Thursday, May 24, 2012

Congressional Progressive Caucus

The Congressional Progressive Caucus was founded in 1991 by Bernie Sanders-the openly socialist then Congressman from Vermont, Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and the radical Washington DC based "think tank" Institute for Policy Studies (IPS). Many members were and continue to be linked to DSA and/or the Communist Party USA, IPS or other radical organizations. From small beginnings the CPC has grown to embrace more than 80 members of Congress and three in the Senate - Roland Burris, Bernie Sanders and Tom Udall (NM).

Membership

2013 members

Co-Chairs
Vice Chairs
Whip
Senate Member
House Members

2011/12 members

Congressional Progressive Caucus membership as at April 2, 2011.[2]

Co-Chairs

Vice Chairs

Whip

Senate Member

House Members

New members 2012

By April 2012 three more congressmembers had joined the Congressional Progressive Caucus.[3]

2010 members

Congressional Progressive Caucus membership as at Friday June 02, 2010.[4]

Co-Chairs

Vice Chairs

Senate Members

Former members:

House Members

Former members

Possible new members after 2010 elections

According to David Dayden writing on leftist blog FireDogLake. "What about the ones who won? Democrats picked up three seats from Republicans, making good on some prior anomalies and realigning correctly. Colleen Hanabusa (HI-01), Cedric Richmond (LA-02) and John Carney (DE-AL) all won. Of those, I would say Hanabusa and Richmond will join the Progressive Caucus. In AL-07, Terri Sewell replaced Artur Davis. She’s a lot more progressive than he ever was, and she will likely join the caucus. David Cicilline (RI-01), the replacement for Patrick Kennedy and another openly gay member of Congress, is likely to join (Patrick Kennedy never did). The race that a progressive lost in a primary, Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick (MI-13), was over ethical issues, and she’ll be replaced by Hansen Clarke, likely to join the caucus.[8]

New California member

On entering Congress in 2011, Janice Hahn of Los Angeles joined the Congressional Progressive Caucus.[9]

CPC founders

The Congressional Progressive Caucus was founded in 1991 by freshman Congressman Bernie Sanders. Sanders' CPC co-founders included House members Ron Dellums, Lane Evans, Tom Andrews, Peter DeFazio, and Maxine Waters.

1997 members

Congressional Progressive Caucus membership as at March 3, 1997.[10]

Steering Committee

Members

Democratic Socialists of America

Democratic Socialists of America played a role in organizing the CPC, according to Chicago DSA;[11]
Congressman Bernie Sanders has been charging that these bail-outs to regimes which violate worker and civil rights are illegal under a law passed last year by Sanders and Representative Barney Frank, both leaders of the Progressive Caucus in Congress which DSA has helped to organize.
Several past members of CPC have been close to DSA including David Bonior, Hilda Solis, Ron Dellums and Major Owens. Serving Illinois Congressman Danny Davis is a DSA member, while Jan Schakowsky, Jerrold Nadler, Bob Filner, John Conyers, John Lewis and Bernie Sanders all have DSA connections. According to a DSA flier the organization works with CPC to promote "progressive change."[12]
DSA is an activist organization, not a political party. From promoting single-payer health care, to combating Congress' war on the poor, to proposing democratic alternatives to the power of the transnational corporations, DSA is in the center of struggles to advance a progressive America. This struggle is carried on not only by prominent leaders, but more importantly, through the work of thousands of DSA members across the country.
Since 1982, DSA has been working for progressive change. As a national organization, DSA joins with its allies in Congress' Progressive Caucus and in many other progressive organizations, fighting for the interests of the average citizen both in legislative struggles and in other campaigns to educate the public on progressive issues and to secure progressive access to the media.
According to DSA's Democratic Left, Winter 1996, page 16;
DSA tries to link the U.S. Congressional Progressive Caucus Parliamentary parties of the left in other countries.
In 1997 Chicago DSA member Bruce Bentley wrote;
There is a class struggle in process in the Congress with the Progressive Caucus around such issues as the Welfare Bill, NAFTA and Single Payer Health Care.
As a result of this DSA's Political Director Christine Riddiough organized a meeting with the Congressional Progressive Caucus with the purpose and cogent task as to: "How can we unite our forces on a common agenda?"[13] Those in attendance included Richard Trumka, Noam Chomsky, Patricia Ireland, William Greider and Jesse Jackson. According to a Democratic Socialists of Central Ohio, Progressive Challenge, was a national coalition of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, Americans for Democratic Action, NOW, and Democratic Socialists of America[14]. In 1999 the Young Democratic Socialists of James Madison University wrote;[15]
D.S.A. is not a political party, but rather works within the left wing of the Democratic Party and other third parties. D.S.A. is a driving force for the Progressive Caucus in the U.S. House of Representatives (led by Rep. Bernie Sanders, Socialist Congressman of Vermont).

