Progressives actually DO have a Plan -- and a Voting Block too -- Who knew?
Certainly not our Tea Party obsessed Media.
[...] Congressman Raúl Grijalva, co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC), reminding us that a “Gang of Seventy” Democrats in the House has already vowed to oppose any deal which cuts benefits in Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid.
“Our Gang of Seventy-plus has the Gang of Six completely outnumbered,” says Grijalva. “And with Republicans not voting for any package, period, because of their opposition to a functional economy, House Democrats hold the key to whatever plan can pass Congress.”
Grijalva and his allies point to the CPC People’s Budget as an alternative more in sync with what people want and the economy needs—a budget that calls for shared sacrifice. For example, 66 percent of Americans favor raising income tax rates on those making more than $250,000 and 67 percent support raising the wage cap for Social Security taxes. Both of these measures are included in the CPC budget.
It’s a budget that also offers sensible cuts to military spending run amok, new tax brackets for millionaires and billionaires, and an investment of $1.45 trillion in job creation, education, clean energy, broadband infrastructure, housing, and R&D. And it does all of this while achieving a lower debt-to-GDP ration in 2020 than [... that ] budget proposal from Republican Congressman Paul Ryan.
Go “Gang of Seventy” -
They Support the People’s Budget But the Establishment Doesn’t
by Katrina vanden Heuvel, The Nation Magazine - July 20, 2011
Thanks Katrina. What a Fighter she is, still.
Our Caucus is smarter -- than their Caucus!
Congressional Progressive Caucus -- (CPC)
Caucus Members
Co-Chairs
Keith Ellison
Raúl Grijalva
Vice Chairs
Tammy Baldwin
Judy Chu
William “Lacy” Clay
Sheila Jackson-Lee
Chellie Pingree
Whip
Hank Johnson
Senate Member
Bernie Sanders
House Members
Karen Bass
Xavier Becerra
Earl Blumenauer
Robert Brady
Corrine Brown
Michael Capuano
Andre Carson
Donna Christensen
Yvette Clarke
Emanuel Cleaver
David Cicilline
Steve Cohen
John Conyers
Elijah Cummings
Danny Davis
Peter DeFazio
Rosa DeLauro
Donna Edwards
Sam Farr
Chaka Fattah
Bob Filner
Barney Frank
Marcia Fudge
Luis Gutierrez
Maurice Hinchey
Mazie Hirono
Michael Honda
Jesse Jackson, Jr.
Eddie Bernice Johnson
Marcy Kaptur
Dennis Kucinich
Barbara Lee
John Lewis
David Loebsack
Ben Ray Lujan
Carolyn Maloney
Ed Markey
Jim McDermott
James McGovern
George Miller
Gwen Moore
Jim Moran
Jerrold Nadler
Eleanor Holmes Norton
John Olver
Frank Pallone
Ed Pastor
Donald Payne
Jared Polis
Charles Rangel
Laura Richardson
Lucille Roybal-Allard
Bobby Rush
Linda Sanchez
Jan Schakowsky
Jose Serrano
Louise Slaughter
Pete Stark
Bennie Thompson
John Tierney
Nydia Velazquez
Maxine Waters
Mel Watt
Peter Welch
Frederica Wilson
Lynn Woolsey
Whew! That's a lot of Brain-power!
CPC Calls for Clean Debt Ceiling, Supports The America Pays Its Bills Act
Congressional Progressive Caucus -- 7/28/11
With Republicans in Washington continuing to risk default on the full faith and credit of the United States, the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) is urging an end to political posturing to avert this catastrophe. Yesterday the CPC adopted a resolution in support of H.R. 2663, The America Pays Its Bills Act [...]
Be it resolved that by recorded vote on July 27, 2011, the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) has agreed to endorse H.R. 2663, The America Pays Its Bills Act offered by Mr. Welch of Vermont. The bill calls for a clean debt ceiling vote in order to end the Republican-created Default crisis.
Be it further resolved that failing a timely, satisfactory legislative agreement to end the Republican- created default crisis, the CPC urges the President to use his powers granted under section 4 of the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution in order to raise the ceiling.
"America Pays Its Bills" -- kind of has a nice ring to it.
And our Gang's bigger than their Gang too.
The Sanity Party is 80 members strong.
Eighty Members Sign on to Progressive Caucus Letter Demanding No Cuts to Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security
Congressional Progressive Caucus -- 7/22/11
Washington, D.C. - Eighty Members of Congress have now signed onto a letter spearheaded by Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) leaders to Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi insisting that cuts to Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid be off the table in any budget deal. Leaders of the Congressional Black Caucus and Congressional Asian Pacific American have also signed the letter and are encouraging their respective Caucus members to join them.
Our Gang's more Fiscally responsible than their Party's Raucous Bunch too.
Budget of the Congressional Progressive Caucus -- Fiscal Year 2012
The People's Budget
Our Budget Eliminates the Deficit and Raises a $31 Billion Surplus In Ten Years
Our budget protects Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid and responsibly eliminates the deficit by targeting its main drivers: the Bush Tax Cuts, the wars overseas, and the causes and effects of the recent recession.
Our Budget Puts America Back to Work & Restores America’s Competitiveness
-- Trains teachers and restores schools; rebuilds roads and bridges and ensures that users help pay for them
-- Invests in job creation, clean energy and broadband infrastructure, housing and R&D programs
Our Budget Creates a Fairer Tax System
-- Ends the recently passed upper-income tax cuts and lets Bush-era tax cuts expire at the end of 2012
-- Extends tax credits for the middle class, families, and students
-- Creates new tax brackets that range from 45% starting at $1 million to 49% for $1 billion or more
-- Implements a progressive estate tax
-- Eliminates corporate welfare for oil, gas, and coal companies; closes loopholes for multinational corporations
-- Enacts a financial crisis responsibility fee and a financial speculation tax on derivatives and foreign exchange
[... More ]
Our Budget’s Bottom Line
-- Deficit reduction of $5.6 trillion
-- Spending cuts of $1.7 trillion
-- Revenue increase of $3.9 trillion
-- Public investment $1.7 trillion
That's 7.3 with a T in Deficit Reductions and Spending Cuts -- ALL WITHOUT cutting the Big Three!
You'd think the 60% plus of the People who want to protect Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security
-- You'd think THEY just MIGHT want to hear about that Plan. At least as a Counter-Point maybe?
At least as a motivation to VOTE even MORE Progressives into Office Next Year?
you'd think. Apparently the Corporate Media has other "thoughts" ...
Maybe if the CPC started "pouting and throwing tantrums" too -- we get some Media Attention, then?
... at least a much as the 60-member Tea Party Caucus who would rather throw the Country overboard, than pay OUR Bills.
We Progressives, have a Plan too. And our Representatives -- Actually studied, actually Did their Homework.
The Congressional Progressive Caucus actually takes Governing SERIOUSLY.
No seriously. They are the Adults in the room. They still Represent the People.
The People's Budget actually addresses the Real Problems in the Economy
-- NOT those phantom problems from some Ideological Pledge, that the Tantrum-throwers may have signed -- one day back in "band camp" -- back in the days when they were "pledging" to get into their Frat House of choice. Back when they were looking for their Ticket to the Big Times ...
Good times, good times ... Not a Care in the World ... except
TEA Paaaarty!
Why is it the kids that Study, always have to cleanup after, the kids that DON'T -- when they trash the Community Center?
Doesn't seem fair now, does it?