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Congressional Progressive Caucus facts for kids

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The Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) is a group of lawmakers in the United States Congress. They are part of the Democratic Party. The CPC focuses on progressive ideas. It started in 1991 and has grown to be one of the largest groups within the Democratic Party in the House of Representatives.

As of July 2025, the CPC has 98 members. This includes 95 voting members in the House, one non-voting delegate, and one senator. It is the second-largest group of Democrats in the House Democratic Caucus. The current leader, called the Chair, is U.S. Representative Greg Casar from Texas. The CPC also has a special group called the Congressional Political Caucus PAC, which helps support candidates.


Quick facts for kids
Congressional
Progressive Caucus
Abbreviation CPC
Chair Greg Casar
Founder Ron Dellums (D-CA), Lane Evans (D-IL), Tom Andrews (D-ME), Peter DeFazio (D-OR), Maxine Waters (D-CA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT)
Founded 1991; 34 years ago (1991)
Ideology Progressivism
Political position Left-wing
National affiliation Democratic Party
Colors
Seats in the Senate Democratic Caucus
1 / 47
Seats in the Senate
1 / 100
Seats in the House Democratic Caucus
94 / 213
Seats in the House
94 / 435

History of the CPC

The CPC was started in 1991 by several U.S. Representatives. These 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 leader of the CPC.

The people who started the CPC were worried about money problems in the country. They saw a growing gap between rich and poor. They felt the Democratic Party was not doing enough to help. In 1995, the CPC offered its own plan for the country. They called it "The Progressive Promise: Fairness." This plan was a different idea from what the Republican Party was proposing at the time.

Past Leaders of the CPC

Pramila Jayapal, official portrait, 116th Congress
Former Chairwoman Pramila Jayapal (2019–2025)
Rep. Greg Casar - 118th Congress
Current Chairman Greg Casar

Here is a list of the people who have led the CPC:

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 2025
Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA)
2025 present
Rep. Greg Casar (D-TX)

Current Leadership

The CPC has several leaders who help guide the group:

Chair: Greg Casar (from Texas)

Deputy Chair: Ilhan Omar (from Minnesota)

Ilhan Omar, official portrait, 116th Congress (cropped) A
Deputy Chair Ilhan Omar in 2018

Whip: Chuy García (from Illinois)

Chuy Garcia official portrait
Whip Chuy Garcia in 2019

Chair Emeriti: Pramila Jayapal (from Washington) and Mark Pocan (from Wisconsin)

Vice Chairs:

Executive Board Members at Large:

What the CPC Believes In

The CPC supports many ideas. They want a health care system for everyone, like Medicare for All. They also support laws for a living wage, which means enough money to live on. They want to spend less on the military and have more rules for big companies. They also want to end mass incarceration, fight climate change, change immigration laws, and support reparations.

Economy and Fairness

In 2011, the CPC suggested a "People's Budget." They said it would create a strong economy and lead to a budget surplus by 2021. This means the government would have more money than it spends.

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. The Senate did not vote on it. In 2021, a report said that raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2025 would help 17 million workers. However, it might also lead to 1.4 million fewer jobs. Later in 2021, a COVID-19 relief bill included a plan to raise the minimum wage. But this part was removed from the final bill in the Senate.

Looking Ahead: 2024 Elections

After the 2024 elections, the new CPC leader, Greg Casar, talked about why some people were unhappy with the Democratic Party. He said problems like the 2008 housing crash and rising rents made people upset. He believes that instead of blaming new immigrants for high rents, people should focus on large companies that buy up homes and raise prices. Casar said the Democratic Party needs to explain better how they are fighting for everyday people. He wants the CPC to show that big corporations, not regular people, are often the cause of economic problems.

Health Care for Everyone

The Medicare for All Act is a bill that aims to create a health care system for everyone in the U.S. It was first introduced in 2003. In 2019, Representative Pramila Jayapal introduced a similar, more detailed bill. This system would mean the government pays for most medical care. This would reduce the need for private health insurance. The system would be paid for by taxes and by saving money on health care costs.

In 2019, the CPC also worked with other Democratic leaders on a bill to lower drug prices. This bill, called the Elijah Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act, passed in the House of Representatives. However, the Senate did not vote on it.

Protecting Health Choices

In 2022, a bill called the Women's Health Protection Act was introduced. This bill aimed to protect the right to make personal health choices. It passed in the House of Representatives but did not pass in the Senate.

Fighting Climate Change

In 2019, a plan called the Green New Deal was proposed. This plan aimed to fight climate change and also create jobs and reduce economic inequality. The name "Green New Deal" comes from the "New Deal" from the 1930s. That was a set of programs by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to help the country during tough economic times. The Green New Deal combines those ideas with modern solutions like renewable energy. This plan did not pass in the Senate.

