Congressional Progressive Caucus

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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 two in the Senate - Bernie Sanders and Tom Udall (NM).

Contents 1 Membership 1.1 Co-Chairs 1.2 Vice Chairs 1.3 Senate Members 1.4 House Members 1.4.1 Former members 2 Democratic Socialists of America 3 Institute for Policy Studies/Progressive Challenge 4 Communist Party on the Progressive Caucus 5 External links 6 References

Membership

Congressional Progressive Caucus membership as at Friday June 02, 2010.^[1]

Democratic Socialists of America

Democratic Socialists of America played a role in organizing the CPC, according to Chicago DSA;^[5]

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.

DSA continues to work closely with the Congressional Progressive Caucus^[6];

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.

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."^[7]

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.

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?"^[8]

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^[9].

In 1999 the Young Democratic Socialists of James Madison University wrote;^[10]

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).

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:^[11]

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^[12]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^[13];

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.

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^[14].

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.

External links

• Congressional Progressive Caucus website
• Institute for Policy Studies website
• Democratic Socialists of America website

References