The end of the discriminatory ‘Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy is a milestone for civil rights in America. The Congressional Progressive Caucus has long supported the LGBT community in the battle against this failed policy, which is responsible for the discharge of more than 13,000 highly qualified American service members. This misguided policy forced an additional estimated 65,000 service members to hide who they are to serve the country they love.
As co-chairs of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, we congratulate President Obama on many of his proposals to cut our deficits and balance our national budget. The president's determination to reduce the large national debt that he inherited after years of costly wars, unchecked defense spending, corporate welfare and giveaways to the wealthy few is admirable.
Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) Co-Chairs Reps. Raúl M. Grijalva and Keith Ellison were joined by colleagues Jan Schakowsky, Lynn Woolsey, John Conyers, Charlie Rangel, Jim McDermott and Barbara Lee today to introduce the Rebuild the American Dream Framework and emergency jobs legislation. Video highlights of the tour are available at http://bit.ly/o5GyDU.
Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) co-chairs Reps. Raúl M. Grijalva and Keith Ellison will be joined by several other members of the Caucus on Tuesday, Sept. 13, to introduce the Rebuild the American Dream Framework, the CPC's jobs platform. Members will call for emergency jobs legislation above and beyond the President's proposals to put even more people back to work.
Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) Co-Chairs Reps. Raúl M. Grijalva and Keith Ellison sent a letter today to Senator Patty Murray and Representative Jeb Hensarling, Co-Chairs of the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, calling on the so-called "Super Committee" to hold public hearings on job creation. The letter encourages the committee to "embrace a job creation strategy as the surest way to reduce the deficit and create a sustainable economy."
WASHINGTON, D.C.-- Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva and Rep. Keith Ellison, Co-Chairs of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC), released the following statement in advance of today's vote in the House of Representatives:
With Republicans in Washington continuing to risk default on the full faith and credit of the United States, the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) is urging an end to political posturing to avert this catastrophe. Yesterday the CPC adopted a resolution in support of H.R. 2663, The America Pays Its Bills Act offered by Rep. Welch. This bill calls for a clean debt ceiling vote "in order to end the Republican-created Default crisis."
This afternoon the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) joined the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition to "filibuster" H.R. 2584, a bill proposing unprecedented cuts to pollution controls and public health protections. More than 20 Members of Congress spoke for more than two hours to protest the bill, in which House Republicans are attempting to make back-door changes to 40 years of federal laws that protect clean air, water, lands, and wildlife.
Eighty Members of Congress have now signed onto a letter spearheaded by Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) leaders to Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi insisting that cuts Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid be off the table in any budget deal. Leaders of the Congressional Black Caucus and Congressional Asian Pacific American have also signed the letter and are encouraging their respective Caucus members to join them.
This terrible plan could cut Medicare and Medicaid to unsustainably low levels and put seniors' well-being at risk. Anyone who wants to pass it through Congress should remember that more than 70 House Democrats have already pledged their opposition, and more are signing on every day. The letter we sent to Leader Pelosi July 8 vowing to oppose any cuts to Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid as part of these budget negotiations has become a growing wave of House resolve to protect these programs.