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Congressional Progressive Caucus
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Congressional Progressive Caucus | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Abbreviation | CPC |
| Chair | Pramila Jayapal |
| Founded | 1991 |
| Ideology | Progressivism[1] |
| Political position | Left-wing[2][3] |
| National affiliation | Democratic Party |
| Colors | |
| Seats in the Senate Democratic Caucus | 1 / 51
|
| Seats in the Senate | 1 / 100
|
| Seats in the House Democratic Caucus | 95 / 213[a]
|
| Seats in the House | 95 / 435[a]
|
| Website | |
| progressives | |
The Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) is a congressional caucus affiliated with the Democratic Party in the United States Congress.[5] The CPC represents the progressive faction of the Democratic Party.[2][6] It was founded in 1991 and has grown since then, becoming the second-largest Democratic caucus in the House of Representatives.
As of July 19, 2024, the CPC has 97 members (95 voting Representatives, one non-voting Delegate, and one Senator),[7][8][9][10] making it the second-largest ideological caucus in the House Democratic Caucus by voting members, behind the New Democrat Coalition. The CPC is chaired by U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal (D-WA). In addition, the CPC is affiliated with the Congressional Political Caucus PAC, a political action committee which is led by members of the caucus.
History
[edit]The CPC was established in 1991 by U.S. Representatives Ron Dellums (D-CA), Lane Evans (D-IL), Thomas Andrews (D-ME), Peter DeFazio (D-OR), Maxine Waters (D-CA) and Bernie Sanders (I-VT). Additional Representatives joined soon thereafter, including Major Owens (D-NY), Nydia Velázquez (D-NY), David Bonior (D-MI), Bob Filner (D-CA), Barney Frank (D-MA), Maurice Hinchey (D-NY), Jim McDermott (D-WA), Jerry Nadler (D-NY), Patsy Mink (D-HI), George Miller (D-CA), Pete Stark (D-CA), John Olver (D-MA), and Lynn Woolsey (D-CA). Sanders was the first CPC Chairman.[11]
The founding CPC members were concerned about the economic hardship imposed by the deepening recession and the growing inequality brought about by the timidity of the Democratic Party response in the early 1990s. On January 3, 1995, at a standing room only news conference on Capitol Hill, they were the first group inside Congress to chart a comprehensive legislative alternative to U.S. Speaker Newt Gingrich and the Republican Contract with America. The CPC's agenda was framed as "The Progressive Promise: Fairness".[12]
List of chairs
[edit]
| Term start | Term end | Chair(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 1999 | Rep. Bernie Sanders (I-VT)
| |
| 1999 | 2003 | Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH)
| |
| 2003 | 2005 | Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR)
| |
| 2005 | 2009 | Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) | Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-CA) |
| 2009 | 2011 | Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ) | |
| 2011 | 2017 | Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) | |
| 2017 | 2019 | Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI) | |
| 2019 | 2021 | Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) | |
| 2021 | present | Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA)
| |
Policy positions
[edit]The CPC advocates "a universal, high-quality, Medicare for All health care system for all", living wage laws, reductions in military expenditure, a crackdown on corporate greed, putting an end to mass incarceration, supporting and implementing swift measures to start reversing climate change, immigration policies that are humane, and reparations.[13]
Economy
[edit]In April 2011, the CPC released a proposed "People's Budget" for fiscal year 2012.[14] Two of its proponents stated: "By implementing a fair tax code, by building a resilient American economy, and by bringing our troops home, we achieve a budget surplus of over $30 billion by 2021 and we end up with a debt that is less than 65% of our GDP. This is what sustainability looks like".[15]
In 2019, the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives passed H.R.582, The Raise the Wage Act,[16] which would have gradually raised the minimum wage to $15 per hour. It was not taken up in the Republican-controlled Senate. In January 2021, Democrats in the Senate and House of Representatives reintroduced the bill.[17] In February 2021, the Congressional Budget Office released a report on the Raise the Wage Act of 2021 which estimated that incrementally raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2025 would benefit 17 million workers, but would also reduce employment by 1.4 million people.[18][19][20] On February 27, 2021, the Democratic-controlled House passed the American Rescue Plan pandemic relief package, which included a gradual minimum wage increase to $15 per hour.[21] The measure was ultimately removed from the Senate version of the bill.[22]
Health care