DSA link to other parties

According to Christine Riddiough "DSA supports a 'Better Way',global dialogue that links parliamentarians of the Left, community activists and Non-Governmental Organizations working against the untrammeled rights of corporations to divide and rule. DSA tries to link the U.S. Congressional Progressive Caucus to parliamentarians of the Left in other countries."[16]

Institute for Policy Studies/Progressive Challenge

Congressional Progressive Caucus is heavily influenced by the radical Washington D.C. "think tank," the Institute for Policy Studies (IPS). From the IPS website history page:[17]
Much of IPS's policy work is aimed at the national level, and IPS has always worked closely with, and provided analysis and model pieces of legislation to, progressive members of Congress.
Currently, IPS advises the Congressional Progressive Caucus, which, with more than 70 members, is the largest non-party Caucus.
In the late 1990s IPS established Progressive Challenge to utilize leftist groups including Democratic Socialists of America, Americans for Democratic Action, United Electrical Workers, NETWORK, National Jobs for All Coalition etc to pressure[18]the Progressive Caucus in the "correct" direction. Democratic Socialists of America member Bob Roman, writes of a 1998 Chicago Progressive Challenge meeting attended by Illinois Congressmen Jesse Jackson Jr, Luis Gutierrez and Danny Davis[19];
On the evening of Monday, April 21, the Progressive Challenge came to Chicago. Starting off with a town hall style meeting that brought together about 150 people in the UNITE hall at 333 S. Ashland in Chicago, the meeting was structured to present testimony from representative of various local organizations to local Congressional members of the Progressive Caucus.
DSA was particularly well represented by the testimony of the Youth Section's International Secretary, Daraka Larimore-Hall. Daraka Larimore-Hall gave an impassioned, coherent presentation that linked the various aspects of DSA's agenda with the project at hand.
Congressmen Jesse Jackson, Jr., Luis Gutierrez and Danny Davis attended the meeting...
The Progressive Challenge is an effort to link the Congressional Progressive Caucus with the larger left grass roots network of single issue, constituent, labor and ideological organizations. The Institute for Policy Studies is very much the keystone organization of this project, which has brought together some 40 organizations including DSA, Americans for Democratic Action, United Electrical Workers, NETWORK, National Jobs for All Coalition to name a few. No one of these groups is a major player inside the Beltway, but together they have captured the attention of the Progressive Caucus and contributed to its growth.

"The Progressive Challenge: Capitol Hill Forum"

