Indian-American House Representative and Progressive Pramila Jayapal was elected as the Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus on Wednesday, 9 December.
Chennai-born Jayapal, the first Indian-American woman to serve in the US House of Representatives, has vowed to deliver progressive policies that bring real relief to families, advance racial justice and tackle inequality through her new role.
"We have massive crises knocking at our nation’s door, and the work of the Progressive Caucus has never been more important. 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,” said Congresswoman Jayapal on being elected.
“It’s time for Congress to act boldly, restoring power to where it belongs – with the people. 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.”
The Congressional Progressive Caucus is currently made up of nearly 100 members who champion progressive ideals in Congress and throughout the United States.
Since being instated in 1991, it has advocated for progressive policies that prioritise working Americans over corporate interests, fight economic and social inequality and advance civil liberties, says Jayapal's website.
The Congressional Progressive Caucus 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.
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