[edit]The Medicare for All Act is a bill first introduced in the United States House of Representatives by Representative John Conyers (D-MI) in 2003, with 38 co-sponsors.[23][24] In 2019, the original 16-year-old proposal was renumbered, and Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) introduced a broadly similar, but more detailed, bill,[25] HR 1384, in the 116th Congress.[26] As of November 3, 2019[update], it had 116 co-sponsors still in the House at the time, or 49.8% of House Democrats.[27]
The act would establish a universal single-payer health care system in the United States, the rough equivalent of Canada's Medicare and Taiwan's Bureau of National Health Insurance, among other examples. Under a single-payer system, most medical care would be paid for by the federal government, ending the need for private health insurance and premiums, and re-casting private insurance companies as providing purely supplemental coverage, to be used when non-essential care is sought. The national system would be paid for in part through taxes replacing insurance premiums, but also by savings realized through the provision of preventive universal health care and the elimination of insurance company overhead and hospital billing costs.[28] On September 13, 2017, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) introduced a parallel bill in the United States Senate, with 16 co-sponsors.[29][30][31] The act would establish a universal single-payer health care system in the United States.[28]
In 2019, the CPC challenged House Speaker Nancy Pelosi regarding the details of a drug-pricing bill, the Elijah Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act.[32] The final version was the result of extensive negotiations between House Democratic leadership and members of the CPC.[33] The bill was introduced into the House of Representatives on September 19, 2019, during the 116th Congress by Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ).[24] The bill received 106 co-sponsors.[34] It passed the House on December 12, 2019, by a vote of (230-192). All Democrats voted for the measure, and all but 2 Republicans voted against it. The bill was then sent to the Senate. The Senate, having been controlled by Republicans, did not bring the bill up for a vote.
Abortion rights
[edit]During the 117th United States Congress congresswoman Judy Chu (CA-27) introduced the Women's Health Protection Act. The act would expand abortion rights and codify Roe v. Wade. It was introduced in response to the Texas Heartbeat Act. It passed House of Representatives (218–211), but was defeated in the Senate on a 46–48 vote in February 2022.[35][36]
Climate change
[edit]A prominent 2019 attempt to get legislation passed for a Green New Deal was sponsored by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) during the 116th United States Congress, though it failed to advance in the Senate.[37] Green New Deal proposals call for public policy to address climate change along with achieving other social aims like job creation and reducing economic inequality. The name refers back to the New Deal, a set of social and economic reforms and public works projects undertaken by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in response to the Great Depression.[38] The Green New Deal combines Roosevelt's economic approach with modern ideas such as renewable energy and resource efficiency.[39][40]
LGBT rights
[edit]In July 2022, the House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Congressional LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus Chairman David Cicilline (D-RI), Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) announced the re-introduction of the Respect for Marriage Act, which was revised to include protections for interracial marriages to codify Loving v. Virginia.[41] The Act passed the House (267–157) on July 19, 2022, with 47 Republicans joining all Democrats in voting in the affirmative.[42]
The Senate considered the bill, but it was initially unclear if it would receive enough votes to end debate. On November 14, 2022, a group of bipartisan senators, including Rob Portman (R-OH), Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), and Susan Collins (R-ME) announced they had reached an amendment compromise to include language for religious protections and clarify that the bill did not legalize polygamous marriage.[43] The amendment specifies that nonprofit religious organizations will not be required to provide services for the solemnization or celebration of a marriage.[44] Shortly after, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced the Respect for Marriage Act would be put up for a full vote.[45]
On November 16, 2022, the Senate invoked cloture on the motion to proceed (62–37) to the amended bill.[46] All 50 Democratic senators and 12 Republicans (Roy Blunt, Richard Burr, Shelley Moore Capito, Susan Collins, Joni Ernst, Cynthia Lummis, Lisa Murkowski, Rob Portman, Mitt Romney, Dan Sullivan, Thom Tillis, and Todd Young) voted in favor of advancing the bill.[44] On November 29, 2022, the Senate voted 61–36 to pass the bill.[47] Voting in favor of the bill were 49 Democrats and the same 12 Republicans who had voted to advance it. Two Republicans (Ben Sasse and Patrick Toomey) and one Democrat (Raphael Warnock, who co-sponsored the bill) did not vote.[48]
