Congressional Progressive Caucus facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Congressional Progressive Caucus
Abbreviation	CPC
Chair	Pramila Jayapal
Founded	1991; 34 years ago (1991)
Ideology	Progressivism
Political position	Left-wing
National affiliation	Democratic Party
Colors	Blue gold
Seats in the Senate Democratic Caucus	1 / 51
Seats in the Senate	1 / 100
Seats in the House Democratic Caucus	96 / 213
Seats in the House	96 / 435
Politics of United States Political parties

The Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) is a group of lawmakers in the United States Congress. They are part of the Democratic Party. The CPC is known for being the most left-leaning group within the Democratic Party. It started in 1991 and has grown a lot since then. Today, it is the second-largest Democratic group in the House of Representatives.

As of early 2024, the CPC has 98 members. This includes 96 voting members from the House of Representatives, one non-voting Delegate, and one Senator. This makes it the second-largest group of its kind in the House Democratic Caucus. The current leader of the CPC is U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal from Washington. The CPC also has a special group called the Congressional Political Caucus PAC. This group helps raise money for candidates who share the CPC's ideas.

History of the Progressive Caucus

The CPC was created in 1991 by several U.S. Representatives. Some of the founding members included Ron Dellums, Lane Evans, Thomas Andrews, Peter DeFazio, Maxine Waters, and Bernie Sanders. Many other Representatives joined them soon after. Bernie Sanders was the first person to lead the CPC.

The lawmakers who started the CPC were worried about people facing money problems and growing inequality in the early 1990s. They felt the Democratic Party wasn't doing enough to help. In 1995, the CPC was the first group in Congress to offer a different plan. This plan was a response to the Republican Party's "Contract with America." The CPC's plan was called "The Progressive Promise: Fairness."

Leaders of the Caucus

Chairwoman Pramila Jayapal, from Washington's 7th congressional district

Here is a list of the people who have led the Congressional Progressive Caucus:

What the CPC Believes In

The CPC supports several key ideas. They want a health care system for everyone, called "Medicare for All." They also support laws for a living wage, which means people earn enough money to live on. The CPC wants to reduce military spending and stop companies from being too greedy. They also aim to end mass incarceration, which means fewer people in jail. The group also supports quick actions to fight climate change and fair immigration policies.

Economy

In 2011, the CPC suggested a plan for the country's money called the "People's Budget." They said this plan would create a fair tax system and build a strong economy. They also believed it would help bring troops home from other countries. They thought this would lead to extra money for the government and lower the national debt.

In 2019, the House of Representatives tried to pass a bill called the "Raise the Wage Act." This bill would have slowly raised the minimum wage to $15 per hour. However, the Senate did not vote on it. In 2021, a similar bill was introduced again. A report said that raising the minimum wage to $15 by 2025 would help 17 million workers. But it might also mean 1.4 million fewer jobs. Later in 2021, the House passed a COVID-19 relief plan that included a $15 minimum wage. But this part was removed from the bill in the Senate.

Health Care

The "Medicare for All Act" is a bill that aims to create a health care system for everyone in the United States. It was first introduced in 2003. In 2019, Representative Pramila Jayapal introduced a new version of this bill. If passed, the government would pay for most medical care. This would mean people wouldn't need private health insurance as much. The system would be paid for with taxes, which would replace insurance payments. It would also save money by focusing on preventing illness and cutting down on insurance company costs. Senator Bernie Sanders also introduced a similar bill in the Senate in 2017.

In 2019, the CPC worked with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on a bill to lower drug prices. After many discussions, they agreed on a final version called the "Elijah Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act." This bill passed in the House of Representatives in December 2019. Most Democrats voted for it, and most Republicans voted against it. However, the Senate, which was controlled by Republicans, did not vote on the bill.

Climate Change

In 2019, there was a big effort to pass a "Green New Deal." This plan was supported by Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Ed Markey. The Green New Deal suggests using government policies to fight climate change. It also aims to create jobs and reduce economic inequality. The name "Green New Deal" comes from the "New Deal" of the 1930s. That was a set of programs by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to help the country during the Great Depression. The Green New Deal combines those economic ideas with modern solutions like renewable energy.

LGBT Rights

In 2022, lawmakers worked to reintroduce the "Respect for Marriage Act." This bill was updated to protect marriages between different races and to make sure that same-sex marriage is legally recognized across the country. The House of Representatives passed this act in July 2022. Many Republicans joined all Democrats in voting for it.

The Senate then discussed the bill. A group of senators from both parties worked together to add changes. These changes made sure that religious organizations would not be forced to provide services for marriages if it goes against their beliefs. They also clarified that the bill does not make polygamous marriage legal. After these changes, the Senate voted on the bill. In November 2022, the Senate passed the bill with votes from Democrats and some Republicans.

Foreign Policy

Israel

Some members have left the CPC because of disagreements about support for Israel in the Israel–Hamas war. For example, Representative Lois Frankel and Representative Ritchie Torres both left the group over this issue.

2022 Russian Invasion of Ukraine

In October 2022, 30 members of the CPC asked the Biden administration to try and find a peaceful end to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. At the same time, they still wanted to continue supporting Ukraine with money and military help.

However, after many people criticized this idea, the letter was quickly taken back. The CPC leader, Pramila Jayapal, said that peaceful talks with Russia's leader, Putin, were "nearly impossible" right now. She also said the letter was written months ago and released by staff without proper checking.

Electoral Results

Congressional Progressive Caucus from the United States House of Representatives in the 118th United States Congress

This table shows how many members the CPC has had in the Senate and House of Representatives over different election years:

Election year	Senate		House of Representatives
	Democratic Caucus	±	Democratic Caucus	±
2010	2 / 53		77 / 193
2012	1 / 55	1	68 / 200	9
2014	1 / 46		68 / 188
2016	1 / 48		78 / 193	10
2018	1 / 47		96 / 233	18
2020	1 / 50		95 / 220	1
2022	1 / 51		100 / 213	5

Who are the Members?

All members of the CPC are either Democrats or work with the Democratic Party. In the current 118th Congress, there are 98 members. This includes 96 voting Representatives, one non-voting Delegate, and one Senator. Some members have joined or left the caucus recently.

Senate Members

Bernie Sanders

Here is the Senator who is a member of the CPC:

House Members

Raúl Grijalva

Barbara Lee

Ro Khanna

Judy Chu

Maxine Waters

Katie Porter

Diana DeGette

Rosa DeLauro

Maxwell Frost

Jill Tokuda

Jonathan Jackson

Chuy Garcia

Chellie Pingree

Jamie Raskin

Ayanna Pressley

Rashida Tlaib

Ilhan Omar

Cori Bush

Melanie Stansbury

Teresa Leger Fernandez

Nydia Velázquez

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Jamaal Bowman

Suzanne Bonamici

Andrea Salinas

Matt Cartwright

Summer Lee

Chris Deluzio

Steve Cohen

Jasmine Crockett

Greg Casar

Here are the Representatives who are members of the CPC:

Other Groups Connected to the CPC

The CPC works with the Congressional Political Caucus PAC. This group was started in 2009. Its job is to support and raise money for political candidates. In 2018, the caucus also created two other organizations: the Congressional Progressive Caucus Center and the Progressive Caucus Action Fund. These groups help the CPC share its messages and work on its policy ideas with other supportive organizations.

See also

• Democratic Socialists of America
• Factions in the Democratic Party (United States)
• Progressive Democrats of America
• The Squad (United States Congress)
• Progressivism in the United States