, 2014

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 close of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit where American negotiators continued pushing to finalize the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).

“Free trade deals like the Trans-Pacific Partnership must be negotiated in the open with Congressional oversight and input from the working people most affected by the policies at stake. Secret negotiations are not the way to cut a deal that will cost American jobs and slash wages.

“The APEC summit ended today without a final deal agreed upon, which is yet another self-imposed deadline negotiators missed. The reason is simple: the Trans-Pacific Partnership is far from the ‘21st-century trade agreement’ it’s been called—it amounts to a corporate handout at the expense of workers in all negotiating nations. We urge American negotiators to fight for the best interest of working families—not the world’s richest corporations.

“We stand with the hard working people fighting the Trans-Pacific Partnership and demand the public be told what’s happening behind closed doors.”

Progressive Caucus Applauds President's Push for Net Neutrality

November 10, 2014

WASHINGTON – Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) Co-Chairs Reps. Raúl M. Grijalva (D-AZ) and Keith Ellison (D-MN) released the following statement today after President Obama came out in favor of net neutrality through Title II reclassification of the Internet. 

“President Obama stands with the millions of Americans who submitted comments to the Federal Communications Commission on net neutrality over the summer. His plan announced today is a win for communities of color, small businesses and millions of Americans who rely on a free and open Internet. The Progressive Caucus was proud to lead a letter to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler with 34 House Democrats in May calling for net neutrality and Title II reclassification of broadband Internet. 

“The Internet should never be pay-to-play. We urge Chairman Wheeler to listen to the president, the Progressive Caucus and millions of Americans demanding the Internet remain free, open and democratic.” 

The Progressive Caucus letter to Chairman Wheeler can be found here. 

Progressive Caucus: Thirty States Down-Twenty to Go

October 6, 2014

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 Supreme Court declined to review lower-court rulings on marriage equality in Virginia, Utah, Oklahoma, Indiana and Wisconsin.

“The Supreme Court’s decision to deny appeals from states that want to prohibit same-sex marriage makes our nation one where gay and lesbian couples have a right to the pursuit of happiness and that’s cause for celebration. In thirty states and the District of Columbia, you will soon be able to marry who you love—period. If we get organized and fight together, equality will always beat discrimination.

“In the coming days at state capitols, city halls, court houses and chapels all around the nation, committed couples will promise to be legally bound together for the first time. We share their joy and wish them luck, yet stand in solidarity with the countless Americans who continue to wonder when the freedom to marry will reign in their communities. The fight for equality isn’t done until all Americans can marry who they love in their home state, and further until these individuals cannot be legally fired, denied housing, or refused service for doing so.

“Thirty states down—twenty to go.”

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Progressive Caucus: End War in Afghanistan, Bring Our Troops Home

September 30, 2014

WASHINGTON, D.C.-Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) Co-Chairs Reps. Raúl M. Grijalva (D-AZ) and Keith Ellison (D-MN) joined CPC Peace and Security Task Force Chair Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) to call for an end to the war in Afghanistan after the United States signed a bilateral security agreement with the Afghan government in Kabul today that allows the United States to keep troops and tie up taxpayer dollars in Afghanistan for the next decade.

"As military operations in Iraq and Syria capture national headlines, we must not forget our troops still serving in America's longest war,” said Rep. Grijalva. “We cannot ask these service members and their families to sacrifice forever. As partnering nations bring the last of their troops home from Afghanistan, we must do the same.  Our focus for stability in Afghanistan must shift to economic, community and political development, not military muscle from beyond its borders."

“The bilateral security agreement signed in Afghanistan today will continue the longest war in American history—a significant change to policy that was not approved by Congress,” Rep. Ellison said. “We’ve spent billions to stabilize Afghanistan that could have been invested in Head Start for kids, food assistance for working families, and job assistance for our veterans. We have spent enough money and time to help the Afghan government and security forces stand on their own. It’s time to bring our troops and our tax dollars home.”

“The war in Afghanistan has already cost too any lives and too much treasure. The American people have had enough of the endless war. It's time to bring our troops home and focus on our domestic priorities. We owe it to our brave servicemen and women to bring them home after completing their mission – the future of Afghanistan can only be secured by Afghans,” said Rep. Lee.

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Progressive Caucus: Congress Needs To Return And Vote On Expanded Airstrikes in Syria and Iraq

September 25, 2014

WASHINGTON-Congressional Progressive Caucus Co-Chairs Reps. Raúl M. Grijalva (D-AZ) and Keith Ellison (D-MN) released the following statement today after Speaker Boehner told the New York Times that he prefers to not hold a vote authorizing action against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and other groups until next year.

"Speaker Boehner should recognize the gravity of this situation and call members of Congress back to Washington to vote on ongoing military actions in Iraq and Syria. Congress needs to fulfill its constitutional duties by having a robust debate and a vote on Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) that is tailored to these specific actions. Military authorizations from a decade ago should not justify war policy today. Americans are wary of any expanded military campaigns and their voices should be heard through their elected representatives."

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Progressive Caucus to Speaker Boehner: Stop Wasting Tax Dollars on Benghazi Committee

September 17, 2014

Washington, D.C.–Today, the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) Co-Chairs Reps. Raúl M. Grijalva (D-AZ) and Keith Ellison (D-MN) sent Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) a letter urging him to create a Select Committee on Income Inequality instead of spending as much as 3.3 million tax dollars on another investigation into Benghazi. An analysisfrom Think Progress shows the Republican-led House of Representatives is on track to spend more investigating Benghazi than it does on nine other House committees.

The letter, signed by 25 members of Congress, calls on Speaker Boehner “to focus on the issues that everyday people face instead of spending taxpayer dollars on an investigation that will not help families put food on the table.”

