Congressional Progressive Caucus
This article needs additional citations for verification. (June 2016) |
Congressional Progressive Caucus | |
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Co-Chairs | Mark Pocan Pramila Jayapal |
First Vice Chair | Ro Khanna |
Whip | Ilhan Omar |
Vice Chairs | Sheila Jackson Lee, Veronica Escobar, Ruben Gallego, Mark Takano, Debbie Dingell, David Cicilline, Joe Neguse, Jan Schakowsky, Donald Norcross |
Founded | 1991 |
Ideology | Progressivism[1] Modern liberalism[2] Social democracy[3] |
Political position | Left-wing[4] |
National affiliation | Democratic Party |
Colors | Blue |
Seats in the Senate | 1 / 100
|
Seats in House Democratic Caucus | 95 / 235 [5]
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Seats in the House | 95 / 435
|
Website | |
cpc-grijalva | |
The Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) is a caucus within the Democratic congressional caucus in the United States Congress.[6] 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.[7][8] It was founded in 1991 and has grown steadily since then.
Entering the 116th United States Congress, the CPC has 98 members, making it the second largest caucus within the Democratic Party and the third largest caucus in Congress. The CPC is currently co-chaired by U.S. Representatives Mark Pocan (D-WI) and Pramila Jayapal (D-WA).
History
The CPC was established in 1991 by six members of the United States House of Representatives, namely 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), Jerry 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.[9] 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".[10]
Electoral results
Senate
Election year | Overall seats | Democratic seats | Independent seats | ± |
---|---|---|---|---|
2010 | 2 / 100
|
1 / 51
|
1 / 2
|
|
2012 | 1 / 100
|
0 / 53
|
1 / 2
|
−1 |
2014 | 1 / 100
|
0 / 44
|
1 / 2
|
— |
2016 | 1 / 100
|
0 / 46
|
1 / 2
|
— |
2018 | 1 / 100
|
0 / 45
|
1 / 2
|
— |
House of Representatives
Election year | Overall seats | Democratic seats | ± |
---|---|---|---|
2010 | 77 / 435
|
77 / 193
|
|
2012 | 68 / 435
|
68 / 200
|
−9 |
2014 | 68 / 435
|
68 / 188
|
— |
2016 | 78 / 435
|
78 / 193
|
+10 |
2018 | 95 / 435
|
95 / 235
|
+17 |
Ideology
The CPC advocates "universal access to affordable, high quality healthcare" (universal healthcare or single-payer 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, U.S. participation in international treaties such as the climate change related Kyoto Accords, responsible reductions in profligate military expenditure, 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.[11]
List of Chairs
Term start | Term end | Chair(s) | |
---|---|---|---|
1991 | 1999 | Rep. Bernie Sanders (VT)
| |
1999 | 2003 | Rep. Dennis Kucinich (OH)
| |
2003 | 2005 | Rep. Peter DeFazio (OR)
| |
2005 | 2009 | Rep. Barbara Lee (CA) | Rep. Lynn Woolsey (CA) |
2009 | 2011 | Rep. Raúl Grijalva (AZ) | |
2011 | 2017 | Rep. Keith Ellison (MN) | |
2017 | 2019 | Rep. Mark Pocan (WI) | |
2019 | present | Rep. Pramila Jayapal (WA) |
Membership
House members
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1e/116th_Progressives.svg/440px-116th_Progressives.svg.png)
All members are members of the Democratic Party or caucus with the Democratic Party. In the 116th Congress, there are 98 declared Progressives, including 95 voting Representatives, one non-voting Delegate and one Senator.
