WASHINGTON — Rep. Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, issued the following statement in response to developments in negotiations around an infrastructure package, including statements by Speaker Nancy Pelosi (CA-12) that “[t]here ain’t no infrastructure bill without the reconciliation bill” passed by the Senate first that the House of Representatives would consider.
“For weeks, House progressives have been adamant that the White House and Congressional leadership cannot abandon the deep needs in American communities on climate action, housing, health care, childcare, immigration, and making billionaires and large corporations finally pay their fair share, for the sake of a bipartisan compromise. A recent poll of our 95-member Caucus showed overwhelming support for the House not passing a bipartisan infrastructure bill unless a larger reconciliation package containing our progressive priorities moved simultaneously.
“The stakes are too high in this moment, and progressives won’t let our chance to meet the needs of working families pass without a fight. We thank the Speaker for her work in these negotiations, and her commitment to guaranteeing that Congress will not only pass legislation to fix our roads and bridges, but also build back bold by enacting the transformational change that Democrats were elected to deliver for the people.”
Congressional Progressive Caucus Applauds Repeal of 2002 Authorization of Use of Military Force
June 17, 2021
WASHINGTON — Rep. Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, and Rep. Barbara Lee (CA-13), chair emeritus of the CPC and longtime champion of AUMF repeal, issued the following statements in response to the House of Representatives’ vote to repeal the 2002 Authorization of the Use of Military Force (AUMF) by a 268-161 margin today:
“Today’s repeal of the 2002 AUMF is essential and long overdue,” said Jayapal. “This AUMF was based on a lie. Over nine years, that lie resulted in hundreds of thousands of lives lost, including civilians, U.S. service members, journalists, and humanitarian workers. Progressives have long fought to rein in an out-of-control Pentagon to ensure that precious resources are not wasted on regime change, forever wars, and military occupations. Today’s overwhelming vote represents a critical reassertion of Congress’ responsibilities over war and peace under Article I of the Constitution, and a commitment to prevent a disaster like the Iraq War from ever happening again.
“The Senate should quickly pass this measure and send it to the President’s desk, and Congress must build on this vote to end all ongoing military actions carried out under outdated or nonexistent legal authorities.”
In 2019, the Progressive Caucus stood with Rep. Lee’s effort to pass a repeal of the 2002 AUMF in the annual defense authorization, with convincing bipartisan support. And in 2020, the Caucus challenged President Trump’s outrageous use of the 2002 AUMF to assassinate Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, and helped force a House vote to end illegal hostilities against Iran.
“It’s time to turn the corner on two decades of endless war,” said Rep. Lee. “The outdated 2002 Iraq AUMF has no relationship with the threats we face today. I’ve fought to get it off the books to prevent its abuse by future presidents. Today’s vote marks an important step in our fight to stop endless wars, but we must also work to repeal the 2001 AUMF. I thank Chairwoman Jayapal for her leadership to help end our forever wars and for her support on this legislation.”
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The Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) is made up of nearly 100 members standing up for progressive ideals in Washington and throughout the country. Since 1991, the CPC has advocated for progressive policies that prioritize working Americans over corporate interests, fight economic and social inequality, and advance civil liberties. The CPC champions progressive policy solutions like comprehensive immigration reform, good-paying jobs, fair trade, universal health care, debt-free college, climate action, and a just foreign policy. The caucus has been the leading voice calling for bold and sweeping solutions to the urgent crises facing this nation, including ending America’s broken for-profit health care system, raising the minimum wage, eliminating political corruption, bolstering labor protections for working families, and taking swift action to stop the warming of our planet.
Congressional Progressive Caucus Calls for Path to Citizenship on Ninth Anniversary of DACA
June 15, 2021
WASHINGTON — Rep. Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, issued the following statement on the ninth anniversary of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program:
“As an immigrant who came to this country alone at the age of 16, went on to start the largest immigrant rights organization in Washington state, and stood up in the streets organizing for DACA and humane immigration reform for more than a decade before coming to Congress, I am proud to join the immigrant community in celebrating this important anniversary. DACA was forged — and has survived — through the resilient and relentless organizing of Dreamers and communities across the country. Let’s be clear today and always: Dreamers are American, Dreamers are home, Dreamers are us.