Supporting Equal Rights

In 2022, the Respect for Marriage Act was introduced. This law aimed to protect marriage rights for all couples, including same-sex and interracial couples. It passed in the House of Representatives with support from both Democrats and some Republicans. The Senate also passed the bill later that year. This law made sure that religious organizations would not be forced to provide services for marriages if it went against their beliefs.

Foreign Policy Views

Israel and Humanitarian Aid

Some members have left the CPC because of disagreements about supporting Israel in the Gaza conflict. However, many CPC members, including Summer Lee and Greg Casar, want to pass a law that would stop the U.S. from giving weapons to countries that block humanitarian aid.

Ukraine Conflict

In October 2022, some CPC members asked the Biden administration to try and find a peaceful solution to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. They also wanted to continue supporting Ukraine with money and military help. After some criticism, the letter was quickly taken back. The leaders explained that the letter was old and released by mistake, and that they strongly support Ukraine.

How the CPC Has Grown

Congressional Progressive Caucus Membership 118th Congress
Congressional Progressive Caucus members in the 118th United States Congress

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

Election year Senate House of Representatives
Democratic Caucus ± % Democratic Caucus ± %
2010
2 / 53
3.8%
77 / 193
39.9%
2012
1 / 55
Decrease 1 1.8%
68 / 200
Decrease 9 34.0%
2014
1 / 46
Steady 2.2%
68 / 188
Steady 36.2%
2016
1 / 48
Steady 2.1%
78 / 193
Increase 10 40.4%
2018
1 / 47
Steady 2.1%
96 / 233
Increase 18 41.2%
2020
1 / 50
Steady 2.0%
95 / 220
Decrease 1 43.2%
2022
1 / 51
Steady 2.0%
100 / 213
Increase 5 46.9%
2024
1 / 47
Steady 2.13%
96 / 215
Decrease 4 44.7%

Who Are the Members?

All members of the CPC are either from the Democratic Party or work closely with them. In the 119th Congress, there are 96 declared progressive members. This includes 94 voting representatives, 1 non-voting delegate, and 1 senator.

