Congressional Progressive Caucus

Congressional Progressive Caucus
Co-Chairs Mark Pocan and Raúl Grijalva
First Vice Chair Pramila Jayapal
Whip Matt Cartwright
Vice Chairs David Cicilline, Keith Ellison, Ruben Gallego, Ro Khanna, Sheila Jackson Lee, Jamie Raskin, Jan Schakowsky and Mark Takano
Founded 1991
Ideology Progressivism[1]
Liberalism[2]
Social democracy[3]
Political position Left-wing[4]
National affiliation Democratic Party
Colors Blue
Seats in the Senate
1 / 100
Seats in the House
71 / 435
Website
cpc-grijalva.house.gov

The Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) is a membership organization within the Democratic congressional caucus in the United States Congress.[5] The CPC is a left-leaning organization that works to advance progressive and liberal issues and positions and represents the progressive faction of the democratic party.[6][7] It was founded in 1991 and has grown steadily since then, having more recently added 20 members since 2005 and having hired its first full-time Executive Director, Bill Goold, in May of that year. Subsequent Executive Directors have included Andrea Miller (2009–2011) and Brad Bauman (2011–2014). With 71 members, it is currently the largest Democratic congressional caucus.

The CPC is currently co-chaired by U.S. Representatives Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ) and Mark Pocan (D-WI). The current Executive Director is Mike Darner. Of the 20 standing committees of the House in the 111th Congress, 10 were chaired by members of the CPC. Those chairmen were replaced when the Republicans took control of the House in the 112th Congress.

History

The CPC was established in 1991 by six members of the United States House of Representatives: 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 House Members 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), Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Patsy Mink (D-HI), George Miller (D-CA), Pete Stark (D-CA), John Olver (D-MA), Lynn Woolsey (D-CA), and Nancy Pelosi (D-CA). Sanders was the convener and first CPC Chairman. Bill Goold served as Staff Coordinator for the Progressive Caucus in its early years until 1998.

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 detailed, comprehensive legislative alternative to U.S. Speaker Newt Gingrich and the Republican Contract with America, which they termed "the most regressive tax proposals and reactionary social legislation the Congress had before it in 70 years." The CPC's ambitious agenda was framed as "The Progressive Promise: Fairness."

Budget proposal for 2012

In April 2011, the Congressional Progressive Caucus released a proposed "People's Budget" for fiscal year 2012.[8] 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."[9]

Ideology

The CPC advocates "universal access to affordable, high quality healthcare", fair trade agreements, living wage laws, the right of all workers to organize into labor unions and engage in collective bargaining, the abolition of the USA PATRIOT Act, the legalization of same-sex marriage, US participation in international treaties such as the climate change related Kyoto Accords, strict campaign finance reform laws, a crackdown on corporate welfare and influence, an increase in income tax rates on upper-middle and upper class households, tax cuts for the poor, and an increase in welfare spending by the federal government.[10]

House members

Congressional Progressive Caucus from the United States House of Representatives in the 115th United States Congress

All members are members of the Democratic Party or caucus with the Democratic Party. In the 115th Congress there are currently 71 declared Progressives, including 69 voting Representatives, one non-voting Delegate, and one Senator.

Arizona

California

Colorado

Connecticut

Delaware

Florida

Georgia

Illinois

Indiana

Kentucky

Iowa

Maine

Maryland

Massachusetts

Michigan

Minnesota

Mississippi

Missouri

Nevada

New Jersey

New Hampshire

New York

North Carolina

Ohio

  • Marcia Fudge (OH-11, Warrensville Heights), Chair, Congressional Black Caucus

Oregon

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

Tennessee

Texas

Vermont

Virginia

Washington

Wisconsin

Non-voting

Senate members

Former members

See also

References

  1. ↑ "What is CPC?". Retrieved July 23, 2014.
  2. ↑ "Ellison Offers Progressive View Of Debt Deal". NPR. August 1, 2011. Retrieved March 29, 2017. Congressional Progressive Caucus — the liberal wing of the Democratic Party in the House
  3. ↑ CoC Ed Fund (2016). Dialogue & Initiative 2016. Lulu.com. p. 180. ISBN 9781365257353. Retrieved 24 May 2017.
  4. ↑ "Liberals’ Stealth Budget Solution Raises Taxes on Rich, Saves Social Security". The Daily Beast.
  5. ↑ "Congressional Progressive Caucus : Caucus Members". house.gov.
  6. ↑ Hardisty, Jean (2000). Mobilizing Resentment: Conservative Resurgence From The John Birch Society To The Promise Keepers. Boston, MA.: Beacon Press. p. 221. ISBN 978-0807043172.
  7. ↑ "Two congressmen endorse Carl Sciortino in race to replace Markey in Congress". Boston.com. September 13, 2013. Retrieved July 23, 2014. "the Congressional Progressive Caucus, the umbrella group for left-leaning Democratic members of Congress"
  8. ↑ "The People's Budget" (PDF). Congressional Progressive Caucus. Retrieved 2011-04-24.
  9. ↑ Honda, Michael; Grijalva, Raul (April 11, 2011), "The only real Democratic budget", The Hill
  10. ↑ CPC (2012). The Progressive Promise. Retrieved on 2012-04-14 from http://cpc.grijalva.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=63&sectiontree=2,63.
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