Indian American U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal has been elected chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus on December 9th, continuing her leadership of the growing progressive movement across America.
“As a lifelong organizer, I am honored that my colleagues have elected me to lead the Congressional Progressive Caucus at this pivotal moment. We have massive crises knocking at our nation’s door, and the work of the Progressive Caucus has never been more important,” Jayapal, D-Wash., said in a statement. “The American people need Congress to lead with vision, conviction, empathy and dedication to people and families in every community who are struggling right now.”
“It’s time for Congress to act boldly, restoring power to where it belongs — with the people,” the caucus chair added. “I am confident that with this talented leadership team and the expertise and passion of our entire caucus, we can deliver progressive policies that bring real relief to families, advance racial justice, tackle poverty and inequality of any kind, strengthen worker power, advance climate justice, break up monopolies, bring humanity to our immigration system and help transform this country so working people finally get ahead.”
Jayapal most recently served as the caucus’ co-chair. The newly elected Congressional Progressive Caucus Executive Board is also representative of the diversity within the caucus — more than half of Executive Board members are people of color and more than half are women.
Among the board members are Democratic Congressman in California’s 17th Congressional District, Ro Khanna, who was named a deputy whip. The CPC is currently made up of nearly 100 members who champion progressive ideals in Congress and throughout the country.
Since 1991, the CPC has advocated for progressive policies that prioritize working Americans over corporate interests, fight economic and social inequality and advance civil liberties, the release said.
The CPC leads on progressive policy solutions like comprehensive immigration reform, Medicare for All, good-paying jobs, fair trade, debt-free college, bold climate action, racial justice and a just foreign policy, added the release.
The increasingly influential Congressional Progressive Caucus announced its senior leadership Dec. 9, 2020, for the 117th Congress. The CPC Executive Board will be chaired by Indian-American Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, D-Washington.
“As a lifelong organizer, I am honored that my colleagues have elected me to lead the Congressional Progressive Caucus at this pivotal moment. We have massive crises knocking at our nation’s door, and the work of the Progressive Caucus has never been more important,” Jayapal said in a statement.
Jayapal has become one of the most vocal leaders in the progressive movement nationally during the Trump administration. “The American people need Congress to lead with vision, conviction, empathy, and dedication to people and families in every community who are struggling right now,” she said, adding that the Congress needed to “act boldly” to restore power to the people.
Jayapal vowed to work with her colleagues to “bring real relief to families, advance racial justice, tackle poverty and inequality of any kind, strengthen worker power, advance climate justice, break up monopolies, bring humanity to our immigration system, and help transform this country so working people finally get ahead.”
California Congressman Ro Khanna, D-California, a strong supporter of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, was appointed one of several Deputy Whips of the CPC.
The full CPC Executive Board for the 117th Congress will be:
Chair: Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (WA-07)
Deputy Chair: Congresswoman Katie Porter (CA-45)
Whip: Congresswoman Ilhan Omar (MN-05)
Chair Emeriti: Congressman Mark Pocan (WI-02), Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-13), and Congressman Raul Grijalva (AZ-03)
Vice Chair for Policy: Congressman Jamie Raskin (MD-08)
Vice Chair for Communications: Congresswoman-elect Marie Newman (IL-03)
Vice Chair for New Members: Congressman Joe Neguse (CO-02)
Vice Chair for Inter-Caucus Relations: Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee (TX-18)
Vice Chair for Labor: Congressman Don Norcross (NJ-01)
Vice Chair for Member Services: Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (MI-13)
Vice Chairs At-Large: Congressman David Cicilline (RI-01), Congressman Jesus “Chuy” García (IL-04), Congresswoman Deb Haaland (NM-01), and Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12)
Deputy Whips: Congressman Mark Takano (CA-41), Congressman Lloyd Doggett (TX-35), Congressman Ro Khanna (CA-17), Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-12), Congressman Mondaire Jones (NY-17), Congressman Andy Levin (MI-09), Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16) and Congresswoman-elect Cori Bush (MO-01)
Executive Board Member At-Large: Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (IL-09)
Special Order Hour Conveners: Congressman-elect Jamaal Bowman (NY-16) and Congresswoman-elect Teresa Leger Fernandez (NM-03)
