Democratic Rep. Barbara Lee reportedly told fellow Congressional Black Caucus members in a private meeting on Wednesday that she will be running to replace California Democrat Sen. Dianne Feinstein in 2024. Lee has not publicly announced a run, though sources informed Politico and NBC of her announcement. She later told reporters that she would officially announce her plans “when it’s appropriate,”… Source Source / Read More: Barbara Lee, Katie Porter Will Run Competing Senate Bids in California
Congressional Progressive Caucus
House Progressives Pushed Negotiations With Russia, Then Buckled Under Pressure
On October 24, 30 members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus signed a letter to President Joe Biden calling for “direct talks with Russia” to end the war in Ukraine. But in an alarming about-face, they withdrew the letter the next day. The letter urged Biden “to make vigorous diplomatic efforts in support of a negotiated settlement and ceasefire.” It raised the possibility of “incentives to end hostilities, including some form of sanctions relief.” Since Russia illegally invaded Ukraine, 6,374 civilians are estimated to have been killed, including 402 children, and 9,776 people have been reported injured. The war has impacted…
“Give Millions of People a Raise”: Progressives Ask Biden to Expand Overtime Law
On Tuesday, the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) urged President Joe Biden to extend his streak of major executive actions by greatly raising the overtime threshold, making overtime pay available to millions more workers in the U.S. CPC Chair Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Washington) issued a statement ahead of Labor Day calling for Biden and his Department of Labor (DOL) to raise the overtime salary threshold from a meager $35,568 to the salary of the 55th percentile of full time salaried earners, or about $83,000, by 2026. This would allow millions more workers to access overtime protections under the Fair Labor Standards…
Sanders Urges Biden to Cancel All Student Loans After Biden Announces Freeze
After the Biden administration announced on Wednesday that it is extending the federal student loan payment pause, progressive lawmakers are encouraging the president to take further action by cancelling student debt. Debt advocates and lawmakers have been pressuring Joe Biden to follow through with his campaign promise to cancel up to $10,000 of student debt per borrower, some of them urging him to forgive student loans altogether. These calls were amplified after the administration announced that it would be extending the payment freeze for another 90 days, until May 1 – a decision that debt cancellation advocates say was largely…
Progressive Lawmakers Signal Support for Four-Day Workweek Proposal
As the movement for a shorter workweek gains steam across the country, the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) has endorsed a House bill that would establish a 32-hour workweek as the nationwide standard for full-time work. The proposal was filed earlier this year by caucus member Rep. Mark Takano (D-California) and would shorten the standard workweek by lowering the threshold for overtime compensation from 40 hours to 32 hours. With standard eight-hour workdays, this would translate to a four-day workweek. Though the proposal stands little chance of passing Congress, the caucus’s support is a signal that progressives lawmakers are listening to…
At Least 40 Democrats Are Now Calling for Boebert to Be Removed From Committees
As Democratic leaders consider their options to punish Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colorado) for her Islamophobic comments toward Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minnesota), the list of Democrats calling for Boebert to be removed from her committee assignments is growing. On Thursday, 38 progressive lawmakers in the House released a statement in support of the punishment for Boebert. Led by Representatives Jamaal Bowman (D-New York), Cori Bush (D-Missouri), André Carson (D-Indiana) and Congressional Progressive Caucus chair Pramila Jayapal (D-Washington), the lawmakers decried Republican leaders’ tacit endorsement of hate speech against Omar and Muslims across the country. Over past weeks, videos have emerged showing…