October, 22 2020, 12:00am EDT
Center for Popular Democracy Action Condemns the Judiciary Committee Vote of Amy Coney Barrett
In response to the Senate Judiciary Committee's scheduling of the vote to confirm Amy Coney Barrett, Ana Maria Archila, Co-Executive Director of the Center for Popular Democracy Action, issued the following statement:
WASHINGTON
In response to the Senate Judiciary Committee's scheduling of the vote to confirm Amy Coney Barrett, Ana Maria Archila, Co-Executive Director of the Center for Popular Democracy Action, issued the following statement:
"We urge every senator who respects democracy to vote against the sham process of Amy Coney Barrett's nomination just two weeks before election day when our national election is already in process. Across the country, 40 million people have already voted -- they are energized and know what's at stake. We are grateful to the Democratic senators on the Judiciary Committee for standing up for the American people today by boycotting the vote -- and we expect other senators to show that same courage in the full senate vote next week.
Amy Coney Barrett's well-documented opinions on Roe v. Wade and healthcare go against the majority of the public, and she is well aware that Trump is planning on using her presence in the court to side with him if the election results proceed to the Court.
Senator McConnell has had the votes necessary to support people in the worst crisis of generations. Instead, the Republicans are using their majority to deny people rights and once again show they are only interested in the pursuit and consolidation of power.
A vast majority of Americans have made it clear that the Senate should focus on providing relief to the millions of people reeling from the flailing economy, not filling a Supreme Court seat. Yet Republicans refuse to listen or care, putting their insatiable quest for power ahead of the people they vowed to serve and the Constitution they swore to uphold.
It is the courage of people who show up for one another that has defined the Trump years -- people resisting at every turn. That is the courage we're asking Democratic senators to display in this moment. We saw it in action in the Committee members' boycott today. Now, we need others to follow suit to stand against this shameful power grab meant to circumvent and silence the voice of the people."
The Center for Popular Democracy works to create equity, opportunity and a dynamic democracy in partnership with high-impact base-building organizations, organizing alliances, and progressive unions. CPD strengthens our collective capacity to envision and win an innovative pro-worker, pro-immigrant, racial and economic justice agenda.
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Sanders and AOC Unveil Resolution to Apologize for US Role in Chile Coup, Declassify Secret Docs
"We must make clear that we regret our involvement and commit to supporting Chilean democracy," said Sen. Bernie Sanders.
Sep 21, 2023
Sen. Bernie Sanders, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and several other U.S. lawmakers introduced a resolution on Thursday that formally commemorates the 50th anniversary of the deadly 1973 military coup in Chile and apologizes for the role the United States played in the toppling of the Latin American nation's democratically elected government.
The resolution also calls for the declassification of all remaining U.S. documents related to the coup and the events preceding and following it.
"Let me be clear: we must stand up for democracy here in the United States and beyond," Sanders (I-Vt.) said in a statement. "And that means we must also acknowledge that the United States has not always defended democracy abroad, and in fact, has sometimes done the opposite."
"As we mark the 50th anniversary of the horrific coup in Chile, we must make clear that we regret our involvement and commit to supporting Chilean democracy," he added. "To build the lasting partnerships we need in this hemisphere, we will need to establish a basis of trust and respect. Part of that process includes full accountability for the coup and its aftermath."
"Fifty years ago, the U.S. government supported a violent coup that toppled democracy in Chile and brought years of mass murder and authoritarianism to the country."
The new resolution comes after Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) joined a group of U.S. lawmakers on a Latin America trip that included a stop in Chile, where the New York Democrat stressed the importance of declassifying the coup-related documents to shed more light on the Nixon administration's role in the violent ouster of Salvador Allende on September 11, 1973.
That day, Gen. Augusto Pinochet led the Chilean military in seizing control of the nation's government and ushering in a decadeslong reign of brutal repression and terror. Tens of thousands of Chileans were tortured, killed, or disappeared by the Pinochet regime.
