In the run up to the Democratic National Committee’s election of its new leader, Laura attends the Progressive Congress Summit to speak with members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) about the candidacy of their colleague Keith Ellison (D-MN). CPC co-chair and early Bernie Sanders supporter, Ellison has hotly campaigned for the post, but he has competition from Pres. Obama’s former Labor Secretary Tom Perez and others, and the race is tight.
Joining Laura this week are Representatives Mark Pocan(D-WI2); Barbara Lee (D-CA13); Pramila Jayapal(D-WA7) and Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY9).
Pocan and Lee are optimistic ; Jayapal and Clarke see challenges ahead , especially if party leaders reject the overhaul agenda Rep. Ellison has laid out. They all see a critical role for voters in this period working in collaboration with electeds. If ever there was a time to push bold progressive vision rather than timid centrism, they say, this is it – before the 2018 election.
Keith Ellison for DNC (Unofficial) | Fight for $15 | #NoBanOnStolenLands | #DNCChair
Rep. Mark Pocan was the first to introduce a bill to impeach Trump on the House floor; Rep. Barbara Lee has introduced a bill to protest Steve Bannon’s appointment to the National Security Council; Pramila Jayapal is the first Indian-American woman to serve in the House of Representatives, known for her leadership in FightFor$15 Seattle; Rep. Yvette Clarke has sponsored a bill to prohibit the use of federal funds to support the Muslim Ban executive order.