|
Non-voting
|
Senate members
- Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont)
Former members
- Thomas Andrews (ME-1) – defeated in run for Senate in 1994
- Tammy Baldwin (WI-2) – elected to Senate in 2012
- Bob Brady (PA-1) – left caucus prior to 2018 retirement
- Sherrod Brown (OH-13) – elected to Senate in 2006
- Roland Burris (IL Senate) – retired from Congress
- Mike Capuano (MA-7) defeated for re-nomination by current caucus member Ayanna Pressley in 2018
- Julia Carson (IN-7) – died in December 2007
- Donna M. Christensen (Virgin Islands) – retired from Congress
- Hansen Clarke (MI-13) – defeated for re-nomination in 2012
- Emmanuel Cleaver (MO-5)
- John Conyers (MI-13) – resigned in December 2017
- Donna Edwards (MD-4) – Defeated in run for Senate in 2016
- Keith Ellison (MN-5) - elected Attorney General of Minnesota
- Lane Evans (IL-17) – retired from Congress (deceased)
- Chaka Fattah (PA-02) – defeated for re-nomination in 2016 by current caucus member Dwight Evans
- Russ Feingold (WI Senate) – defeated for re-election in 2010
- Bob Filner (CA-51) – retired from Congress
- Barney Frank (MA-4) – retired from Congress
- Alan Grayson[12] (FL-8) (FL-9) – ran for senate in 2016 and was defeated by Patrick Murphy
- Luis Gutierrez (IL-4) - retired from Congress
- John Hall (NY-19) – defeated for re-election in 2010
- Phil Hare (IL-17) – defeated for re-election in 2010
- Maurice Hinchey (NY-22) – retired from Congress (deceased)
- Mazie Hirono (HI-2) – elected to Senate
- Mike Honda (CA-17) – defeated for re-election in 2016 by current caucus member Ro Khanna
- Rush Holt (NJ-12) – retired from Congress
- Jesse Jackson, Jr. (IL-2) – resigned his House seat on November 21, 2012
- Ruben Kihuen (NV-4) - retired from Congress in 2018
- Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick (MI-13) – defeated for re-nomination in 2010
- Dennis Kucinich (OH-10) – defeated for re-nomination in 2012
- Ed Markey (MA-5) – elected to Senate in 2013
- Eric Massa (NY-29) – resigned from congress in March 2010
- Cynthia McKinney (GA-4) – defeated for re-nomination in 2008 by current caucus member Hank Johnson
- Brad Miller (NC-13) – retired from Congress
- George Miller (CA-11) – retired from Congress
- Jim Moran (VA-8) – retired from Congress
- Rick Nolan (MN-8) - retired from Congress in unsuccessful bid to become Minnesota Lt. Governor in 2018
- John Olver (MA-1) – retired from Congress
- Major Owens (NY-11) – retired from Congress (deceased)
- Ed Pastor (AZ-7) – retired from Congress (deceased)
- Nancy Pelosi (CA-8) – left caucus when elected House Minority Leader
- Jared Polis (CO-2) - elected Governor of Colorado in 2018
- Carol Shea-Porter (NH-1) - retired from Congress in 2018
- Laura Richardson (CA-37) – defeated for re-election in 2012
- Bobby Rush (IL-1)
- Louise Slaughter (NY-25) – died in 2018
- Hilda Solis (CA-32) – became Secretary of Labor in 2009
- Pete Stark (CA-13) – defeated for re-election in 2012
- John Tierney (MA-6) – lost renomination in 2014
- Stephanie Tubbs Jones (OH-11) – died in 2008
- Henry Waxman (CA-33) – retired from Congress
- Paul Wellstone (MN Senate) – died in plane crash in 2002
- Robert Wexler (FL-19) – resigned in January 2010 to become President of the Center for Middle East Peace and Economic Cooperation
- Lynn Woolsey (CA-6) – retired from Congress
See also
- Blue Collar Caucus
- Blue Dog Coalition
- Factions in the Democratic Party
- Democratic Socialists of America
- Freedom Caucus
- Liberty Caucus
- New Democrat Coalition
- Republican Main Street Partnership
- Republican Study Committee
- Tea Party Caucus
References
- ^ "What is CPC?". Retrieved July 23, 2014.
- ^ "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
- ^ Raza, Syed Ali (2012), Social Democratic System, Global Peace Trust, p. 91
- ^ Cunningham, Vinson (February 19, 2017). "Will Keith Ellison Move the Democrats Left?". The New Yorker. Condé Nast. Retrieved March 14, 2018.
- ^ "Congressional Progressive Caucus: Caucus Members". cpc-grijalva
.house .gov /caucus-members / (Retrieved:February 23, 2019) - ^ "Congressional Progressive Caucus: Caucus Members". house.gov.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "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".
- ^ "The People's Budget" (PDF). Congressional Progressive Caucus. Retrieved April 24, 2011.
- ^ Honda, Michael; Grijalva, Raul (April 11, 2011), "The only real Democratic budget", The Hill, retrieved March 24, 2018
- ^ "The Progressive Promise". Congressional Progressive Caucus. Retrieved September 28, 2018.
- ^ "Congressional Progressive Caucus".
External links
- CPC in C-SPAN video library