“DACA has been critical in providing temporary relief from deportation, but in many ways, the status of 11 million undocumented immigrants and their families is no more certain than it was in 2012. Congress has failed our communities time and time again, as Republicans have used DACA recipients as bargaining chips in the cynical effort to pass their anti-immigrant agenda. And after four years of trauma under the Trump administration, it is past time to pass a roadmap to citizenship.
“Members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus understand that we have a clear path ahead, one that the vast majority of Americans support: pass a roadmap to citizenship through reconciliation to permanently protect DACA recipients, TPS and DED holders, farmworkers, and essential workers. It is time to go big and bold in the fight for immigrant justice.”
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The Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) is made up of nearly 100 members standing up for progressive ideals in Washington and throughout the country. Since 1991, the CPC has advocated for progressive policies that prioritize working Americans over corporate interests, fight economic and social inequality, and advance civil liberties. The CPC champions progressive policy solutions like comprehensive immigration reform, good-paying jobs, fair trade, universal health care, debt-free college, climate action, and a just foreign policy. The caucus has been the leading voice calling for bold and sweeping solutions to the urgent crises facing this nation, including ending America’s broken for-profit health care system, raising the minimum wage, eliminating political corruption, bolstering labor protections for working families, and taking swift action to stop the warming of our planet.
Ahead of Putin meeting, lawmakers — including the Chair of the House Armed Services Committee — tell Biden that they support his efforts to, “create a stable and predictable U.S.-Russia relationship in support of strategic stability in Europe and the world.”
WASHINGTON — CPC Chair Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) led more than a dozen lawmakers today in supporting President Joe Biden’s upcoming meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin as the United States works to restore diplomatic efforts on key areas of cooperation and conflict between the two countries. The members of Congress — which includes Chair of the House Armed Services Committee Adam Smith (WA-09) — identified specific areas of global importance including arms control to prevent a new nuclear arms race, addressing climate change, combating violent extremism, reducing cyber threats to national economies and infrastructure, and reducing global economic inequality.
The lawmakers also urged President Biden to reverse his proposed expansion of nuclear weapons funding while working with Russia to avert a nuclear buildup around the world. Additionally, they called for Wednesday’s summit in Geneva to result in U.S. support of a path to a peaceful resolution of conflicts that have come dangerously close to triggering a wider war in areas such as eastern Ukraine.
“We believe that armed conflict between Russia and the United States would be a catastrophe for both countries, for Europe, our allies, and for the world,” said the lawmakers. “We support your efforts to create a stable and predictable U.S.-Russia relationship in support of strategic stability in Europe and the world….We urge you to follow up on this diplomatic engagement with Russia by reviewing and reversing the current proposed expansion of nuclear weapons funding.”
The lawmakers’ call to prioritize arms control comes at a moment when the U.S. and Russia combine to hold more than 90 percent of the world’s nuclear warheads. President Biden has stated that, “the spread of nuclear weapons is the greatest threat facing the country and, I would argue, facing humanity.” He has also articulated a global vision that would “bring us closer to a world without nuclear weapons.”
The letter was signed by U.S. Representatives Pramila Jayapal, Donald S. Beyer Jr., André Carson, Jesús G. “Chuy” García, Raúl M. Grijalva, Sheila Jackson Lee, Henry C. “Hank” Johnson, Jr., Mondaire Jones, Ro Khanna, Barbara Lee, James P. McGovern, Ilhan Omar, Jan Schakowsky, Adam Smith, and Juan Vargas.
The full text of the letter is available here.
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The Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) is made up of nearly 100 members standing up for progressive ideals in Washington and throughout the country. Since 1991, the CPC has advocated for progressive policies that prioritize working Americans over corporate interests, fight economic and social inequality, and advance civil liberties. The CPC champions progressive policy solutions like comprehensive immigration reform, good-paying jobs, fair trade, universal health care, debt-free college, climate action, and a just foreign policy. The caucus has been the leading voice calling for bold and sweeping solutions to the urgent crises facing this nation, including ending America’s broken for-profit health care system, raising the minimum wage, eliminating political corruption, bolstering labor protections for working families, and taking swift action to stop the warming of our planet.