The text of the letter is below. A PDF with signatures is available here.

Dear Speaker Boehner:

The loss of four American lives, including Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens, on September 11, 2012 was a terrible tragedy. However, your decision to establish yet another investigation into Benghazi despite the thirteen hearings across eight different Congressional Committees, twenty-five thousand pages of documents and fifty briefings is redundant. Secretaries of State Clinton and Kerry and other Obama administration officials have answered repeated questions on this issue and we believe that Congress should refocus its attention on issues that address the real economic struggles of the American people. Thus, we urge you to establish a Select Committee on Income Inequality to focus on the issues that everyday people face instead of spending taxpayer dollars on an investigation that will not help families put food on the table.

As Members of Congress, we remain focused on the issues that touch Americans in their everyday lives. The growing income divide in America is no secret. Hardworking people can’t find work, and when they do, their wages aren’t always enough to cover their day-to-day needs. Renowned economist Thomas Piketty recently found that for the majority of people who work for a living, income inequality in America is “probably higher than in any other society at any time in the past, anywhere in the world.” We find this unconscionable and it cannot continue. 

Mr. Speaker, with respect to economic security in this country, you yourself recently said that “the American people are concerned about this issue, and our priorities will continue to be the priorities of the American people.”  Yet we wonder why you continue to prioritize politics over policies that will help create good paying jobs that narrow the income gap. If House Republicans are serious about focusing on jobs and our economy, we again urge you to establish a Select Committee on Income Inequality to investigate and develop common sense solutions to our country’s widening income gap. 

What happened in Benghazi was a tragedy, not a politically motivated scandal. No amount of hearings or select committees will change that fact.  We urge you to stop the political witch-hunt and focus on the issues that touch people at their kitchen tables. 

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Progressive Caucus Calls for Bold Action in Immigration Executive Order

September 11, 2014

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) Co-Chairs Reps. Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ) and Keith Ellison (D-MN), along with CPC Equal Protection Taskforce Chair Rep. Jared Polis (D-CO), released the following statement today after meeting with a delegation of children who are growing up without one or both of their parents as a result of deportations.

“Some of the 1,100 people deported each day are parents. Hearing their kids describe the pain caused by their absence emphasizes the tragic impact that further delaying executive action will have.

“President Obama raised expectations about executive action in June – now he needs to exceed those expectations if he wants to overcome the disappointment his delay has caused. Bold reforms should keep families together and provide protections for LGBT individuals. Until it is signed, the administration should change its deportation strategy to reflect the reforms the executive order will bring to families. Children are counting on the president to act boldly to ensure there are fewer – not more – kids like the delegation we met who are forced to grow up without their parents.”

The meeting, which was facilitated by We Belong Together, allowed members of the Progressive Caucus to hear directly from kids who are suffering as a result of our broken immigration system.

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Progressive Caucus Introduces Resolution Urging Congress To Vote On Sustained Combat Against ISIL

September 11, 2014

WASHINGTON,D.C—Congressional Progressive Caucus Co-Chairs Reps. Raúl M. Grijalva (D-AZ) and Keith Ellison (D-MN), along with CPC Peace and Security Task Force Chair Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA), introduced a concurrent resolution urging Congress to debate and vote for any sustained United States combat role in Iraq or Syria.

The text of the resolution is below. A PDF is available here.

H. CON. RES. 114

Urging Congress to debate and vote on a statutory authorization for any sustained United States combat role in Iraq or Syria.

Whereas Congress has a constitutional duty, enshrined in article I, section 8, clause 11 of the United States Constitution, to debate and examine the significant consequences of another multi-year United States military intervention in the Middle East;

Whereas the War Powers Resolution provides that 60 days after the President informs Congress that he has introduced Armed Forces into an overseas theater, the President `shall terminate any use of United States Armed Forces' unless Congress has authorized such use of the Armed Forces;

Whereas the United States military has engaged in over 100 airstrikes in Iraq since August 8, 2014;

Whereas currently there are over 1,000 United States military personnel deployed in Iraq;

Whereas the United States military has flown surveillance sorties over Syria to collect information on the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS);

Whereas the Obama administration has stated that the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002 (Public Law 107-243) is obsolete and has supported its repeal;

Whereas the Authorization for Use of Military Force (Public Law 107-40) should not apply to ISIS because ISIS has no operational connection to al Qaeda or the Taliban and is not currently considered an `associated force' of al Qaeda;

Whereas any new authorization for the use of military force should be narrowly tailored and limited;

Whereas ISIS is a violent extremist organization that has terrorized and committed unconscionable atrocities against religious and ethnic minority communities in the course of attempting to create a de-facto state within the borders of Iraq and Syria;

Whereas the threat posed by ISIS requires a robust response from a broad international coalition, with regional partners playing prominent and leading roles;

Whereas Congress should support a comprehensive strategy for defeating ISIS that cuts off access to ISIS supplies and financial resources and isolates extremist elements by addressing the legitimate political grievances and aspirations of local religious and ethnic communities in Iraq and Syria;

Whereas this issue should be immediately referred to and debated by the United Nations Security Council;

Whereas the House of Representatives passed House Concurrent Resolution 105 on July 25, 2014, by a vote of 370-40; and

Whereas House Concurrent Resolution 105 expressed the sense of Congress that the President shall not deploy or maintain United States Armed Forces in a sustained combat role in Iraq without statutory authorization: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That Congress--

          (1) should debate and vote on a statutory authorization for any sustained United States combat role                 in Iraq or Syria

          (2) does not support the deployment of ground combat troops in Iraq or Syria;

          (3) should ensure that any such statutory authorization is narrowly tailored and limited; and

         (4) should ensure that any statutory authorization includes robust reporting requirements.

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