On January 9, 1997, over 600 people attended "The Progressive Challenge: Capitol Hill Forum" sponsored by the House Progressive Caucus, Democratic Socialists of America, and a host of other progressive organizations. The primary goal of this day-long "kick-off" forum was to "identify the unifying values shared by progressives at this point in US history, to help define core elements of a forward-looking progressive agenda, and to pinpoint ways to connect that agenda with the concerns of millions of disillusioned people who lack voices in present politics and policy-making." After a welcome by Representative Bernie Sanders, an impressive array of legislators, activists, and thinkers offered their insights. Senator Paul Wellstone, Reverend Jesse Jackson, Patricia Ireland of NOW, Richard Trumka of the AFL-CIO, Noam Chomsky, William Greider of Rolling Stone, and DSA Honorary Chair Barbara Ehrenreich were among the many who spoke. Some emphasized the importance of the conventional, if difficult, process of progressive candidates building grassroots campaigns that treat voters with intelligence and challenge prevailing wisdom regarding what values and issues motivate ordinary Americans struggling to make ends meet-as opposed to using polls and focus groups to concoct "designer" campaigns to appeal to upscale "soccer moms." Other speakers reminded those present that great changes are made by people acting outside of the corridors of power to define justice and "political reality," and the electoral and legislative processes are not the only arenas worthy of activists' attention.[20]
What virtually all participants acknowledged (thanks in no small part to DSA's role in helping to organize this event and in focusing the activities of the Working Group on Economic Insecurity) was that the centerpiece of a progressive agenda involves addressing the question of the economy and the disruptions, suffering, powerlessness and fear created by the mobility and power of corporations-without glossing over the racism, sexism, xenophobia, homophobia, and other injustices exacerbated by economic uncertainty.
The next step at the policy level is a series of briefings for Congressional staff and members on specific issues related to economic justice (global economy, corporate responsibility, and welfare reform are among the topics to be covered). These briefings are planned for January and February, and out of the briefing sessions working groups on the issues will be formed. The working groups will include Congressional staff and progressive organizations who will help draft legislation. The coalition of activist groups is working on plans to bring the issues to the grassroots through a round of town meetings this spring and through the development of a network of progressive elected officials. The town meetings will be modeled on DSA's Public Hearings on Economic Insecurity and the AFL-CIO town meetings of 1996, and will bring Progressive Caucus members together with local activists.

Progressive Caucus SOTU Address

On Thursday, January 27 2000, from 3:30pm to 5:00pm in 2253 of RHOB, the Congressional Progressive Caucus held its 3rd Annual Congressional Progressive Caucus' State of the Union Address. This event was also sponsored by the Institute for Policy Studies' Progressive Challenge coalition whose Fairness Agenda for America is endorsed by 200 public interest groups nationally. Caucus Chair Rep. Peter DeFazio(D-OR) stated "The Progressive Caucus Alternative State of the Union will provide a much needed reality check to politicians who would rather ignore the priorities of Americans left out of the economic boom -- priorities like access to quality health care and education, repairing crumbling schools, addressing the growing gap between the rich and poor, and creating a sustainable global economy that works for everyone, not just the corporate architects." Anticipated speakers included: Peter DeFazio (D-OR), House Minority Whip David Bonior (D-MI), Earl Hilliard (D-AL);Dennis Kucinich (D-OH); Cynthia McKinney (D-GA);. Major Owens (D-NY)Bernie Sanders (I-VT). Tammy Baldwin (D-WI);. Maurice Hinchey (D-NY);Barbara Lee (D-CA); Jerrold Nadler (D-NY); and Lynn Woolsey(D-CA). John Cavanagh, director of the Institute for Policy Studies also made some remarks regarding public interest groups support of a progressive agenda.[21]
The Congressional Progressive Caucus, Chaired by Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR), consists of over a quarter of the House Democrats, one Independent and Senator Paul Wellstone. The Caucus will be releasing position papers on Health Care and Income Inequality, with reports on the Alternative Federal Budget, Social Security, Minimum Wage, Education and the Global Economy.
(Co-sponsoring organizations also included: Progressive Challenge, Campaign For America's Future, Business Leaders for Sensible Priorities, United for A Fair Economy, National Jobs for All Coalition).[22]

Communist Party on the Progressive Caucus

A 2002 report by Joelle Fishman, Chair, Political Action Committee, Communist Party USA to the Party's National Board, evaluated the Congressional Progressive Caucus[23].
Although this Caucus is not large enough to control the Congressional agenda or even to break into the media, the existence of this group of 57 members of Congress, which includes 20 members of the Congressional Black Caucus and six members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, provides an important lever that can be used to advance workers' issues and move the debate to the left in every Congressional District in the country.

Communist Party "ally"

In a report "What Can We Learn From the Movement for Health Care Reform?" prepared as part of the discussion leading up to the Communist Party USA's 29th National Convention May 21-23, 2010.Communist Party USA member David Bell wrote on the partial failure of the Party's health care agenda;[24]
Did we forget the fact that many of the same unions, hundreds of locals, and the rank and file supported single payer? We also turned away from our allies in Congress, the Progressive Caucus, and John Conyers. We did not insist that single payer supporters, including Conyers, be included in the White House summit on health care reform.

