To donate by check, phone, or other method, see our More Ways to Give page.
Progressive primary challengers including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.; second from right) vehemently opposed the DCCC policy of denying funding for consultants seeking work on campaigns against Democratic House incumbents. (Photo: Alex Wroblewski/Getty Images)
Progressives on Tuesday cheered news that the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is officially lifting a controversial ban on political consultants or firms who worked for candidates mounting primary challenges against incumbent House lawmakers.
"We have primaries to make sure we have the best and the brightest in every party. So primaries should be unemcumbered by outside forces."
--Rep. Marie Newman (D-Ill.)
Politico reports DCCC chair Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D-N.Y.) pronounced the end of the ban Tuesday morning, fulfilling a promise he made while campaigning for the position. The policy, which was implemented in 2019, prohibited the DCCC from hiring or even recommending contractors offering services to primary candidates running against Democratic House incumbents.
Progressives seethed at the proscription, which they said unfairly targeted them. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), then vice-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, called the policy "an unprecedented grab of power" and "a slap in the face of Democratic voters."
Despite concerns that the policy could continue unofficially, leftist lawmakers applauded the shift. "It's an enormous win," Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) told Politico. "The escalation and aggression against the progressive wing of the party with an explicit forward-facing 'blacklist' created a lot of dissuasion against candidates even considering grassroots organizing firms."
Ocasio-Cortez--who got to Congress by defeating a 10-term Democratic incumbent in 2018--added that the ban's end would open "a door for our party to leverage strength from all parts of it."
\u201cNEW: @DCCC is officially reversing its controversial "blacklist" on Tuesday, ending a blanket ban on consultants/firms who work with primary challengers of House Dem incumbents\n\nThis is a HUGE win for progressives, who have lobbied for it for 2 years\n\nhttps://t.co/QGMqoH1SYY\u201d— Ally Mutnick (@Ally Mutnick) 1615299492
Rep. Marie Newman (D-Ill.), whose successful 2020 campaign against conservative Democratic incumbent Rep. Dan Lipinksi was beset by consultant cancellations due to the ban, also welcomed its demise.
"We have primaries to make sure we have the best and the brightest in every party," Newman told Politico. "So primaries should be unencumbered by outside forces."
Last month, Maloney told Politico that the ban--which was implemented under his DCCC predecessor, Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-Ill.)--never "made sense" to him.
However, Maloney also said that "no one should be looking for work around here if they want to go after one of our members at the same time," prompting concerns that the ban could still persist in practice.
\u201cThe DCCC is still planning to enforce its consultant ban against firms who work with primary challengers, but they've taken it out of their official paperwork. So...the ban is still in place. https://t.co/LFEuwhkreE\u201d— Ryan Grim (@Ryan Grim) 1615300362
The short-lived official ban was welcomed by centrist Democrats seeking to stymie progressive upstarts. It was embraced by members of the Congressional Black Caucus as entrenched incumbents tried--and sometimes failed--to ward off newcomers like Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.), the Black Lives Matter activist who last year ousted Rep. Lacy Clay, a Democrat whose family had represented St. Louis in Congress for half a century.
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 |
Progressives on Tuesday cheered news that the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is officially lifting a controversial ban on political consultants or firms who worked for candidates mounting primary challenges against incumbent House lawmakers.
"We have primaries to make sure we have the best and the brightest in every party. So primaries should be unemcumbered by outside forces."
--Rep. Marie Newman (D-Ill.)
Politico reports DCCC chair Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D-N.Y.) pronounced the end of the ban Tuesday morning, fulfilling a promise he made while campaigning for the position. The policy, which was implemented in 2019, prohibited the DCCC from hiring or even recommending contractors offering services to primary candidates running against Democratic House incumbents.
Progressives seethed at the proscription, which they said unfairly targeted them. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), then vice-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, called the policy "an unprecedented grab of power" and "a slap in the face of Democratic voters."
Despite concerns that the policy could continue unofficially, leftist lawmakers applauded the shift. "It's an enormous win," Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) told Politico. "The escalation and aggression against the progressive wing of the party with an explicit forward-facing 'blacklist' created a lot of dissuasion against candidates even considering grassroots organizing firms."
Ocasio-Cortez--who got to Congress by defeating a 10-term Democratic incumbent in 2018--added that the ban's end would open "a door for our party to leverage strength from all parts of it."
