Congressional Progressive Caucus | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Chair | Pramila Jayapal |
Deputy chair | Katie Porter |
Whip | Ilhan Omar |
Founded | 1991 |
Ideology | |
Political position | Left-wing[4] |
National affiliation | Democratic Party |
Colors | |
Seats in the Senate Democratic Caucus | 1 / 50
|
Seats in the Senate | 1 / 100
|
Seats in the House Democratic Caucus | 98 / 221
|
Seats in the House | 98 / 435
|
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 most left-leaning faction of the Democratic Party.[6][7] It was founded in 1991 and has grown since then.
As of March 22, 2022, of the 117th United States Congress, the CPC has 99 members (97 voting Representatives, 1 non-voting Delegate, and 1 Senator), making it the largest ideological caucus in the Democratic Party (slightly larger than the New Democrat Coalition) and the second largest ideological caucus overall (after the Republican Study Committee). The CPC is chaired by U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal (D-WA).
History
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.[8]
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 ambitious agenda was framed as "The Progressive Promise: Fairness".[9]
Electoral results
Election year | Senate | House of Representatives | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Overall seats | Democratic seats | Independent seats | ± | Overall seats | Democratic seats | ± | |
2010 | 2 / 100
|
1 / 51
|
1 / 2
|
77 / 435
|
77 / 193
|
||
2012 | 1 / 100
|
0 / 53
|
1 / 2
|
−1 | 68 / 435
|
68 / 200
|
−9 |
2014 | 1 / 100
|
0 / 44
|
1 / 2
|
— | 68 / 435
|
68 / 188
|
— |
2016 | 1 / 100
|
0 / 46
|
1 / 2
|
— | 78 / 435
|
78 / 193
|
+10 |
2018 | 1 / 100
|
0 / 45
|
1 / 2
|
— | 96 / 435
|
96 / 233
|
+18 |
2020 | 1 / 100
|
0 / 48
|
1 / 2
|
— | 95 / 435
|
95 / 220
|
-1 |
Policy positions
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.[10]
Budget proposal for 2012
In April 2011, the CPC released a proposed "People's Budget" for fiscal year 2012.[11] 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".[12]
Drug costs
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.[13] The final version was the result of extensive negotiations between House Democratic leadership and members of the CPC.[14]
List of chairs
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)
|
Membership
All members are Democrats or caucus with the Democratic Party. In the 117th Congress, there are 101 declared Progressives, including 99 voting Representatives, one non-voting member and one Senator.[15]
![]() Congressional Progressive Caucus from the United States House of Representatives in the 117th United States Congress |
![]() Chairwoman Pramila Jayapal |
Senate members
- Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont)
House members
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
- Sherrod Brown (OH-13) – elected to Senate in 2006
- Roland Burris (IL Senate) – retired from Congress in 2010
- Mike Capuano (MA-7) – defeated for re-nomination in 2018 by current caucus member Ayanna Pressley
- Julia Carson (IN-7) – died in 2007
- Donna M. Christensen (Virgin Islands) – retired from Congress in 2014
- Gil Cisneros (CA-39) – defeated for re-election in 2020
- Hansen Clarke (MI-13) – defeated for re-nomination in 2012
- Lacy Clay (MO-1) – defeated for re-nomination in 2020 by current caucus member Cori Bush
- Emanuel Cleaver (MO-5) – left caucus
- John Conyers (MI-13) – resigned from Congress in 2017
- Angie Craig (MN-2) – left caucus
- Elijah Cummings (MD-7) – died in 2019
- Donna Edwards (MD-4) – defeated in run for Senate in 2016
- Keith Ellison (MN-5) – elected Attorney General of Minnesota in 2018
- Lane Evans (IL-17) – retired from Congress in 2006
- Chaka Fattah (PA-2) – 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 in 2012
- Barney Frank (MA-4) – retired from Congress in 2012
- Marcia Fudge (OH-11) – became Secretary of Housing and Urban Development in 2021
- Tulsi Gabbard (HI-2) – retired from Congress in 2020
- Alan Grayson (FL-8) (FL-9) – defeated in run for Senate in 2016
- Luis Gutierrez (IL-4) – retired from Congress in 2018
- Deb Haaland (NM-1) – became Secretary of the Interior in 2021
- John Hall (NY-19) – defeated for re-election in 2010
- Phil Hare (IL-17) – defeated for re-election in 2010
- Katie Hill (CA-25) – resigned from Congress in 2019
- Maurice Hinchey (NY-22) – retired from Congress in 2012
- Mazie Hirono (HI-2) – elected to Senate in 2012
- Mike Honda (CA-17) – defeated for re-election in 2016 by current caucus member Ro Khanna
- Rush Holt (NJ-12) – retired from Congress in 2014
- Jesse Jackson, Jr. (IL-2) – resigned in 2012
- Joe Kennedy III (MA-04) - retired to run for Senate in 2020 (lost to incumbent Ed Markey)
- 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
- John Lewis (GA-5) - died in 2020
- Dave Loebsack (IA-2) - retired from Congress in 2020
- Ed Markey (MA-5) – elected to Senate in 2013
- Eric Massa (NY-29) – resigned from Congress in 2010
- Cynthia McKinney (GA-4) – defeated for re-nomination in 2008 by current caucus member Hank Johnson
- Brad Miller (NC-13) – retired from Congress in 2012
- George Miller (CA-11) – retired from Congress in 2014
- Jim Moran (VA-8) – retired from Congress in 2014
- Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (FL-26) - defeated for re-election in 2020
- Rick Nolan (MN-8) – retired from Congress in 2018
- John Olver (MA-1) – retired from Congress in 2012
- Major Owens (NY-11) – retired from Congress in 2006
- Ed Pastor (AZ-7) – retired from Congress in 2014
- 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
- Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-40) – left caucus
- Bobby Rush (IL-1) – left caucus
- José E. Serrano (NY-15) - retired from Congress in 2020
- 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
- Bennie Thompson (MS-2) – left caucus
- John Tierney (MA-6) – defeated for re-nomination in 2014
- Stephanie Tubbs Jones (OH-11) – died in 2008
- Henry Waxman (CA-33) – retired from Congress in 2014
- Paul Wellstone (MN Senate) – died in 2002
- Robert Wexler (FL-19) – resigned in 2010
- Lynn Woolsey (CA-6) – retired from Congress in 2012
See also
- Democratic Socialists of America
- Factions in the Democratic Party (United States)
- Progressive Democrats of America
- Progressivism in the United States
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". 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.
- ^ "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".
- ^ 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. Retrieved April 24, 2011.
- ^ Honda, Michael; Grijalva, Raul (April 11, 2011), "The only real Democratic budget", The Hill, retrieved March 24, 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.
- ^ "Caucus Members". Congressional Progressive Caucus. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
- ^ "Partisan Voting Index – Districts of the 115th Congress". The Cook Political Report. April 15, 2021. Retrieved April 15, 2021.