WASHINGTON—Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) Co-Chairs Reps. Raúl M. Grijalva (D-AZ) and Keith Ellison (D-MN), along with CPC First Vice Chair Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI) released the following statement after the Supreme Court ruled in Obergefell v. Hodges that the Constitution protects the marriage rights of same-sex couples.

“Today, the Supreme Court enshrined in law what so many of us have known in our hearts: that the freedom to marry belongs to every American, no matter who they love or where they live,” Rep. Grijalva said. “This is a tremendous victory for our brothers and sisters in the LGBT community, and for the institution of marriage in our country. From this day forward, the protections and benefits afforded through marriage will finally extend to every individual in this nation.

“I am thrilled for every couple whose love is validated at long last by this decision,” Rep. Grijalva continued. “But this is far from the end of the fight for equality. In too many states, it is still legal to fire or deny housing to Americans based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Our job is not done until all people are treated as equals, regardless of who they are or who they love.”

“Yesterday, Americans in 13 states couldn’t marry the people they love. Today, thanks to the work of millions, that number is zero,” Rep. Ellison said. “The Supreme Court decision today means no state can discriminate against an American because of who they love.

“The fight for equal rights is not over – too many gay and lesbian Americans are fired from their jobs and pushed out of their communities because of who they love. But today all people committed to equality can celebrate,” Rep. Ellison continued. “Martin Luther King Jr. said the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice. The Supreme Court’s decision reminds us that when we organize and stand together, it bends a little bit faster.”

“Today, the Supreme Court has reaffirmed what a majority of Americans already know: all couples should have the right to marry, regardless of who they love,” Rep. Pocan said. “This a historic step forward toward fulfilling the promise of equality for all Americans.”

"As we celebrate this victory, we must also recognize that we still have work to do to ensure all Americans are treated fairly under the law, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity,” Rep. Pocan continued. “In a majority of states you can now marry freely, but can still be fired because of who you love.”

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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 after the House Rules Committee rejected a CPC amendment to the Intelligence Authorization Act requiring the Inspector General of the Intelligence Community to audit the use of targeted lethal force operations conducted by unmanned aerial vehicles.

“Congress must exercise its oversight authority and demand more transparency in the U.S. drone program. The White House acknowledged last month that a drone accidentally killed Warren Weinstein, an American hostage, while targeting al-Qaeda operatives.  Mr. Weinstein’s death is not an isolated tragedy; U.S. drone strikes have killed at least five Americans since 2002.  

“Targeted drone strikes claim the lives of innocent civilians too often, creating deep resentment towards the U.S. around the world. We are disappointed that the Rules Committee rejected this opportunity to begin bringing accountability to this program.”

The Progressive Caucus amendment would have required that the Inspector General of the Intelligence Community audit the effectiveness of existing U.S. efforts to report, track and investigate civilian deaths caused by the drone program. The Progressive Caucus also attempted to offer this amendment on last year’s intelligence authorization bill and has held ad-hoc hearings on accountability for the drone program.

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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 after introducing an amendment to The Trade Act in the Rules Committee.

“The Trade Act continues to force seniors to pay for trade deals that destroy American jobs. Chairman Ryan is attempting to change how Trade Adjustment Assistance is funded in a separate bill, but it’s nothing more than a bait-and-switch effort to gin up support for a quick passage of Trade Promotion Authority. There is no guarantee the Senate will pass the separate bill removing Medicare cuts. The only way to ensure seniors won’t be hurt is to remove these cuts from The Trade Act itself. If Chairman Ryan recognizes the need to protect seniors from these cuts in separate legislation, why not remove the cuts completely?

“Seniors should not have to pay when trade deals go bad. A vote for The Trade Act is a vote to cut Medicare. Progressives will oppose any bill that includes Medicare cuts.”

The Progressive Caucus amendment removes the Medicare cut, increases overall funding for Trade Adjustment Assistance to $575 million and expands Trade Adjustment Assistance to include public sector workers.

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WASHINGTON—Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) Co-Chairs Reps. Raúl M. Grijalva (D-AZ) and Keith Ellison (D-MN), along with Rep. Mike Honda (D-CA) sent a letter to Attorney General Loretta Lynch requesting an audit detailing the enforcement of the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA).

The full text of the letter is below and a signed copy can be seen here. 

Dear Attorney General Lynch:

We write to request a formal audit detailing state level compliance and federal enforcement of the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA).

Our representative democracy is threatened by chronically low levels of voter turnout. In 2014, only thirty-six percent of eligible voters cast ballots, the lowest turnout since WWII. Even more alarming is the income disparity between voters and non-voters. In 2012, sixty-two percent of those making $150,000 a year or more voted, while only twenty-seven percent of those earning less than $10,000 a year voted.

The federal government should be doing more to ensure that our political system works for all Americans. A healthy democracy requires the highest possible rate of voter participation. One of the most successful ways to increase voter participation is to simply& the voter registration process.

This year marks the twentieth anniversary of implementation of the National Voter Registration Act. The goal of the NVRA is to simply the voter registration process and make it more accessible by requiring voter registration services to be provided where government delivers public services to its citizens. Since 1995, states subject to the NVRA have offered citizens the opportunity to register to vote whenever they obtain a driver’s license or apply for Medicaid, and in some states, at public libraries. Unfortunately, data suggests that voter registration at places like the Department of Motor Vehicles has remained stagnant in the twenty years that the NVRA has been in effect. This suggests significant problems with implementation, compliance and enforcement. Studies indicate that failure to comply with and properly enforce the NVRA has translated to millions of missed opportunities to register Americans to vote.

We write to request an audit of the NVRA that addresses the following questions:

I. How is state compliance with the NVRA currently measured, and what data is collected and reported?

2. What is the federal response to states that fail to comply with NVRA requirements?

 3. What kind of training is provided by state and federal officials to social service providers that are charged with implementing NVRA?

4. The NVRA stipulates that voter registration services must be provided where government delivers public services. What measures is the DOJ taking to ensure that the NVR.A is being implemented elsewhere beyond the Department of Motor Vehicles?

 5. What states are registering the most voters through the NVRA and how are their best practices being observed and implemented in states failing to register voters?

After twenty years, it is time to analyze the NVRA’s effects and implement meaningful changes to ensure that the goals set forth twenty years ago are being met.

We look forward to working with you on the important issue of improving access to voter registration.

Sincerely,

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