Foreign policy
[edit]Israel
[edit]Representative Lois Frankel (FL-22) left the caucus on November 20, 2023, and Ritchie Torres (NY-15) left the caucus on February 21, 2024, both over disagreements regarding support for Israel in the Israel–Hamas war. Both are described as staunch supporters of Israel.[49][50]
2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
[edit]In October 2022, 30 members of the caucus urged the Biden administration to seek a negotiated, diplomatic end to the Russian invasion of Ukraine while advocating for continued economic and military support to Ukraine.[51][52]
The next day, after a wave of criticism, the letter was swiftly withdrawn on the basis that peaceful negotiations with Putin in current situation are "nearly impossible". Jayapal reasserted the Democrats' support for Ukraine and said the letter had been drafted several months ago and "released by staff without vetting."[53]
Electoral results
[edit]
| Election year | Senate | House of Representatives | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic Caucus | ± | % | Democratic Caucus | ± | % | |
| 2010 | 2 / 53
|
3.8% | 77 / 193
|
39.9% | ||
| 2012 | 1 / 55
|
 1
|
1.8% | 68 / 200
|
9
|
34.0% |
| 2014 | 1 / 46
|
|
2.2% | 68 / 188
|
|
36.2% |
| 2016 | 1 / 48
|
|
2.1% | 78 / 193
|
 10
|
40.4% |
| 2018 | 1 / 47
|
|
2.1% | 96 / 233
|
18
|
41.2% |
| 2020 | 1 / 50
|
|
2.0% | 95 / 220
|
1
|
43.2% |
| 2022 | 1 / 51
|
|
2.0% | 100 / 213
|
5
|
46.9% |
Membership
[edit]All members are Democrats or caucus with the Democratic Party. In the 118th Congress, there are currently 97 declared progressives, including 95 voting Representatives, 1 non-voting Delegate, and 1 Senator.[7][8][9][10] Representative Jennifer McClellan (VA-4) joined the caucus after assuming office in March 2023 while Representative David Cicilline (RI-1) resigned from the House on May 31, 2023. Representatives Lois Frankel (FL-22), Ritchie Torres (NY-15), Ruben Gallego (AZ-3), and Zoe Lofgren (CA-18) have since left the caucus.[49][54][55][56]
Senate members
[edit]
| State | Party | CPVI[57] | Member |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vermont | Independent | D+16 | Bernie Sanders |
House members
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Affiliate organizations
[edit]The CPC is affiliated with the Congressional Political Caucus PAC, a political action committee which was established in 2009 and is led by members of the caucus to endorse and fundraise for candidates.[58] In 2018, the caucus established the Congressional Progressive Caucus Center and Progressive Caucus Action Fund, a 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4), respectively, to coordinate messaging and policy initiatives between the caucus and supportive organizations.[59][60]
See also
[edit]- Blue Dog Coalition
- Democratic Socialists of America
- Factions in the Democratic Party (United States)
- New Democrat Coalition
- Progressive Democrats of America
- Republican Main Street Partnership
- Republican Governance Group
- Problem Solvers Caucus
- The Squad (United States Congress)
- Progressivism in the United States
Notes
[edit]- ^ a b This figure does not include Eleanor Holmes Norton, a non-voting Delegate who is a member of the caucus.
References
[edit]- ^ "What We Stand For". Retrieved July 23, 2022.
- ^ a b "Two congressmen endorse Carl Sciortino in race to replace Markey in Congress". Boston.com. September 13, 2013. Retrieved July 23, 2014. "[T]he Congressional Progressive Caucus, the umbrella group for left-leaning Democratic members of Congress".
- ^ Cunningham, Vinson (February 19, 2017). "Will Keith Ellison Move the Democrats Left?". The New Yorker. Condé Nast. Retrieved March 14, 2018.
- ^ Stickles, Nisha; Corbellini Duarte, Barbara (March 4, 2019). "Exclusive: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez explains what democratic socialism means to her". Business Insider. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
Ocasio-Cortez has likened her view of democratic socialism to Scandinavian social democracy. The congresswoman's progressive platform consists of a single-payer health care system that covers all forms of health care.
- ^ "Congressional Progressive Caucus: Caucus Members". house.gov.
- ^ Hardisty, Jean (2000). Mobilizing Resentment: Conservative Resurgence From The John Birch Society To The Promise Keepers. Boston: Beacon Press. p. 221. ISBN 978-0807043172.
- ^ a b "Caucus Members". Congressional Progressive Caucus. Retrieved February 29, 2024.
- ^ a b "Committees and Caucuses". U.S. Congressman Joaquin Castro. Retrieved February 29, 2024.
- ^ a b "Committees and Caucuses". Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren. January 3, 2023. Retrieved February 29, 2024.
- ^ a b "Committees & Caucuses". U.S. Congressman Ruben Gallego. Retrieved February 29, 2024.
