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WASHINGTON — Sixty-six members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC), led by CPC Chair Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Deputy Chair Ilhan Omar (MN-05), and Whip Greg Casar (TX-35), are calling on President Biden to prepare to invoke his constitutional authority granted in the 14th Amendment to uphold the full faith and credit of the United States and end Republican hostage taking of the economy that could trigger a financial catastrophe.

The members released a letter today urging President Biden to “fulfill the Executive’s Constitutional duty to faithfully and impartially administer the funds already enacted by law at the direction of Congress,” citing the clause which states “the validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred…shall not be questioned.”

The lawmakers sent the letter “in light of unremitting efforts by Congressional Republicans to hold the economic health of our nation hostage.” The Republicans’ framework imposes “drastic cuts,” and could take jobs from 780,000 people, nutrition assistance from 1.2 million women, infants, and children, Medicaid coverage from up to 21 million Americans, rental assistance from 640,000 families, and more, the lawmakers warn. “Surrendering to these extremist demands also sets a dangerous precedent that emboldens Republicans to pursue additional, anti-democratic hostage taking, particularly after their having been told previously that a clean debt-ceiling increase was nonnegotiable,” they write.

The members also emphasize the clear legal authority for the President to raise the debt ceiling under the 14th Amendment. “If the options are either agreeing to major cuts to domestic priorities under the Republican threat of destroying the economy and moving forward to honor America’s debts, we join prominent legal scholars, economists, former budget officials, and a former president in advocating for invoking the 14th Amendment of the Constitution.”

They conclude by urging the President to prepare to invoke the Constitution’s 14th Amendment “rather than acceding to bad-faith Republican attempts to harm our hard-fought economic recovery, reverse the climate progress of this administration, impose painful, burdensome, and ineffective new work requirements for recipients of [public assistance programs], and slash essential federal programs that lift up millions of Americans.”

The letter can be viewed here.

Signatories include: Representatives Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Greg Casar (TX-35), Becca Balint (VT-AL), Nanette Diaz Barragán (CA-44),  Earl Blumenauer (OR-03), Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Jamaal Bowman, Ed.D. (NY-17), Cori Bush (MO-01), André Carson (IN-07), Matt Cartwright (PA-08), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), Judy Chu (CA-28), David N. Cicilline (RI-01), Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09), Steve Cohen (TN-09), Danny K. Davis (IL-07), Madeleine Dean (PA-04), Rosa L. DeLauro (CT-03), Veronica Escobar (TX-16), Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Maxwell Alejandro Frost (FL-10), John Garamendi (CA-08), Jesús G. "Chuy" García (IL-04), Robert Garcia (CA-42), Sylvia R. Garcia (TX-29), Daniel Goldman (NY-10), Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), Raúl M. Grijalva (AZ-07), Val Hoyle (OR-04), Jared Huffman (CA-02), Jonathan L. Jackson (IL-01), Sheila Jackson Lee (TX-18), Henry C. “Hank”  Johnson, Jr. (GA-04), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37), Ro Khanna (CA-17), Barbara Lee (CA-13), Summer Lee (PA-12), Morgan McGarvey (KY-03), James P. McGovern (MA-02), Grace Meng (NY-06), Gwen S. Moore (WI-04), Jerrold Nadler (NY-12), Grace F. Napolitano (CA-31), Donald Norcross (NJ-01), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Chellie Pingree (ME-01), Mark Pocan (WI-02), Katie Porter (CA-47), Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03), Jamie Raskin (MD-08), Janice Schakowsky (IL-09), Melanie Stansbury (NM-01), Mark Takano (CA-39), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Jill Tokuda (HI-02), Paul Tonko (NY-20), Ritchie Torres (NY-35), Juan Vargas (CA-52), Nydia M. Velázquez (NY-07), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), Nikema Williams (GA-05), and Frederica S. Wilson (FL-24).

WASHINGTON — Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, issued the following statement commending a new executive order from the Biden administration to advance environmental justice across federal agencies:

“The climate crisis isn’t only a threat to the future of our planet — it’s here now, but does not affect every community equally. Neighborhoods that have borne the brunt of water and air pollution, communities of color and poor communities that have less access to health care and green, healthy infrastructure are already living with the worst impact. That’s why in our Executive Action Agenda we called for the Biden administration to build on its 2022 actions to hold federal agencies accountable for reducing disproportionate environmental impacts on frontline communities. I’m thrilled to see today’s new executive order does exactly that.

“I applaud President Biden’s order to protect the hardest-hit communities from disproportionate exposure to pollution, close the gaps in data on that impact, ensure community members have a seat at the table where environmental decisions are made, and create a Chief Environmental Justice Office to coordinate a whole-of-government approach to this fight. Progressives are incredibly proud of our role in enacting legislation and working with the administration to advance policy that reduces emissions as well as addresses the crises facing our most vulnerable communities today. This executive order furthers that vision, and we look forward to working with President Biden and his team to ensure that they live up to their laudable goals in all environmental policy decisions.”