Progressive Caucus Welcomes Conclusion of Peru's Democratic Elections and Prospects for Political Stability
June 11, 2021
WASHINGTON — Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Vice Chair At-Large Chuy García (IL-04), Chair Emeriti Raúl Grijalva (AZ-03) and Barbara Lee (CA-13), Whip Ilhan Omar (MN-05), and Executive Board Member At-Large Jan Schakowsky (IL-09) expressed their support for the democratic process in Peru and their hope that the results of a highly competitive election will be respected.
“We congratulate the people of Peru for carrying out a free and fair election, and we hope that it will help resolve some of the political instability, polarization, and the loss of public confidence in democratic institutions. Given the major social, economic and political challenges the country confronts, and the importance of strong U.S.-Peruvian relations, we express our support for a return to well-functioning democratic institutions in Peru,” said the lawmakers. “For that to happen, the first step is for everyone — both inside and outside of Peru — to respect the will of the electorate.”
The second and final round of Peru’s presidential election saw Pedro Castillo, a schoolteacher and union leader, face off against Keiko Fujimori, a rightwing former congresswoman and daughter of the incarcerated former authoritarian president Alberto Fujimori. With almost all the votes counted, Castillo has maintained a lead of about 60,000 votes and is widely recognized as the winner. Fujimori has now claimed fraud, but has offered little evidence, and international observers have not found any.
In the past week, the government has announced that the number of deaths from COVID-19 had soared to 180,000 — three times higher than previously reported — putting Peru at or near the highest COVID-19 death rate in the world. The pandemic has also led Peru to suffer severe economic hardship, including an 11 percent decline in GDP in 2020, a near-doubling of unemployment to 15.3 percent, and a 27 percent increase in poverty.
Peruvians’ confidence in democratic institutions has also declined in recent years. In 2018, only 11 percent of the population responded that they were satisfied with the functioning of democracy — the lowest in Latin America after Brazil. Since 2016, three former presidents have been arrested for corruption, and a fourth committed suicide prior to arrest. Keiko Fujimori has been indicted on charges of corruption and money laundering, and had also pledged, if elected, to pardon her father, who was convicted of involvement in gross human rights violations, including murders and kidnappings.
In November of last year, President Martin Vizcarra was impeached by Peru’s Congress in a move that was widely considered an illegal congressional coup, leading to demonstrations that were met with violent repression for which another president is currently under investigation.
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El Caucus Progresista del Congreso aplaude la conclusión de las elecciones democráticas en Perú y las perspectivas de estabilidad política
WASHINGTON — La presidenta del Progressive Caucus, congresista Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), el vicepresidente general, Chuy García (IL-04), presidentes eméritos Raúl Grijalva (AZ-03) y Barbara Lee (CA-13), parlamentaria Ilhan Omar (MN-05), y miembra del directorio Jan Schakowsky (IL-09) manifestaron su apoyo al proceso democrático en el Perú y expresaron la esperanza de que se respeten los resultados de las elecciones altamente competitivas.
“Felicitamos al pueblo del Perú por llevar a cabo unas elecciones libres y justas, y esperamos que esto ayude a resolver parte de la inestabilidad política, la polarización y la pérdida de confianza pública en las instituciones democráticas. Dados los grandes desafíos sociales, económicos y políticos que enfrenta el país, y la importancia de la gran relación entre Estados Unidos y Perú, expresamos nuestro apoyo al retorno del buen funcionamiento de instituciones democráticas en Perú”, dijeron los legisladores. “Para que eso suceda, el primer paso es que todos, tanto dentro como fuera del Perú, respeten la voluntad del electorado.”