Senate Members

State Party CPVI Member
Vermont Independent D+17 Sanders, BernieBernie Sanders

House Members

State District CPVI Member
Arizona AZ-3 D+22 Ansari, YassaminYassamin Ansari
California CA-2 D+24 Huffman, JaredJared Huffman
CA-8 D+24 Garamendi, JohnJohn Garamendi
CA-10 D+18 DeSaulnier, MarkMark DeSaulnier
CA-12 D+39 Simon, LateefahLateefah Simon
CA-17 D+21 Khanna, RoRo Khanna
CA-19 D+18 Panetta, JimmyJimmy Panetta
CA-28 D+15 Chu, JudyJudy Chu
CA-29 D+20 Rivas, LuzLuz Rivas
CA-30 D+22 Friedman, LauraLaura Friedman
CA-32 D+17 Sherman, BradBrad Sherman
CA-34 D+28 Gomez, JimmyJimmy Gomez
CA-36 D+21 Lieu, TedTed Lieu
CA-37 D+33 Kamlager-Dove, SydneySydney Kamlager-Dove
CA-38 D+10 Sánchez, LindaLinda Sánchez
CA-39 D+7 Takano, MarkMark Takano
CA-42 D+18 Garcia, RobertRobert Garcia
CA-43 D+27 Waters, MaxineMaxine Waters
CA-44 D+19 Barragán, NanetteNanette Barragán
CA-47 D+3 Min, DaveDave Min
CA-49 D+4 Levin, MikeMike Levin
CA-51 D+13 Jacobs, SaraSara Jacobs
CA-52 D+13 Vargas, JuanJuan Vargas
Colorado CO-1 D+29 DeGette, DianaDiana DeGette
CO-2 D+20 Neguse, JoeJoe Neguse
Connecticut CT-3 D+8 DeLauro, RosaRosa DeLauro
Delaware DE-AL D+8 McBride, SarahSarah McBride
District of Columbia DC-AL D+44 Holmes Norton, EleanorEleanor Holmes Norton
Florida FL-9 D+4 Soto, DarrenDarren Soto
FL-10 D+13 Frost, MaxwellMaxwell Frost
FL-20 D+22 Cherfilus-McCormick, SheilaSheila Cherfilus-McCormick
FL-24 D+18 Wilson, FredericaFrederica Wilson
Georgia GA-4 D+27 Johnson, HankHank Johnson
GA-5 D+36 Williams, NikemaNikema Williams
Hawaii HI-2 D+12 Tokuda, JillJill Tokuda
Illinois IL-1 D+18 Jackson, JonathanJonathan Jackson
IL-3 D+17 Ramirez, DeliaDelia Ramirez
IL-4 D+17 García, JesúsJesús García
IL-7 D+34 Davis, DannyDanny Davis
IL-9 D+19 Schakowsky, JanJan Schakowsky
Indiana IN-7 D+21 Carson, AndréAndré Carson
Kentucky KY-3 D+10 McGarvey, MorganMorgan McGarvey
Louisiana LA-2 D+17 Carter, TroyTroy Carter
Maine ME-1 D+11 Pingree, ChellieChellie Pingree
Maryland MD-7 D+31 Mfume, KweisiKweisi Mfume
MD-8 D+30 Raskin, JamieJamie Raskin
Massachusetts MA-2 D+13 McGovern, JimJim McGovern
MA-3 D+11 Trahan, LoriLori Trahan
MA-7 D+34 Pressley, AyannaAyanna Pressley
Michigan MI-6 D+12 Dingell, DebbieDebbie Dingell
MI-12 D+21 Tlaib, RashidaRashida Tlaib
MI-13 D+22 Thanedar, ShriShri Thanedar
Minnesota MN-5 D+32 Omar, IlhanIlhan Omar
Nevada NV-4 D+2 Horsford, StevenSteven Horsford
New Jersey NJ-1 D+10 Norcross, DonaldDonald Norcross
NJ-6 D+5 Pallone, FrankFrank Pallone
NJ-9 D+2 Pou, NellieNellie Pou
NJ-10 D+27 McIver, LaMonicaLaMonica McIver
NJ-12 D+13 Watson Coleman, BonnieBonnie Watson Coleman
New Mexico NM-1 D+7 Stansbury, MelanieMelanie Stansbury
NM-3 D+3 Leger Fernandez, TeresaTeresa Leger Fernandez
New York NY-6 D+6 Meng, GraceGrace Meng
NY-7 D+25 Velázquez, NydiaNydia Velázquez
NY-9 D+22 Clarke, YvetteYvette Clarke
NY-10 D+32 Goldman, DanDan Goldman
NY-12 D+33 Nadler, JerryJerry Nadler
NY-13 D+32 Espaillat, AdrianoAdriano Espaillat
NY-14 D+19 Ocasio-Cortez, AlexandriaAlexandria Ocasio-Cortez
NY-20 D+8 Tonko, PaulPaul Tonko
North Carolina NC-4 D+23 Foushee, ValerieValerie Foushee
NC-12 D+24 Adams, AlmaAlma Adams
Ohio OH-11 D+28 Brown, ShontelShontel Brown
Oregon OR-1 D+20 Bonamici, SuzanneSuzanne Bonamici
OR-3 D+24 Dexter, MaxineMaxine Dexter
OR-4 D+6 Hoyle, ValVal Hoyle
OR-6 D+6 Salinas, AndreaAndrea Salinas
Pennsylvania PA-2 D+19 Boyle, BrendanBrendan Boyle
PA-3 D+40 Evans, DwightDwight Evans
PA-4 D+8 Dean, MadeleineMadeleine Dean
PA-5 D+15 Gay Scanlon, MaryMary Gay Scanlon
PA-12 D+10 Lee, SummerSummer Lee
PA-17 D+3 Deluzio, ChrisChris Deluzio
Texas TX-16 D+11 Escobar, VeronicaVeronica Escobar
TX-20 D+12 Castro, JoaquinJoaquin Castro
TX-30 D+25 Crockett, JasmineJasmine Crockett
TX-35 D+19 Casar, GregGreg Casar
TX-37 D+26 Doggett, LloydLloyd Doggett
Vermont VT-AL D+17 Balint, BeccaBecca Balint
Virginia VA-4 D+17 McClellan, JenniferJennifer McClellan
VA-8 D+26 Beyer, DonDon Beyer
Washington WA-6 D+10 Randall, EmilyEmily Randall
WA-7 D+39 Jayapal, PramilaPramila Jayapal
WA-9 D+22 Smith, AdamAdam Smith
Wisconsin WI-2 D+21 Pocan, MarkMark Pocan
WI-4 D+26 Moore, GwenGwen Moore

Groups Connected to the CPC

The CPC works with other groups. One is the Congressional Political Caucus PAC, which helps raise money for candidates. In 2018, the caucus also created the Congressional Progressive Caucus Center and the Progressive Caucus Action Fund. These groups help share ideas and work on policy plans with other organizations that support the CPC's goals.

See Also

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