In the lead-up to the coup, then-President Richard Nixon ordered the CIA to make Chile's economy "scream" as part of an effort to prevent Allende, a democratic socialist, from taking office.
Decades after the coup—during which Allende took his own life after refusing to step aside—the CIA acknowledged that it "actively supported" the Pinochet regime and that some of its agents were involved in human rights abuses.
"The U.S. cannot credibly show up as a trustworthy partner that can help advance democracy in the present if we don't own up to our complicated past," Ocasio-Cortez said Thursday.
Following the congressional delegation's visit to Chile last month, the U.S. State Department declassified two briefs that Nixon received on the day of the 1973 coup and three days prior.
"While we appreciate President Biden listening to our call and declassifying two relevant documents, there are still many outstanding questions," said Ocasio-Cortez. "The people of Chile and the victims of Pinochet's violence deserve answers."
The new resolution—also backed by Sens. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) in the Senate and Reps. Greg Casar (D-Texas) and Joaquin Castro (D-Texas) in the House—highlights the CIA's support for the Pinochet regime and points specifically to the involvement of Henry Kissinger, who served as Nixon's national security adviser and later as the U.S. Secretary of State.
"Then-Secretary of State Henry Kissinger told coup leader General Augusto Pinochet in a private meeting, 'We want to help, not undermine you. You did a great service to the West in overthrowing Allende,'" the resolution states, citing a declassified transcript of a conversation between Kissinger and Pinochet in June 1976.
The resolution "expresses profound regret for the United States' contribution to destabilizing Chile's political institutions and constitutional processes" and praises "the Chilean people for rebuilding a strong and resilient democracy against the forces of authoritarianism."
The measure adds that "full accountability requires a full accounting in the form of disclosure and declassification of remaining United States records relating to events leading up to, during, and after the military coup of 50 years ago."
"Fifty years ago, the U.S. government supported a violent coup that toppled democracy in Chile and brought years of mass murder and authoritarianism to the country," Casar said in a statement. "We should apologize and be transparent about the role that the U.S. government and major economic interests played in supporting the coup and the following years of authoritarian rule. Together, we can build a new relationship based on mutual respect and a commitment to peace."
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Omar Condemns Millionaire Republicans for Pushing Huge Cuts to Medicaid and Food Benefits
The Minnesota Democrat slammed the GOP for pursuing massive safety net cuts "while doing nothing to rein in our nearly trillion-dollar Pentagon budget or the trillions they've handed out to millionaires and billionaires."
Sep 21, 2023
Rep. Ilhan Omar on Wednesday condemned her Republican colleagues for proposing a budget resolution that includes massive cuts to key aid programs while backing an extension of giveaways for the wealthy and large corporations.
"We are in the midst of a shutdown crisis because Republicans can't even organize their own caucus to pass funding levels that were already agreed to," Omar (D-Minn.) said during the House Budget Committee's markup of the new resolution. "And now they launch some of the most radical cuts to healthcare, to housing assistance, to food assistance, to the postal office, and nearly every program under the sun—all while doing nothing to rein in our nearly trillion-dollar Pentagon budget or the trillions they've handed out to millionaires and billionaires through the Trump tax cuts."
"There's a lot of awful stuff in this budget," Omar continued, pointing to the proposal's $1.9 trillion in Medicaid cuts over the next decade as well as the hundreds of millions of dollars in cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), "literally starving families who are already struggling with rising food prices."
Omar also slammed the resolution's call for a bipartisan commission to examine Social Security, Medicare, and other trust fund programs—a proposal that advocates warn is a ploy to fast-track benefit cuts.
"But what is the most sickening is that they entirely leave in place the Trump and Bush tax cuts to benefit them and their friends—which have cost over $10 trillion and are responsible for almost all of the increasing debt ratio," said the Minnesota Democrat. "Oh, and on top of that, they defund enforcement of high-earning tax cheats."
Omar went on to single out by name ultra-wealthy members of the House Budget Committee who would benefit from an extension of Trump-era tax provisions and any further weakening of the Internal Revenue Service.