En esta segunda y última vuelta de las elecciones presidenciales del Perú, Pedro Castillo, un maestro de escuela y líder sindical, se enfrentó a Keiko Fujimori, una excongresista de derecha e hija del expresidente autoritario, hoy encarcelado, Alberto Fujimori. Con casi todos los votos contados, Castillo ha mantenido una ventaja de alrededor de 60.000 votos y es ampliamente reconocido como el ganador. Fujimori ha denunciado fraude, pero ha ofrecido pocas pruebas y los observadores internacionales no han podido encontrar ninguna.
La semana pasada, el Gobierno anunció que el número de muertes por COVID-19 se había disparado a 180.000 —tres veces más de lo reportado anteriormente— colocando la tasa de mortalidad per cápita por COVID-19 del Perú en la más alta del mundo, o cerca de serlo. La pandemia también ha llevado al Perú a sufrir graves dificultades económicas, incluida una disminución del 11 por ciento en el PIB en 2020, un desempleo que casi se duplicó llegando al 15,3 por ciento y un aumento del 27 por ciento en la pobreza.
La confianza de los peruanos en las instituciones democráticas también ha disminuido en los últimos años. En 2018, solo el 11 por ciento de la población respondió que estaba satisfecha con el funcionamiento de la democracia, la cifra más baja de América Latina después de Brasil. Desde 2016, tres expresidentes han sido arrestados por corrupción y un cuarto se suicidó antes del arresto. Keiko Fujimori ha sido acusada de corrupción y lavado de dinero, y también se hacomprometido, si fuera elegida, a indultar a su padre, quien fue condenado por su participación en graves violaciones a los derechos humanos, incluidos asesinatos y secuestros.
En noviembre del año pasado, el presidente Martín Vizcarra fue destituido por el Congreso del Perú a través de una maniobra que fue ampliamente considerada un golpe parlamentario ilegal, lo que provocó protestas que fueron atajadas con violentas represiones, por las que otro presidente está actualmente siendo investigado.
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The Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) is made up of nearly 100 members standing up for progressive ideals in Washington and throughout the country. Since 1991, the CPC has advocated for progressive policies that prioritize working Americans over corporate interests, fight economic and social inequality, and advance civil liberties. The CPC champions progressive policy solutions like comprehensive immigration reform, good-paying jobs, fair trade, universal health care, debt-free college, climate action, and a just foreign policy. The caucus has been the leading voice calling for bold and sweeping solutions to the urgent crises facing this nation, including ending America’s broken for-profit health care system, raising the minimum wage, eliminating political corruption, bolstering labor protections for working families, and taking swift action to stop the warming of our planet.
WASHINGTON — Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, issued the following statement in support of CPC Whip Rep. Ilhan Omar (MN-05):
“Rep. Omar is a deeply valued member of the Progressive Caucus. Her voice is critical and necessary, both in the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the House Democratic Caucus as a whole.
“We cannot ignore a right-wing media echo chamber that has deliberately and routinely attacked a Black, Muslim woman in Congress, distorting her views and intentions, and resulting in threats against Rep. Omar and her staff. We urge our colleagues not to abet or amplify such divisive and bad-faith tactics. Members of the Democratic Caucus owe it to each other to pause, reflect, and engage directly with each other when misunderstandings arise, and stand together against cynical attempts to divide our caucus.”
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The Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) is made up of nearly 100 members standing up for progressive ideals in Washington and throughout the country. Since 1991, the CPC has advocated for progressive policies that prioritize working Americans over corporate interests, fight economic and social inequality, and advance civil liberties. The CPC champions progressive policy solutions like comprehensive immigration reform, good-paying jobs, fair trade, universal health care, debt-free college, climate action, and a just foreign policy. The caucus has been the leading voice calling for bold and sweeping solutions to the urgent crises facing this nation, including ending America’s broken for-profit health care system, raising the minimum wage, eliminating political corruption, bolstering labor protections for working families, and taking swift action to stop the warming of our planet.
WASHINGTON — Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, issued the following statement in response to the White House negotiations on an infrastructure package.