- ^ Talbot, Margaret (October 5, 2015). "The Populist Prophet". The New Yorker. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
- ^ Brodey, Sam (July 21, 2015). "How Keith Ellison made the Congressional Progressive Caucus into a political force that matters". MinnPost. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
- ^ "The Progressive Promise". Congressional Progressive Caucus. Retrieved December 18, 2020.
- ^ "The People's Budget" (PDF). Congressional Progressive Caucus. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 26, 2011. Retrieved April 24, 2011.
- ^ Honda, Michael; Grijalva, Raul (April 11, 2011), "The only real Democratic budget", The Hill, retrieved March 24, 2018
- ^ Summary: H.R.582 — 116th Congress (2019-2020) congress.gov
- ^ "Democrats introduce bill to hike federal minimum wage to $15 per hour", CNBC, January 16, 2019.
- ^ "The Budgetary Effects of the Raise the Wage Act of 2021" (PDF). Congressional Budget Office. February 1, 2021. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 8, 2021. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
- ^ Selyukh, Alina (February 8, 2021). "$15 Minimum Wage Would Reduce Poverty But Cost Jobs, CBO Says". NPR.
Raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2025 would increase wages for at least 17 million people, but also put 1.4 million Americans out of work, according to a study by the Congressional Budget Office released on Monday.
- ^ Rosenberg, Eli (February 8, 2021). "CBO report finds $15 minimum wage would cost jobs but lower poverty levels". The Washington Post.
Raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour would significantly reduce poverty and increase earnings for millions of low-wage workers, while adding to the federal deficit and cutting overall employment, according to a new study from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. ... On one hand, the CBO estimated that raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2025 would cost 1.4 million jobs and increase the deficit by $54 billion over 10 years. But it also estimated the policy would lift 900,000 people out of poverty and raise income for 17 million people — about 1 in 10 workers. Another 10 million who have wages just above that amount could potentially see increases, as well, the CBO reported.
- ^ "American Rescue Plan: What's in the House's $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief plan", Washington Post, February 27, 2021.
- ^ "Senate passes $1.9 trillion Biden relief bill after voting overnight on amendments, sends measure back to House", Washington Post, March 6, 2021.
- ^ H.R. 676
- ^ a b "House Reps Introduce Medicare-for-All Bill" Becker's Hospital Review, Feb. 14, 2013
- ^ "Medicare for All bill loses its special number". Modern Healthcare. February 2, 2019. Retrieved June 17, 2019.
- ^ "Dingell, Jayapal and more than 100 Co-Sponsors Introduce Medicare For All Act of 2019". U.S. Representative Debbie Dingell. February 27, 2019. Retrieved June 18, 2019.
- ^ "H.R.1384 – Medicare for All Act of 2019". U.S. Congress. Retrieved November 3, 2019.
- ^ a b Krugman, Paul (June 13, 2005). "One Nation, Uninsured". The New York Times. Retrieved December 4, 2011.
- ^ "Bernie Sanders to Sponsor Single-Payer Healthcare Bill". Newsweek. March 26, 2017.
- ^ DeMoro, RoseAnn [@RoseAnnDeMoro] (September 13, 2017). ".@BernieSanders shouts out the Democrats that did the right thing in supporting #MedicareForAll. #WednesdayWisdom" (Tweet). Retrieved September 13, 2017 – via Twitter.
- ^ "115th United States Congress". U.S. Congress. 2017–2018.
- ^ Dayen, David; Grimm, Ryan (December 9, 2019). "House Progressives Challenge Nancy Pelosi on Drug-Pricing Bill". The Intercept. Retrieved January 4, 2021.
- ^ Zhou, Li (December 12, 2019). "The House just passed an ambitious bill to lower prescription drug prices". Vox. Retrieved January 4, 2021.
- ^ Pallone, Frank (September 8, 2020). "Cosponsors – H.R.3 – 116th Congress (2019–2020): Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act". www.congress.gov. Archived from the original on April 13, 2021. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
- ^ Chu, Judy (September 21, 2021). "H.R.3755 - 117th Congress (2021-2022): Women's Health Protection Act of 2021". Congress.gov. Retrieved September 24, 2021.
- ^ Kapur, Sahil; Vitali, Ali (February 28, 2022). "Senate rejects Democratic bill to codify abortion rights". NBC News. Retrieved May 3, 2022.
- ^ Rebecca Shabad; Dartunorro Clark (March 26, 2019). "Senate fails to advance Green New Deal as Democrats protest McConnell 'sham vote'". NBC News. Archived from the original on July 15, 2019. Retrieved April 4, 2019.