CPUSA on Obama, Democrat Caucuses, Int'l Communist Meeting

A report praising Barack Obama, and the changes wrought by him, as well as communist connection to the Democratic Party, was delivered at the 14th International Meeting of Communist and Workers Parties, held in Beirut, Lebanon, November 22-25, by Erwin Marquit, member of the International Department, CPUSA.[25]
We express our gratitude to the Lebanese Communist Party for hosting this important meeting under the present difficult conditions.
The Communist Party USA not only welcomes the reelection of President Barack Obama, but actively engaged in the electoral campaign for his reelection and for the election of many Democratic Party congressional candidates. We regarded the 2012 election as the most important in the United States since 1932, an election held in the midst of the Great Depression...
Because of this danger, we viewed our participation in mainstream electoral activity as obligatory, even though both major parties in the United States are dominated by capital, with no effective competition from a mass-scale social-democratic party, We are aware that some on the Left in the United States thought that the correct approach to the elections was either to boycott them, or as a protest, to run or support small-scale left-wing candidacies with no possible chance of winning. We Communists rejected this strategy because too much was at stake.
Faced with a choice between the victory of either the Democratic Party or Republican Party, the Communist Party viewed a victory of the far-right Republican Party as an extreme disaster. In this situation, we saw the necessity of a policy of center-left alliances in order not to separate ourselves from the people’s struggles for dealing with the far right onslaught, The basis of such an alliance now includes the labor movement, organizations of African Americans and Latinos, the women’s movement, gay and lesbian civil rights groups, and organizations of the elderly and retirees. On some issues, these groups are joined by a few far-sighted elements of capital...
In our electoral policy, we seek to cooperate and strengthen our relationship with the more progressive elements in Democratic Party, such as the Progressive Caucus in the U.S. Congress, a group of seventy-six members of the Congress co-chaired by Raúl Grijalva, a Latino from Arizona, and Keith Ellison, an African American Muslim from Minnesota. We also will strengthen our relationship to the Congressional Black Caucus (formed by African Americans in the Congress), which has been the point of origin of innovative policies including an end to the U.S. economic blockade of Cuba, and with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. In its domestic policy, for example, the Progressive Caucus has put forth a program for using the public sector to deal with unemployment. It has opposed the use of the so called “war on terror” to incarcerate U.S. citizens indefinitely without criminal charges. In its foreign policy, the Progressive Caucus and the Black Caucus are outspoken in their opposition to U.S. imperialist policies abroad. The Progressive Caucus, now that Obama has been reelected, will be playing an important role in contributing to the mobilization of mass activity on critical issues to bring pressure on the Congress and administration to act on them...
While the victory of Obama is a welcome aid for us in our domestic struggles, we still face the challenge of mobilizing mass pressure on his administration to reverse the imperialist character of U.S. foreign policy. The CPUSA will pursue this formidable task vigorously in alliance with domestic progressive forces and with our comrades in the Communist and Workers’ Parties and their allies throughout the world.

CPC Represents "the Heart and Soul of the Democratic Party"