“In case it wasn’t clear already, it certainly is now: Republicans are not going to do what needs to be done for working families. It would be foolish to think that Republican Senators will suddenly go against Leader McConnell’s goal of dedicating 100 percent of his energy toward blocking President Biden’s agenda, and actually support urgently needed investments in affordable housing, health care, or paid leave — even though they are wildly popular with Democrats, Independents, and Republicans.
“These are the same Republican Senators who refused to vote against the American Rescue Plan even if some touted its benefits after voting no, who refused to pass a bipartisan commission to investigate the January 6 insurrection, and who refused to vote for pay equity.
“Every day that is wasted trying to get Republicans on board is another day that people can’t go back to work because they don’t have child care; another day without investing in millions of good, union jobs, another day that we lose further ground on the climate crisis. Further delays jeopardize momentum and allow Republicans to block progress for the American people with no end in sight.
“President Biden has laid out a big, bold vision, and it is urgent. The next step is clear: let’s do what the people are demanding. Let’s go big, bold and fast. We’ve got people of all political ideologies with us. The House and the Senate must immediately begin working on budget resolutions to pass the American Jobs and Families Plan through reconciliation so we can deliver on our promises.”
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The Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) is made up of nearly 100 members standing up for progressive ideals in Washington and throughout the country. Since 1991, the CPC has advocated for progressive policies that prioritize working Americans over corporate interests, fight economic and social inequality, and advance civil liberties. The CPC champions progressive policy solutions like comprehensive immigration reform, good-paying jobs, fair trade, universal health care, debt-free college, climate action, and a just foreign policy. The caucus has been the leading voice calling for bold and sweeping solutions to the urgent crises facing this nation, including ending America’s broken for-profit health care system, raising the minimum wage, eliminating political corruption, bolstering labor protections for working families, and taking swift action to stop the warming of our planet.
Outlining five measures, the lawmakers call on the White House to “advance a bold, comprehensive strategy to vaccinate the world as quickly as possible”
WASHINGTON — U.S. Representatives Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Tom Malinowski (NJ-07), and Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08) led more than 40 lawmakers today in urging President Joe Biden to take aggressive and immediate steps to ensure that vaccines are quickly and equitably administered around the world. The Members of Congress called on the White House to take five specific measures — from financial investments to diplomatic efforts — to achieve the goal of a rapid and equitable vaccination program while mitigating COVID-19 globally. The letter is being sent ahead of the G7 Summit and at a moment in which wealthy countries have administered more than 80 percent of global vaccines while low-income countries have received just 0.3 percent.
“We urge you to pursue additional steps to advance a bold, comprehensive strategy to vaccinate the world as quickly as possible,” said the lawmakers. “It is imperative that the United States act quickly and deploy every tool in our arsenal. Now is the time to build international cooperation and solidarity in ways we have never seen before, including using the full force of United States diplomacy, economic and commercial leadership, legal authorities, and membership in multilateral institutions. The fate of our own health and safety in the United States is inextricably connected to the wellbeing and protection of the most vulnerable among us worldwide.”
While acknowledging the important steps that the White House has already taken to speed up global vaccine distribution, the lawmakers urged President Biden to immediately implement the following five measures:
- Ensure the immediate release of the 80 million doses of the vaccine; allocating the committed doses based on where surging numbers are greatest while also reassessing our stockpile of vaccines to release even more vaccines immediately to countries around the world.
- Invest an additional $25 billion in the Build Back Better agenda to authorize the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) to oversee the production of 8 billion mRNA vaccine doses; sufficient to vaccinate half the world and one of the quickest ways to increase the immediate supply of vaccines globally. Additionally, account for and deploy towards production the remainder of the $16 million in American Rescue Plan funds allocated for COVID-19 vaccines.
- Use all available tools of U.S. influence, persuasion, diplomacy and legal authorities to facilitate the rapid and widespread transfer of technology and expansion of vaccine production; including directing the National Institutes of Health to participate in the World Health Organization’s (WHO’s) COVID-19 Technology Access Pool program, and negotiating and securing vaccine licensing agreements with existing manufacturers to enable broad sharing of vaccine technology and industrial processes to scale up production.