This order is the sixth action the Biden administration has taken from the CPC’s 2023 Executive Action Agenda released last month, including: historic investments in the care economy, rulemaking from the Environmental Protection Agency to reduce emissions from cars and trucks and mercury pollution, the expansion of health insurance coverage eligibility to DACA recipients, and pushing federal banking agencies to pursue enhanced supervision of mid-sized banks.

WASHINGTON — Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement, issued the following statement applauding the new proposed rule from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to grant eligibility for health care coverage to Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients:

“DACA recipients are our family, friends, neighbors, and colleagues. The United States is their home, but for too long they have been denied the basic human right to health care. I applaud this new proposed rule from Secretary Becerra and HHS to allow DACA recipients to purchase qualified health insurance coverage. This is a cause I have long championed, including introducing the HEAL Act along with Representative Nanette Barragán (CA-44) and Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ). This is a long overdue step toward immigrant justice, and the first immigrant-focused action the administration has taken from our Progressive Caucus Executive Action Agenda, issued just last month.

“The Biden administration has heeded the call of immigrant communities and movements, and understands that it is past time to end the days when almost 600,000 DACA recipients without employer coverage are forced to pay exorbitant costs out of pocket for health care, or go without lifesaving medical treatment because they can’t afford it. In the richest country in the world, no one should be denied access to the health care system simply because of their immigration status — and especially those who have known no other home but the United States. I look forward to seeing this rule finalized. We will continue the fight for health care for all and for a roadmap to citizenship for every undocumented member of our communities.”

If enacted, the agenda would lower essential costs, expand worker power, and hold corporations accountable

WASHINGTON — The Congressional Progressive Caucus issued its updated 2023 Executive Action Agenda for the Biden administration today. The agenda calls for President Biden to build on his record of progress by taking administrative action in five areas: to hold corporations accountable, raise wages and empower workers, lower costs of essential expenses, continue action on climate and environmental justice, and advance equity and justice.

The agenda is designed to provide working families relief from the cost of living crisis, take on corporate misconduct, make progress on the fight for gender and racial justice, and continue to take bold action to address the climate crisis. It calls for executive actions, strong rulemaking, progressive implementation of signature Democratic accomplishments like the Inflation Reduction Act, and for federal agencies to enforce the law using all their tools to hold violators, including big employers, accountable. Key policies include: raising the overtime threshold to give millions of workers a raise, enforce actions against excessive and unfair rent hikes, crack down on anticompetitive behavior in the airline industry, strengthen the solvency of our banking system, take on Big Pharma’s greed, protect access to asylum and immigrants’ rights, muster the resources of the federal government to protect abortion access, ensure the safety of railroads, and accelerate clean electricity transmission through federal action.

“I’m incredibly proud of what the CPC’s Executive Action Agenda was able to accomplish in 2022, and I am thrilled to announce our 2023 slate, which is primed for even greater impact,” said Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. “Democrats made essential progress in the 117th Congress, and the work continues to lower the cost of living, hold corporations accountable, and keep our promises to our communities. With a divided Congress, President Biden must make full use of his executive authority to continue to deliver for working families.  I look forward to partnering with the President and his administration to enact this agenda and get results for everyone who calls this country home.”

The 2023 Executive Action Agenda has been endorsed by groups from across progressive movement, including: Be A Hero, Bend the Arc: Jewish Action, Care in Action, CASA, Center for Biological Diversity, Center for Economic and Policy Research, Center for Popular Democracy, Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA), Communications Workers of America (CWA), Community Change Action, Detention Watch Network, Down Home North Carolina, Family Values @ Work, Green New Deal Network, Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, Indigenous Environmental Network, Indivisible, Justice Democrats, MomsRising, MoveOn, National Domestic Workers Alliance, National Immigrant Justice Center, National Immigration Partner (NIPNLG), New York Immigration Coalition, OneAmerica, Our Revolution, P Street/Progressive Change Campaign Committee, ParentsTogether Action, People's Action, Public Citizen, Revolving Door Project, Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Social Security Works, Sunrise Movement, The Immigration Hub, Ultraviolet, United We Dream, and Working Families Party.

This is the Caucus’ third comprehensive executive action proposal. Last March, the CPC issued its initial 2022 slate, which was then followed by a comprehensive agenda to protect reproductive freedom.

