Five years ago, when Sen. Barack Obama was running for president, he'd occasionally be confronted with the media's all-purpose stumper for liberals.What, a host or moderator would ask, would you do to tackle entitlements? Obama would say whatever he needed to say... But now, look at the Budget Conference Committee's two-year plan...It doesn't even scratch entitlements.
Can Obama Unilaterally Raise the Minimum Wage?
December 5, 2013
The chairmen of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, Reps. Raul Grijalva and Keith Ellison, wrote a letter that urges the president to circumvent Congress and sign an executive order to raise the minimum wage for workers employed through federal government contracts with private companies. This letter comes months after 49 members of the CPC requested the same thing from the president, only to hear radio silence about it from the White House.
A report by the progressive think tank Demos estimated that about 2 million workers with taxpayer-funded jobs make $12 an hour or less.
16 Days Without Work or Pay? Some in Congress Have a 'Thank You' Card for Federal Workers
October 30, 2013
It's not exactly an "I'm so sorry," but a very large thank you card to federal workers is being passed around Capitol Hill this week for members of congress to sign.
Government Shutdown 2013: Federal Workers Union rally
October 10, 2013
The Federal Workers Union rallied Thursday morning at the Capitol. The "Stop the Lockout" protest called on Congress to end the government shutdown so everyone can get back to work.
Government shutdown: Democrats preempt entitlement change talk
October 3, 2013
Liberal Democrats are already railing against the notion that entitlement programs could be scaled back as part of any grand bargain to end the government shutdown and hike the debt ceiling.
This week, three members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus including Wisconsin's own Congresswoman Gwen Moore joined fast-food and retail workers to call for an end to wage theft and raising minimum wage.
On Tuesday, May 21, Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) leaders, Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer (D-MD) will hold a hearing on how the federal government promotes a low-wage economy through federal contracts. The hearing will include testimony from federal contract workers.
Progressive Caucus Co-Chairs Reps. Grijalva (D-AZ) and Ellison (D-MN), Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Reps. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.), David Cicilline (D-R.I.) and Ted Deutch (D-Fla.) will join members of the Senate Defending Social Security Caucus, the Alliance for Retired Americans, the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare and the Strengthen Social Security Campaign in a summit Wednesday to discuss legislative and grassroots efforts protect Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and veterans’ benefits.
Coverage of Letter Asking NFIB for Donors, Members
June 14, 2012
Co-chairs Grijalva and Ellison sent a letter to the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) June 12 asking the group to disclose its donors and members, and to explain a $3.7 million grant from Karl Rove's Crossroads GPS. Here's a round
