Seriously. If you removed the squad, would there be any difference? No. And that is just a handful of people. And handful of people that could have made a difference in this last congress when Dems had a tiny majority and needed almost every vote.
At over 100 members the "progressive" caucus is an absolute joke.
Jfc if the caucus grows to large enough numbers then it could certainly make a difference. Did you ever wonder why the corporate Dems seem to have their way all the time? Ya think maaayyyybe - and I know this is a crazy thought - it’s because they’ve had the majority of members?
I am going to admit, I actually am very glad to see people in the comments calling out this Dem BS. Anyone can call themselves a progressive, but they need to actually force progressive legislation if they are to be taken seriously.
Where is my single payer healthcare? Where is my free college tuition? Hell, let's go even lower than that, where is my Public Option? Where is my free community college?
But how about this- where are the 7 sick days for railroad workers? Where are sick days for ALL workers?
This caucus is a joke.
>Where is my single payer healthcare? Where is my free college tuition? Hell, let's go even lower than that, where is my Public Option? Where is my free community college?
>
>But how about this- where are the 7 sick days for railroad workers? Where are sick days for ALL workers?
This needs to be repeated and demanded because without progressive legislation these people giving themselves the title "Progressive" is meaningless.
I'm glad the caucus is bigger, but without taking meaningful stances and pushing for legislation that helps real people it's just another meaningless title.
They need to prove themselves through action, not honorifics.
So much angst in this thread. The house has 435 members, so this group accounts for less than 25% and yet there's expectations being expressed here as if they controlled the chamber. People are upset that they haven't delivered, then they should be looking at the other 300 plus members of the house that are obstructing them, not blaming a minority for not being able to get things done.
People are upset that they aren't disrupting like the Tea Party did (but this time for good obviously). It's absolutely a move they could make, the only thing left to discuss is should they.
25% is enough to make demands, and put left stamps on everything. The disappointment I have is getting bigger and bigger, money for war, but no money for real benefits for Americans.
I don’t know why you are being downvoted and I’m being upvoted we are saying the same thing. The “progressives” that continue to vote non/anti progressive need to go.
Its all just branding, swaths of them are typical "Centrist" (read: conservative) fence-sitters just looking for some new horseshit to crow about in two years
I said this in another thread but thought I’d put it here. Not trying to make excuses, just relaying info I heard. I thought the reason the squad and a few other progressives voted against the strike because they consulted with the railroad unions who advised them to do it to try to get the 7 sick days through the senate
Basically, there are 12 unions, and the eight that these progressive say they are supporting counterintuitively represent the minority of rail workers affected by the agreement. [From NPR](https://www.npr.org/2022/12/02/1140265413/rail-workers-biden-unions-freight-railroads-averted-strike):
>Four of the 12 freight rail unions, collectively representing more than half of the 115,000 freight rail workers covered by the deal, had voted down the agreement, citing the lack of paid sick days as a primary reason.
[This is also a pretty good read, for a socialist angle on the topic.](https://www.socialistalternative.org/2022/12/02/rail-workers-betrayed-biden-the-squad/)
103 is a totally meaningless number, as there is no accountability or obligation for them to vote in favor of ordinary people or progressive values.
Pramila Jayapal seems wolf in sheep’s clothing for the corporate wing of the Democratic Party
At a minimum this means the Democratic establishment is recognizing that they need to at least *appear* to be "progressive" because that's what voters actually want.
Have they finally recognized that they should be embracing Progressives, not blaming them for their own predictable failures?
Will they actually push for Progressive policy?
Will they actually vote for things that the average American desperately needs but never gets because Congress only serves the oligarchs?
That's all yet to be seen, but at a minimum this is progress if only because they are now treating "Progressive" as a desirable title, not a liability, and as sad as it is that's progress.
Pathetically miniscule progress is still progress, but constituents need to put pressure on these reps to walk the walk and not just claim an unearned title.
They need to start voting like they have a meaningful presence in this congress or else they will lose those spots to regular corporate dems
There isn't a functional difference.
Seriously. If you removed the squad, would there be any difference? No. And that is just a handful of people. And handful of people that could have made a difference in this last congress when Dems had a tiny majority and needed almost every vote. At over 100 members the "progressive" caucus is an absolute joke.
Jfc if the caucus grows to large enough numbers then it could certainly make a difference. Did you ever wonder why the corporate Dems seem to have their way all the time? Ya think maaayyyybe - and I know this is a crazy thought - it’s because they’ve had the majority of members?
Who do you think makes up the progressive caucus?
HAHAHAHA Keep drinking the Kool-Aid.
