Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) was among the Democratic lawmakers who spoke in favor of progressive causes like immigrants' rights, healthcare, and a $15 minimum wage at the We the People Summit on Wednesday. (Photo: @LauraJONFIRE/Twitter)
'We Must Do More Than Resist': Bold, Progressive Agenda Championed at #WeThePeople Summit
"We're not just pulling the party to the left. We're pulling the party into the future."
Speaking to hundreds of grassroots organizers at the We the People Summit in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, Democratic lawmakers displayed their shift to the left on a number of causes that progressives say politicians must embrace and fight for, in order to win enthusiastic support in upcoming elections.
Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), and Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) all spoke at the gathering, as well as Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).
"We are here to send a message to the leaders of the Democratic party: we must do more than resist, and put forward an agenda that puts Main Street before Wall Street." --Chris Shelton, CWASanders' steadfast and outspoken support for popular proposals like Medicare for All, a fair federal minimum wage, and an end to income inequality has been credited with encouraging Democrats to move left--and letting party candidates and lawmakers know that a growing number of Americans will no longer support them if they continue to align themselves with Wall Street and other powerful corporate interests.
At the summit, hosted by a number of progressive groups including Indivisible, MoveOn.org, Planned Parenthood, 350 Action, and the Working Families Party, public officials and advocates alike spoke in favor of a forward-thinking agenda.
Sanders noted that while Medicare for All and a higher minimum wage were seen as radical initiatives in recent years, both now have the support of the majority of Americans, according to polls.
\u201c"Just a few years ago many of the things we are fighting for were considered too radical, like #MedicareForAll and #FightFor15 - Now these ideas are supported by the majority of American people!" @SenSanders #WeThePeople18\u201d— Indivisible Guide (@Indivisible Guide) 1528900593
\u201c"Workers said we need a living wage. Folks were saying you are crazy for trying to raise the minimum wage to $15. Well today, this is being passed in states across the country and we have 30 co-sponsors on that bill in the senate!" - @SenSanders #WeThePeople18\u201d— CWA (@CWA) 1528903466
Booker and Gillibrand spoke about the right to healthcare and Medicare for All.
\u201c"Healthcare is a right. Healthcare is a right. HEALTHCARE. IS. A. RIGHT. You cannot access the American dream without access to healthcare. When people are denied healthcare, people die. And mental and physical health are the same. Thing." @SenBooker at #WeThePeople18\u201d— Indivisible Guide (@Indivisible Guide) 1528897705
\u201c"Healthcare is a right, not a privilege, and we should be fighting for Medicare for all." @SenGillibrand #WeThePeople18\u201d— Ashley Farmer (@Ashley Farmer) 1528904027
Warren spoke about the need for criminal justice reform, while Jayapal condemned the inhumane treatment of families who have immigrated to and sought asylum in the U.S., as the Trump administration has begun forcibly separating parents and children.
\u201c"We are ruining lives by incarcerating people and putting them in sub-human conditions. And then when they are out of prison, they can't vote, can't get a driver's license, and can't get a job." @SenWarren at #WeThePeople18\u201d— Indivisible Guide (@Indivisible Guide) 1528899159
"We are here to send a message to the leaders of the Democratic party: we must do more than resist, and put forward an agenda that puts Main Street before Wall Street," said Chris Shelton, president of the Communication Workers of America (CWA), which co-hosted the event. "Stand with us, not with Wall Street!"
"We're not just pulling the party to the left. We're pulling the party into the future," said Heather McGhee, president of Demos and one of the event's moderators. "This is what Democracy looks like."
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, The U.S. is on a fast track to authoritarianism like nothing I've ever seen. Meanwhile, corporate news outlets are utterly capitulating to Trump, twisting their coverage to avoid drawing his ire while lining up to stuff cash in his pockets. That's why I believe that Common Dreams is doing the best and most consequential reporting that we've ever done. Our small but mighty team is a progressive reporting powerhouse, covering the news every day that the corporate media never will. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. And to ignite change for the common good. Now here's the key piece that I want all our readers to understand: None of this would be possible without your financial support. That's not just some fundraising cliche. It's the absolute and literal truth. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. The final deadline for our crucial Summer Campaign fundraising drive is just days away, and we’re falling short of our must-hit goal. Will you donate now to help power the nonprofit, independent reporting of Common Dreams? Thank you for being a vital member of our community. Together, we can keep independent journalism alive when it’s needed most. - Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Speaking to hundreds of grassroots organizers at the We the People Summit in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, Democratic lawmakers displayed their shift to the left on a number of causes that progressives say politicians must embrace and fight for, in order to win enthusiastic support in upcoming elections.
Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), and Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) all spoke at the gathering, as well as Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).
"We are here to send a message to the leaders of the Democratic party: we must do more than resist, and put forward an agenda that puts Main Street before Wall Street." --Chris Shelton, CWASanders' steadfast and outspoken support for popular proposals like Medicare for All, a fair federal minimum wage, and an end to income inequality has been credited with encouraging Democrats to move left--and letting party candidates and lawmakers know that a growing number of Americans will no longer support them if they continue to align themselves with Wall Street and other powerful corporate interests.
At the summit, hosted by a number of progressive groups including Indivisible, MoveOn.org, Planned Parenthood, 350 Action, and the Working Families Party, public officials and advocates alike spoke in favor of a forward-thinking agenda.