- Support a new issuance of Special Drawing Rights — a cost-free International Monetary Fund reserve asset — to help strengthen public-health budgets worldwide and provide low-income countries with resources to import medical supplies and carry out vaccination campaigns while guaranteeing support through the State Department, USAID, and U.S. membership at the WHO, UNICEF, and other agencies to help expand developing countries’ technical capacities and health infrastructure to universally administer vaccines.
- Convene a global vaccine summit with world leaders to spur cooperation and coordination in the development, production and distribution of vaccines; encouraging research transparency, open access, and global collaboration in engineering and manufacturing with a goal of accelerating universal vaccination.
The lawmakers outlined numerous reasons for President Biden to implement these five measures to immediately and aggressively vaccinate the world. From a public health perspective, the lawmakers argued that defeating the virus here at home requires no longer allowing its continued surge globally. They also made the case that the humanitarian and economic implications — including poverty, hunger, and instability — of a needlessly prolonged global pandemic are dire. This is especially clear with an explosive surge of infections and deaths in India, Brazil, and other countries. Additionally, the lawmakers noted that this is a prime opportunity to strengthen diplomatic relationships and restore America’s standing in the world while showing that the United States will step up to help those in need.
The letter is endorsed by local, national, and global organizations including Action Corps, Be A Hero Health GAP, Just Foreign Policy, Justice is Global, Oxfam America, People’s Action, PIH, PrEP4All, Public Citizen, and R2H Action [Right to Health].
It is signed by U.S. Representatives Jayapal, Malinowski, Krishnamoorthi, Bass, Blumenauer, Bowman, Bush, Carson (IN), Cicilline, Connolly, Crow, Davis (IL), DeSaulnier, Espaillat, García (IL), Green (TX), Grijalva, Hayes, Jacobs (CA), Johnson (GA), Khanna, Langevin, Larsen, Levin, McCollum, McGovern, Meng, Newman, Norton, Ocasio-Cortez, Omar, Phillips, Pocan, Porter, Pressley, Raskin, Scanlon, Titus, Tlaib, Torres (NY), Velázquez, and Wild.
The text of the letter is available here.
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The Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) is made up of nearly 100 members standing up for progressive ideals in Washington and throughout the country. Since 1991, the CPC has advocated for progressive policies that prioritize working Americans over corporate interests, fight economic and social inequality, and advance civil liberties. The CPC champions progressive policy solutions like comprehensive immigration reform, good-paying jobs, fair trade, universal health care, debt-free college, climate action, and a just foreign policy. The caucus has been the leading voice calling for bold and sweeping solutions to the urgent crises facing this nation, including ending America’s broken for-profit health care system, raising the minimum wage, eliminating political corruption, bolstering labor protections for working families, and taking swift action to stop the warming of our planet.
Progressive Caucus Calls for Congress to Quickly Move Bold Jobs and Families Package with Democratic Votes
May 28, 2021
WASHINGTON — In response to President Biden’s budget proposal today, the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) called for the American Jobs and Families Plan to be moved and passed through a budget reconciliation process, which only requires simple majorities in Congress.
Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Rep. Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) said:
“Voters delivered Democrats the House, Senate, and White House — a clear mandate for transformative change. Now, we must go big, bold, and fast to deliver for them and meet the urgent needs of this moment — not only addressing the COVID-19 pandemic, but also long-standing, systemic inequalities that contributed to the crises that followed. By including the CPC’s five priorities, the American Jobs and Families Plans can do just that.
“The Biden administration set a deadline for Memorial Day to make significant progress on the legislation; that deadline that will pass this weekend with only totally inadequate counter offers from the Republican caucus. As Mitch McConnell brags that 100 percent of his focus is on stopping the Biden administration, and Republicans continue dragging their heels, families across the country are waiting for Congress to take action.
“140 million Americans remain poor or low-wealth, women have been pushed out of jobs and desperately need affordable childcare and paid leave, and too many young people need free college to prepare for their futures. Just like we did with the American Rescue Plan, we believe we must go big, bold, and act with urgency. We simply cannot afford to limit our ambitions for Republicans or continue to wait for an offer that will never materialize.