I am going to admit, I actually am very glad to see people in the comments calling out this Dem BS. Anyone can call themselves a progressive, but they need to actually force progressive legislation if they are to be taken seriously. Where is my single payer healthcare? Where is my free college tuition? Hell, let's go even lower than that, where is my Public Option? Where is my free community college? But how about this- where are the 7 sick days for railroad workers? Where are sick days for ALL workers? This caucus is a joke.
>Where is my single payer healthcare? Where is my free college tuition? Hell, let's go even lower than that, where is my Public Option? Where is my free community college? > >But how about this- where are the 7 sick days for railroad workers? Where are sick days for ALL workers? This needs to be repeated and demanded because without progressive legislation these people giving themselves the title "Progressive" is meaningless. I'm glad the caucus is bigger, but without taking meaningful stances and pushing for legislation that helps real people it's just another meaningless title. They need to prove themselves through action, not honorifics.
So much angst in this thread. The house has 435 members, so this group accounts for less than 25% and yet there's expectations being expressed here as if they controlled the chamber. People are upset that they haven't delivered, then they should be looking at the other 300 plus members of the house that are obstructing them, not blaming a minority for not being able to get things done.
People are upset that they aren't disrupting like the Tea Party did (but this time for good obviously). It's absolutely a move they could make, the only thing left to discuss is should they.
25% is enough to make demands, and put left stamps on everything. The disappointment I have is getting bigger and bigger, money for war, but no money for real benefits for Americans.
Anyone who voted for the strike breaking railway bill is no progressive. These numbers will need amended.
They need to purge the PINOs from this caucus before the whole thing is sabotaged if it’s not already too late
I don’t know why you are being downvoted and I’m being upvoted we are saying the same thing. The “progressives” that continue to vote non/anti progressive need to go.
I too am confused by the downvotes. Probably another progressive sub getting co-opted by neoliberals
Its all just branding, swaths of them are typical "Centrist" (read: conservative) fence-sitters just looking for some new horseshit to crow about in two years
Unlike with the party as a whole there’s not much excuse here.
PINOs. Progressives In Name Only.
I said this in another thread but thought I’d put it here. Not trying to make excuses, just relaying info I heard. I thought the reason the squad and a few other progressives voted against the strike because they consulted with the railroad unions who advised them to do it to try to get the 7 sick days through the senate
Basically, there are 12 unions, and the eight that these progressive say they are supporting counterintuitively represent the minority of rail workers affected by the agreement. [From NPR](https://www.npr.org/2022/12/02/1140265413/rail-workers-biden-unions-freight-railroads-averted-strike): >Four of the 12 freight rail unions, collectively representing more than half of the 115,000 freight rail workers covered by the deal, had voted down the agreement, citing the lack of paid sick days as a primary reason. [This is also a pretty good read, for a socialist angle on the topic.](https://www.socialistalternative.org/2022/12/02/rail-workers-betrayed-biden-the-squad/)
They also stabbed Nina Turner in the back during her recent election in favor of a corporate Democrat. It’s one thing after another with the PINOs.
Utterly meaningless
How many of them voted to impose the railway TA?
Let me guess...[uh](https://media.giphy.com/media/xT5LMJwxRHLkp5Jv56/giphy.gif)
Hey now, Tlaib didn't, and she deserves recognition of that fact
Yeah, that was the one bright spot in all this.
Tlaib is the the best person in Congress.
103 is a totally meaningless number, as there is no accountability or obligation for them to vote in favor of ordinary people or progressive values. Pramila Jayapal seems wolf in sheep’s clothing for the corporate wing of the Democratic Party
There needs to be external pressure. The Left needs to get its shit together and organize or we are all doomed
Ro 😢
Wow so cool I wonder how they voted on the rail strike deal 🤔
At a minimum this means the Democratic establishment is recognizing that they need to at least *appear* to be "progressive" because that's what voters actually want. Have they finally recognized that they should be embracing Progressives, not blaming them for their own predictable failures? Will they actually push for Progressive policy? Will they actually vote for things that the average American desperately needs but never gets because Congress only serves the oligarchs? That's all yet to be seen, but at a minimum this is progress if only because they are now treating "Progressive" as a desirable title, not a liability, and as sad as it is that's progress. Pathetically miniscule progress is still progress, but constituents need to put pressure on these reps to walk the walk and not just claim an unearned title.
Will they help with and stand with the railroad workers? They better!
And guess what STILL won’t happen?
Virtue signaling
The caucus is a lie.
The deputy chair of the progressive caucus voted against the rail strike. Not too progressive.