Rep. Lynn Woolsey
Rep. Lynn Woolsey
Earl Ofari Hutchinson
Earl Ofari Hutchinson
On Nov. 15, 2010, Earl Ofari Hutchinson of The Huffington Post and New American Media conducted an interview with Rep. Lynn Woolsey, House Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. The interview reads as follows:[26]
Earl: Many are not familiar with the Progressive House Caucus. How big is it?
Lynn: We had 83 members before the election. It is bicameral, with House and Senate members. It's by far the largest caucus in Congress. We lost four members this election. But we also gained a couple of new members. We will not have less than 80 members in the next Congress. The Blue Dog Democrats lost almost two-thirds of their members.
Earl: What are the major issues that the Caucus will press Congress and the Obama Administration on?
Lynn: It is clear that we represent the heart and soul of the Democratic Party. So, the first item is jobs. We have to have a robust jobs bill. One that we should have had when President Obama first took office and his popularity was at its height. He had a big majority in the House and Senate. We would have doubled the amount of money allocated for the jobs bill that came out of the House, which the Senate cut to shreds. The other priority is combating the notion that the timetable for ending the Afghanistan War is 2014. The war is killing our budget, killing our people, and killing our relations with our allies.
Earl: What does it take to make that happen?
Lynn: None of this is going to happen until we get money out of politics, get a bigger control of the media, and that means diversifying ownership beyond the three corporations.
Earl: The headline article in the Washington Post, Nov. 11, was "Liberals plan to push Obama not to compromise with GOP." Will the Progressive Caucus take the lead in pushing the president not to "compromise" with the GOP?
Lynn: We were the most productive House in recent legislative history in getting key pieces of legislation passed. Unfortunately, it was not enough. We were in such a deep economic hemorrhaging. We stopped that. But to do more we have to be even bolder in our actions. We're going to push the White House to come forth with bold steps. It's not too late now. But it will be in two years. So we're hoping that he recognizes that.
Earl: White House advisor David Axelrod was quoted to the effect that Obama would compromise on the "big issues." Did that set off alarm bells with you and the Caucus members?
Lynn: I and Caucus co-chair Raul M. Grijalva sent the President a letter Friday, Nov. 12, that we totally support rolling back the Bush tax breaks for the wealthy. And no cuts in other programs such as food stamps that benefit the poor and needy.
Earl: White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs blasted liberals and progressives as the "professional Left" for continuing to criticize the president despite what he's tried to accomplish.
Lynn: I totally disagreed with him. I've won office with 70 percent of the vote, and there is a large base of voters that are progressive. This is America, and they do have the right to express themselves. And criticism or not of us, we're not going to stop our criticism on policy issues we disagree with. In fact, in line with the Congressional Black Caucus, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, and the House Pacific Asian Caucus, we will represent a good majority of the Democrats who remain in the House.
Earl: So no compromise on the core issues
Lynn: Any idea that we're going to reach across the aisle and surrender our Democratic ideals on jobs, health care, education, and fighting for working people and not the wealthy is not going to happen. We're not going to compromise our votes to support programs just to appear that we're compromising. We're not going to start from the right of center and go further to the right. That's not what the nation needs.
Earl: There were reports that during the health care debate the White House shunned the Progressive Caucus. How accurate is that?
Lynn: No we were not shunned. I still hear the president saying, "Lynn what's our agenda on health care and what's to be done to secure passage." We took groups of representatives to the White House more than once for meetings. We always had an open-door relationship to work with the president and the House leadership. We intend to continue to work with the president. He will have a hard time getting anything done if he doesn't have us with him. And he knows that.
But we're not going to compromise with the right on some lukewarm programs that should have been much bolder. The public option in the health care fight was a good example of that. We still feel it was given away before the health care debate really began. So we're not going to roll over. Most of our members won reelection, and in some ways we'll have an even bigger voice in the next Congress.
Earl: Nancy Pelosi wants to stay in the House Leadership. Do you support her?
Lynn: I'm 100 percent behind her. None of the accomplishments in this past Congress would have happened without her leadership. They label her as some wild-eyed liberal, but that's just name calling. She's an effective leader. And the administration knows that. I'm confident that she will be our Minority House leader.