- ^ Jeremy Lovell (July 21, 2008) "Climate report calls for green 'New Deal'" Archived June 10, 2020, at the Wayback Machine, Reuters.
- ^ A Green New Deal: Discursive Review and Appraisal. Archived February 24, 2021, at the Wayback Machine Macroeconomics: Aggregative Models eJournal. Social Science Research Network (SSRN). Accessed March 14, 2019.
- ^ Hilary French, Michael Renner and Gary Gardner: Toward a Transatlantic Green New Deal Archived March 29, 2014, at the Wayback Machine The authors state: "Support is growing around the world for an integrated response to the current economic and environmental crises, increasingly referred to as the "Green New Deal". The term is a modern-day variation of the U.S. New Deal, an ambitious effort launched by President Franklin Roosevelt to lift the United States out of the Great Depression. The New Deal of that era entailed a strong government role in economic planning and a series of stimulus packages launched between 1933 and 1938 that created jobs through ambitious governmental programs, including the construction of roads, trails, dams, and schools. Today's Green New Deal proposals are also premised on the importance of decisive governmental action, but incorporate policies to respond to pressing environmental challenges through a new paradigm of sustainable economic progress."
- ^ "Bipartisan Group Leads Introduction of Respect for Marriage Act". David N. Cicilline. U.S. House of Representatives. July 18, 2022. Archived from the original on July 18, 2022. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
- ^ "House passes same-sex marriage bill, with 47 Republicans and every Democrat voting in favor". CBS News. Archived from the original on July 19, 2022. Retrieved July 19, 2022.
- ^ Rogerson, Riley (November 17, 2022). "Murkowski and Sullivan among 12 Republican senators voting to advance same-sex marriage protections". Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved November 20, 2022.
- ^ a b Quinn, Melissa (November 16, 2022). "Senate advances Respect for Marriage Act in bipartisan 62–37 vote". CBS News. Retrieved November 20, 2022.
- ^ Diaz, Daniella; Zaslav, Ali (November 14, 2022). "Bipartisan Senate group says they are 'confident' they have the votes necessary to codify same-sex marriage". CNN. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
- ^ "U.S. Senate: U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 117th Congress – 2nd Session". www.senate.gov. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
- ^ Zaslav, Ali; Barrett, Ted (November 29, 2022). "Senate passes bill to protect same-sex and interracial marriage in landmark vote". CNN Politics. Retrieved November 30, 2022.
- ^ Mourtoupalas, Nick; Blanco, Adrian (November 29, 2022). "Here's which senators voted for or against the Respect for Marriage Act". Washington Post. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
- ^ a b Grim, Ryan; Lacy, Akela (November 20, 2023). "Florida Democrat Who Voted to Censure Rep. Rashida Tlaib Quits Progressive Caucus". The Intercept. Retrieved November 21, 2023.
- ^ Timotija, Filip (February 20, 2024). "New York Democrat leaves Congressional Progressive Caucus after splitting with members over Israel". The Hill. Retrieved November 10, 2024.
- ^ Schonfeld, Zach (October 24, 2022). "Progressives urge Biden to push harder for Ukraine peace talks". The Hill. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
- ^ Trudo, Hanna (October 25, 2022). "Progressive Caucus tries to clarify call for Biden to find diplomatic solution to Ukraine". The Hill. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
- ^ Wang, Amy B; Abutaleb, Yasmeen; and Sotomayor, Marianna (October 25, 2022) "Liberal Democrats withdraw letter to Biden that urged him to rethink Ukraine strategy" The Washington Post
- ^ Metzger, Bryan (February 21, 2024). "Rep. Ritchie Torres quietly leaves Progressive Caucus amid tensions over Israel-Hamas war". Business Insider. Retrieved March 6, 2024.
- ^ Mutnick, Ally; Perano, Ursula (March 6, 2024). "Sinema's exit sparks rush to the center in Arizona Senate race". Politico. Retrieved March 6, 2024.
- ^ Solender, Andrew (March 6, 2024). "Scoop: More members have left the Progressive Caucus". Axios. Retrieved March 6, 2024.
- ^ a b "The 2022 Cook Partisan Voting Index". The Cook Political Report. Retrieved January 6, 2023.
- ^ "Congressional Progressive Caucus Forms PAC". Roll Call. September 3, 2009. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
- ^ Killough, Ashley (October 9, 2018). "Congressional progressives get their own center | CNN Politics". CNN. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
- ^ "Progressive Caucus Center". Progressive Caucus Center. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
External links
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