\u201cNEW: @DCCC is officially reversing its controversial "blacklist" on Tuesday, ending a blanket ban on consultants/firms who work with primary challengers of House Dem incumbents\n\nThis is a HUGE win for progressives, who have lobbied for it for 2 years\n\nhttps://t.co/QGMqoH1SYY\u201d— Ally Mutnick (@Ally Mutnick) 1615299492
Rep. Marie Newman (D-Ill.), whose successful 2020 campaign against conservative Democratic incumbent Rep. Dan Lipinksi was beset by consultant cancellations due to the ban, also welcomed its demise.
"We have primaries to make sure we have the best and the brightest in every party," Newman told Politico. "So primaries should be unencumbered by outside forces."
Last month, Maloney told Politico that the ban--which was implemented under his DCCC predecessor, Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-Ill.)--never "made sense" to him.
However, Maloney also said that "no one should be looking for work around here if they want to go after one of our members at the same time," prompting concerns that the ban could still persist in practice.
\u201cThe DCCC is still planning to enforce its consultant ban against firms who work with primary challengers, but they've taken it out of their official paperwork. So...the ban is still in place. https://t.co/LFEuwhkreE\u201d— Ryan Grim (@Ryan Grim) 1615300362
The short-lived official ban was welcomed by centrist Democrats seeking to stymie progressive upstarts. It was embraced by members of the Congressional Black Caucus as entrenched incumbents tried--and sometimes failed--to ward off newcomers like Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.), the Black Lives Matter activist who last year ousted Rep. Lacy Clay, a Democrat whose family had represented St. Louis in Congress for half a century.
Progressives on Tuesday cheered news that the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is officially lifting a controversial ban on political consultants or firms who worked for candidates mounting primary challenges against incumbent House lawmakers.
"We have primaries to make sure we have the best and the brightest in every party. So primaries should be unemcumbered by outside forces."
--Rep. Marie Newman (D-Ill.)
Politico reports DCCC chair Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D-N.Y.) pronounced the end of the ban Tuesday morning, fulfilling a promise he made while campaigning for the position. The policy, which was implemented in 2019, prohibited the DCCC from hiring or even recommending contractors offering services to primary candidates running against Democratic House incumbents.
Progressives seethed at the proscription, which they said unfairly targeted them. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), then vice-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, called the policy "an unprecedented grab of power" and "a slap in the face of Democratic voters."
Despite concerns that the policy could continue unofficially, leftist lawmakers applauded the shift. "It's an enormous win," Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) told Politico. "The escalation and aggression against the progressive wing of the party with an explicit forward-facing 'blacklist' created a lot of dissuasion against candidates even considering grassroots organizing firms."
Ocasio-Cortez--who got to Congress by defeating a 10-term Democratic incumbent in 2018--added that the ban's end would open "a door for our party to leverage strength from all parts of it."
\u201cNEW: @DCCC is officially reversing its controversial "blacklist" on Tuesday, ending a blanket ban on consultants/firms who work with primary challengers of House Dem incumbents\n\nThis is a HUGE win for progressives, who have lobbied for it for 2 years\n\nhttps://t.co/QGMqoH1SYY\u201d— Ally Mutnick (@Ally Mutnick) 1615299492
Rep. Marie Newman (D-Ill.), whose successful 2020 campaign against conservative Democratic incumbent Rep. Dan Lipinksi was beset by consultant cancellations due to the ban, also welcomed its demise.
"We have primaries to make sure we have the best and the brightest in every party," Newman told Politico. "So primaries should be unencumbered by outside forces."
Last month, Maloney told Politico that the ban--which was implemented under his DCCC predecessor, Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-Ill.)--never "made sense" to him.
However, Maloney also said that "no one should be looking for work around here if they want to go after one of our members at the same time," prompting concerns that the ban could still persist in practice.
\u201cThe DCCC is still planning to enforce its consultant ban against firms who work with primary challengers, but they've taken it out of their official paperwork. So...the ban is still in place. https://t.co/LFEuwhkreE\u201d— Ryan Grim (@Ryan Grim) 1615300362
The short-lived official ban was welcomed by centrist Democrats seeking to stymie progressive upstarts. It was embraced by members of the Congressional Black Caucus as entrenched incumbents tried--and sometimes failed--to ward off newcomers like Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.), the Black Lives Matter activist who last year ousted Rep. Lacy Clay, a Democrat whose family had represented St. Louis in Congress for half a century.