Restore the American Dream for the 99 Percent Act

Reps Grijalva and Ellison at the Capitol press conference
Reps Grijalva and Ellison at the Capitol press conference
"Responding directly to national demand for a massive jobs program", members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, December 13, 2011, introduced the Restore the American Dream for the 99 Percent Act into the House of Representatives.
The bill would create more than 4 million jobs and reduce the deficit by more than $2 trillion over the next 10 years, making it the biggest government effort thus far to marshal the resources needed to address the economic crisis.
While no one expects the bill to pass in the Republican-controlled House, it is viewed by many as outlining what really must be done if the economy is to be restarted in a way that benefits the overwhelming majority of the population. Progressive Caucus Co-Chairmen Reps. Keith Ellison, D-Minn. and Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz., presented the legislation at a news conference in the Capitol.
The bill would create several "corps" that will offer government jobs to the unemployed doing essential work including repairing school buildings, maintaining public parks, building neighborhood energy efficiency and conservation projects, and providing health care and other public services in underserved areas. One of the corps would be specifically devoted to re-hiring teachers and first responders laid off by cash-strapped state and local governments .
There are provisions in the bill that require 75 percent of the goods and services purchased by the federal government to be made in America, provisions designed to help small businesses get federal contracts, and allocation of $50 billion alone for highway, public transportation and electrical grid improvement projects.
The bill provides for tariffs in cases where what the lawmakers called "currency manipulation by China" results in "artificially driving down the cost of Chinese imports."
One clause in the bill protects both the long-term unemployed and wounded veterans from hiring discrimination.
The bill includes provisions that would raise $800 billion through a surcharge on millionaires and billionaires, end tax subsidies for oil companies, and impose a tiny financial transactions tax on Wall Street.
There would be other budget savings through ending the war in Afghanistan and slashing $200 billion from the defense budget by eliminating unneeded weapons systems and cutting in half the military forces currently stationed in Europe.
The bill also strengthens health care reform by creating a public health insurance option that would be available through health care exchanges. That measure alone, the lawmakers say, would drive down spending federal health care spending by $90 billion.
The bill would allow Medicare to bargain with pharmaceutical companies to get bulk discounts, a move blocked by Republicans in the past. Supporters say it would help save more than $150 billion.
To save Social Security benefits and trust fund, the legislation would raise the cap on earnings taxed by Social Security above its current $106,800. "The Republicans want the people to think about how bad things are and to focus their anger on the president," said Grijalva "They don't want people to count the things the Republicans voted down that would have helped this country." "This bill," said Ellison, "shows we can put people to work today by building for tomorrow."[27]

External links

References

  1. ↑ CPC website, members, accessed March. 29, 2013
  2. ↑ Congressional Progressive Caucus website, accessed April 2, 2011
  3. ↑ CPC website, accessed April 20, 2012
  4. ↑ Caucus Member List
  5. ↑ DSA website: Members of the Progressive Caucus (archived on the Web Archive website)
  6. ↑ Congressional Progressive Caucus website: Caucus Member List
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 7.7 7.8 DSA website: Members of the Progressive Caucus (archived on the Web Archive website)
  8. ↑ [http://news.firedoglake.com/2010/11/03/progressive-caucus-will-gain-members-after-elections/ FDL, Progressive Caucus Will Gain Members After Elections By: David Dayen Wednesday November 3, 2010]
  9. ↑ CPC website, accessed Dec. 15. 2011
  10. ↑ [COC letter head, March 3, 1997]
  11. ↑ Reorganized Illinois Citizen Action, New Ground 56, Jan-Feb 1998
  12. ↑ Democratic Socialists of America, Greater Detroit Local
  13. ↑ DSA National Director Addresses Chicago DSA Membership, New Ground 51, March-April, 1997
  14. ↑ http://freepress.org/Backup/UnixBackup/pubhtml/leftie/left9712.html
  15. ↑ [1] About JMU YDS, accessed May 19, 2010
  16. ↑ [Dem. Left Winter 1998, page 26]
  17. ↑ IPS History: 1963 to Today
  18. ↑ New Ground 58 May - June, 1998
  19. ↑ http://www.chicagodsa.org/ngarchive/ng58.html
  20. ↑ [Democratic Left • Issue #1 1997 * page 7-8]
  21. ↑ Common Dreams, Progressive Groups And Congressional Caucus To Present Their Third Annual Alternative State Of The Union Address, JANUARY 26, 2000
  22. ↑ Common Dreams, Progressive Groups And Congressional Caucus To Present Their Third Annual Alternative State Of The Union Address, JANUARY 26, 2000
  23. ↑ [2]Report on the 2002 Elections, February 22 2002, National Committee Meeting February 2002
  24. ↑ Convention Discussion: What Can We Learn From the Movement for Health Care Reform? by: David Bell February 2 2010, This article is part of the discussion leading up to the Communist Party USA's 29th National Convention May 21-23, 2010.
  25. ↑ Solidnet.org, Contribution of the Communist Party USA, 14th International Meeting of CWP, Presented by Erwin Marquit,, member of International Department, CPUSA, 25 November 2012
  26. ↑ Huffington Post: Progressive House Democrat Co-Chair Vows Democrats Won't Roll Over to the GOP, Nov. 15, 2010 (accessed on Nov. 17, 2010)
  27. ↑ PW, Congressional Progressive Caucus introduces biggest jobs bill yet, by: John Wojcik, December 13 2011
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