Sanders noted that while Medicare for All and a higher minimum wage were seen as radical initiatives in recent years, both now have the support of the majority of Americans, according to polls.
\u201c"Just a few years ago many of the things we are fighting for were considered too radical, like #MedicareForAll and #FightFor15 - Now these ideas are supported by the majority of American people!" @SenSanders #WeThePeople18\u201d— Indivisible Guide (@Indivisible Guide) 1528900593
\u201c"Workers said we need a living wage. Folks were saying you are crazy for trying to raise the minimum wage to $15. Well today, this is being passed in states across the country and we have 30 co-sponsors on that bill in the senate!" - @SenSanders #WeThePeople18\u201d— CWA (@CWA) 1528903466
Booker and Gillibrand spoke about the right to healthcare and Medicare for All.
\u201c"Healthcare is a right. Healthcare is a right. HEALTHCARE. IS. A. RIGHT. You cannot access the American dream without access to healthcare. When people are denied healthcare, people die. And mental and physical health are the same. Thing." @SenBooker at #WeThePeople18\u201d— Indivisible Guide (@Indivisible Guide) 1528897705
\u201c"Healthcare is a right, not a privilege, and we should be fighting for Medicare for all." @SenGillibrand #WeThePeople18\u201d— Ashley Farmer (@Ashley Farmer) 1528904027
Warren spoke about the need for criminal justice reform, while Jayapal condemned the inhumane treatment of families who have immigrated to and sought asylum in the U.S., as the Trump administration has begun forcibly separating parents and children.
\u201c"We are ruining lives by incarcerating people and putting them in sub-human conditions. And then when they are out of prison, they can't vote, can't get a driver's license, and can't get a job." @SenWarren at #WeThePeople18\u201d— Indivisible Guide (@Indivisible Guide) 1528899159
"We are here to send a message to the leaders of the Democratic party: we must do more than resist, and put forward an agenda that puts Main Street before Wall Street," said Chris Shelton, president of the Communication Workers of America (CWA), which co-hosted the event. "Stand with us, not with Wall Street!"
"We're not just pulling the party to the left. We're pulling the party into the future," said Heather McGhee, president of Demos and one of the event's moderators. "This is what Democracy looks like."
Speaking to hundreds of grassroots organizers at the We the People Summit in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, Democratic lawmakers displayed their shift to the left on a number of causes that progressives say politicians must embrace and fight for, in order to win enthusiastic support in upcoming elections.
Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), and Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) all spoke at the gathering, as well as Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).
"We are here to send a message to the leaders of the Democratic party: we must do more than resist, and put forward an agenda that puts Main Street before Wall Street." --Chris Shelton, CWASanders' steadfast and outspoken support for popular proposals like Medicare for All, a fair federal minimum wage, and an end to income inequality has been credited with encouraging Democrats to move left--and letting party candidates and lawmakers know that a growing number of Americans will no longer support them if they continue to align themselves with Wall Street and other powerful corporate interests.
At the summit, hosted by a number of progressive groups including Indivisible, MoveOn.org, Planned Parenthood, 350 Action, and the Working Families Party, public officials and advocates alike spoke in favor of a forward-thinking agenda.
Sanders noted that while Medicare for All and a higher minimum wage were seen as radical initiatives in recent years, both now have the support of the majority of Americans, according to polls.
\u201c"Just a few years ago many of the things we are fighting for were considered too radical, like #MedicareForAll and #FightFor15 - Now these ideas are supported by the majority of American people!" @SenSanders #WeThePeople18\u201d— Indivisible Guide (@Indivisible Guide) 1528900593
\u201c"Workers said we need a living wage. Folks were saying you are crazy for trying to raise the minimum wage to $15. Well today, this is being passed in states across the country and we have 30 co-sponsors on that bill in the senate!" - @SenSanders #WeThePeople18\u201d— CWA (@CWA) 1528903466
Booker and Gillibrand spoke about the right to healthcare and Medicare for All.
\u201c"Healthcare is a right. Healthcare is a right. HEALTHCARE. IS. A. RIGHT. You cannot access the American dream without access to healthcare. When people are denied healthcare, people die. And mental and physical health are the same. Thing." @SenBooker at #WeThePeople18\u201d— Indivisible Guide (@Indivisible Guide) 1528897705
\u201c"Healthcare is a right, not a privilege, and we should be fighting for Medicare for all." @SenGillibrand #WeThePeople18\u201d— Ashley Farmer (@Ashley Farmer) 1528904027
Warren spoke about the need for criminal justice reform, while Jayapal condemned the inhumane treatment of families who have immigrated to and sought asylum in the U.S., as the Trump administration has begun forcibly separating parents and children.
\u201c"We are ruining lives by incarcerating people and putting them in sub-human conditions. And then when they are out of prison, they can't vote, can't get a driver's license, and can't get a job." @SenWarren at #WeThePeople18\u201d— Indivisible Guide (@Indivisible Guide) 1528899159
"We are here to send a message to the leaders of the Democratic party: we must do more than resist, and put forward an agenda that puts Main Street before Wall Street," said Chris Shelton, president of the Communication Workers of America (CWA), which co-hosted the event. "Stand with us, not with Wall Street!"
"We're not just pulling the party to the left. We're pulling the party into the future," said Heather McGhee, president of Demos and one of the event's moderators. "This is what Democracy looks like."