“With today’s release of the administration’s spending proposal, Congress should now begin crafting a budget resolution that includes the reconciliation instructions needed to pass the President’s unified proposal for an ambitious Jobs and Families Plan as a single bill.
In April, the Congressional Progressive Caucus released five priority areas for the infrastructure bill. We must ensure these are included, and that the legislation truly does what is necessary to invest in the care economy with universal childcare, paid family leave and a historic expansion of the long-term care workforce; tackle climate change with a bold civilian conservation corps; create millions of good-paying union jobs; provide a roadmap to citizenship for Dreamers, TPS holders, and essential workers; and invest in housing and healthcare.
“We appreciate that in today’s budget request, the President reiterated his clear commitment to expanding Medicare through lowering the eligibility age, while improving its benefits and lowering the cost of prescription drug prices for all Americans. The Progressive Caucus has joined forces with over 70 percent of Democrats across the caucus — including in the most vulnerable districts — to reiterate our strong support and the urgency for including these priorities in the Jobs and Families Plan. We stand ready to work with House and Senate leadership and the White House to finally deliver on these popular and populist policies for the American people.
“We also appreciate the President’s strong commitment to making our tax system fair for working people, raising tax rates on corporations and the wealthiest so that they pay their fair share. The Progressive Caucus has surveyed our membership to identify a list of progressive improvements to the tax code that are supported by a supermajority of the caucus. We will be working to include as many of these as possible into the Jobs and Families Plan as we craft it in Congress.
“While we enthusiastically support the significant increase in discretionary domestic investments included in the budget, progressives also believe it is essential to reduce the President’s request for increased funding for an already-bloated $740 billion Pentagon budget. At a time when America’s military budget is larger than those of the next ten countries combined, we believe it is essential to identify and cut military waste, fraud, and abuse in the budgetary process.
“We will continue to do everything in our power to craft a piece of legislation that includes these critical priorities and delivers on the President’s charge of a once-in-a-generation investment in our country.”
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The Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) is made up of nearly 100 members standing up for progressive ideals in Washington and throughout the country. Since 1991, the CPC has advocated for progressive policies that prioritize working Americans over corporate interests, fight economic and social inequality, and advance civil liberties. The CPC champions progressive policy solutions like comprehensive immigration reform, good-paying jobs, fair trade, universal health care, debt-free college, climate action, and a just foreign policy. The caucus has been the leading voice calling for bold and sweeping solutions to the urgent crises facing this nation, including ending America’s broken for-profit health care system, raising the minimum wage, eliminating political corruption, bolstering labor protections for working families, and taking swift action to stop the warming of our planet.
Progressive Caucus Chair Jayapal: U.S. Must Go Beyond Voicing Support for Ceasefire and Urgently Work to Secure One
May 18, 2021
“This crisis—and the senseless deaths of Palestinians and Israelis alike—shows no signs of abating. Prime Minister Netanyahu has vowed to continue bombing Gaza, and Hamas continues firing rockets at Israeli towns. We need an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. The U.S. must now go beyond simply voicing support for a ceasefire and urgently work to secure one.
“Disproportionate Israeli bombings that have destroyed the Associated Press offices, targeted a refugee camp, and damaged a Doctors Without Borders clinic. I am deeply concerned by the message sent by a pending $735 billion U.S. weapons sale to Israel, as its timing and significance threaten to undermine U.S. diplomacy to secure an immediate end to this violence.
“Congress and the Biden Administration should consider delaying this arms sale to carefully review whether transferring these precision-guided missiles at this moment is consistent with protecting human rights, achieving an immediate ceasefire, and is in accordance with the Arms Export Control Act, which only allows such weapons transfers for legitimate defense and prohibits their use to escalate conflict.
“Finally, as part of the overall process to bring about a peaceful settlement, the U.S. must recommit to using the many tools at its disposal to address the root causes of this recent violence and help bring about a two-state solution.”