The Biden Administration has taken action on a number of the CPC’s 2022 proposals. These include: student debt cancellation for 43 million people, closing the Affordable Care Act’s “Family Glitch” to expand coverage access; extension or redesignation of Temporary Protected Status for individuals from 13 high risk countries; protections for immigrant workers from retaliation for reporting workplace misconduct; establishing workplace wind standards for high-risk farm and construction workers; new national standards and data collection on police use of force and revisions to policies that allow for transfer of military weapons to local law enforcement; invocation of the Defense Production Act to catalyze renewable energy technology; equitable implementation of climate funding to ensure at least 40 percent goes to environmental justice communities; transparency requirements for the funding and management of nursing homes; and a Securities and Exchange Commission rule requiring public companies disclose their climate risk. The Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services also took a number of actions to protect abortion advocated for by the Progressive Caucus, including protecting the right to contraception, protecting access to treatment for pregnancy-related medical emergencies, pharmacy and mail dispensing of medication abortionl, and aid for travel for abortion care.

The CPC 2023 Executive Action Agenda can be found here.

Progressive movement groups issued the following statements:

"Over the course of this administration, President Biden and the Congressional Progressive Caucus have worked together to make big things happen for everyday people, from making healthcare more accessible, to tackling the student debt crisis. And, there is still a lot more to do,” said Mary Small, Chief Strategy Officer for Indivisible. “In the face of MAGA extremism, it's critical that leaders like the Congressional Progressive Caucus continue to fight for our communities, and advocate for President Biden to continue to take bold actions on combating the climate crisis, raising wages, and protecting reproductive rights."

“With Republicans working round-the-clock to undermine our democracy and bedrock programs like Social Security and Medicare, it's more critical than ever that Biden Administration use the full powers of the presidency to take bold action on popular, progressive issues,” said Emma Lydon, Managing Director of P Street, the government affairs sister organization to the Progressive Change Campaign Committee. “By cracking down on corporate greed, making prescription drugs more accessible and affordable, taking desperately needed action on climate change, and so much more, the Biden administration can deliver tangible results for working families and help people across the country get ahead."

“With a divided Congress, it is imperative that President Biden continue to use his executive powers to deliver for working people across the country,” said Sulma Arias, Executive Director of People’s Action. “People’s Action appreciates the opportunity to work alongside the Congressional Progressive Caucus to advance an agenda that will bring down healthcare costs, bolster tenant protections and curb greenhouse gas emissions and promote climate resilience and environmental justice.”

“SEIU members and not-yet-union workers thank the Congressional Progressive Caucus for laying out a very thoughtful and robust menu of concrete actions for the Biden Administration to take to create a more inclusive economy that works for all of us,” Mary Kay Henry, President of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). “Considering the President’s steadfast support and pro-union record, we know he is eager to do more for working people and families in the time he has left in his term, and we urge him to strongly consider all of these proposed actions. In particular, we are eager to see executive action to hold union-busting employers accountable and address the misclassification of low-wage workers by federal contractors. And we remain hopeful that he will also take action to prioritize our care economy, make health care and housing more affordable, and do everything in his power to reclaim our reproductive rights, protect our environment and advance immigrant rights.” 

“People across the country are counting on President Biden to take executive action that will provide a livable, healthy, and just future for all,” said Ben Jealous, Executive Director of the Sierra Club. “After the historic passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, the administration must use every tool available to ensure that environmental justice communities receive the support they need to access these crucial funds. We’re calling for bold executive action that protects our clean air, safe drinking water, and federal lands. We expect that these actions will be accomplished in line with the administration’s environmental justice commitments, prioritizing the needs and concerns of frontline and fenceline communities.”

"Today, the American people are being ripped off. Medicare is paying drug corporations the highest prices in the world for drugs developed with our tax dollars,” said Alex Lawson, Executive Director of Social Security Works. “Corporate insurers are stealthily taking over Medicare, then using algorithms to delay and deny care to beneficiaries. Private equity companies are buying up nursing homes and slashing standards of care. The end result is the same: People are hurt, bankrupted and killed while the billionaires pretend that nothing can be done. President Biden should continue to take swift executive action to rein in these corporate abuses. If he does, everyone will win except the billionaires."

“If Democrats are going to win in 2024, President Biden must mobilize our generation by acting immediately on the issues we care about,” said Varshini Praksash, Executive Director of Sunrise Movement. “That begins with following through on the Congressional Progressive Caucus’ bold executive action agenda that could end suffering for so many by combating the climate crisis, lowering healthcare costs, and helping people across the country breathe easy – all with a stroke of a pen.”

"For the last two years, the Congressional Progressive Caucus has led in defining a legislative and executive agenda for working families,” said Natalia Salgado, Director of Federal Affairs, Working Families Party. “Their advocacy and proposals laid the groundwork for the Inflation Reduction Act and executive action on canceling student debt. The CPC's 2023 executive action slate again shows the Caucus putting forward a bold vision for how Democrats can use all of the power they have to deliver for working people. WFP is proud to endorse it."