"That includes Buddy Carter, who has vocally pushed to slash Medicaid and take away healthcare from his own constituents and is worth $33 million," said Omar. "And it includes Ralph Norman, one of the most extreme advocates of taking away food assistance from working people, who is worth a whopping $43 million."
The House Budget Committee advanced the GOP resolution in a party-line vote on Wednesday, with all of the panel's Democrats voting no.
Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-Pa.), the top Democrat on the committee, said in response to the vote that "just 10 days away from another Republican government shutdown, Budget Committee Republicans have revealed just how extreme their budget plan really is."
"This budget resolution is a dark vision for America," said Boyle, "one that favors the wealthy and well-connected over working families, one that makes massive cuts to the critical programs Americans rely on, and one that doubles down on the extreme demands that are driving our nation towards a shutdown."
On Wednesday, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) reportedly briefed his caucus on a "new plan" to keep the government open beyond September 30, a proposal that includes even steeper spending cuts than what the White House and GOP agreed to as part of their debt ceiling deal earlier this year.
Boyle said Wednesday that Democrats will remain opposed to the GOP's push for extreme cuts.
"While Republicans may not care about the costs of a government shutdown or the devastating impact of these cuts, Democrats do," said Boyle. "We will continue fighting to make sure this nightmarish vision never becomes reality, and we will continue fighting to invest in the American people so that we can lower the cost of living and grow the middle class. Instead of wasting more time on this far-right agenda, House Republicans need to do their job, honor the bipartisan budget agreement, and keep our government open."
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Progressives, Democrats Unleash on GOP Over Government Shutdown Chaos
"Extremists in Congress need to stop using our lives as bargaining chips," said AFSCME's president. "It's time for them to follow through on the promises they have already made to keep the government open."
Sep 20, 2023
Just 10 days away from a potential U.S. government shutdown, calls for bipartisan action to prevent it are mounting, as is outrage over Republicans in the House of Representatives who seem content with causing chaos.
"What we want is simple: No cuts. No layoffs. No shutdown," Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) Chair Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) said at an afternoon press conference. She described the "Republican shutdown" as "a ticking time bomb," and called out the GOP—particularly House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.)—for lighting the fuse.
"And who loses from these absurd, delusional political games? Working- and middle-class families will suffer," Jayapal stressed. In addition to some CPC members, she was flanked by signs calling out McCarthy and warning that MAGA Republicans are trying to pull teachers out of classrooms, kick kids out of preschool, and slash funding for food aid.
Far-right House Republicans this week have refused to support a McCarthy-backed continuing resolution (CR) that would prevent a government shutdown for a month. The measure contains provisions also opposed by congressional Democrats and President Joe Biden—including spending cuts that conflict with the Fiscal Responsibility Act, the debt limit deal Biden struck with McCarthy earlier this year.
In a Wednesday letter to McCarthy arguing that "the time has come to end partisan posturing and put forward a viable path to funding our government," 92 members of the CPC noted that the GOP has pushed for betraying the debt ceiling deal.
"We stand ready to support a bipartisan funding vehicle free of poison pill policy riders that is consistent with the agreement you struck with President Biden and which was ratified by bipartisan majorities in both the House and Senate," they wrote. "If you choose not to pass a bipartisan government funding bill consistent with the Fiscal Responsibility Act, you are deliberately choosing to shut down the government."
"We can look to the Senate for an example, where senators achieved bipartisan consensus on funding and policy for all 12 of its appropriations bills," the CPC members continued. "In contrast, your House majority has been unable to pass the vast majority of its own hyper-partisan appropriations bills, despite the inclusion of extreme policy riders and draconian spending cuts designed to accommodate the far-right faction of your conference."
The CPC was far from alone in calling out the GOP on Wednesday. The Biden White House said in a lengthy statement that "extreme House Republicans are consumed by chaos and marching our country toward a government shutdown that would damage our communities, economy, and national security."
The White House highlighted impacts of the looming shutdown, from endangering disaster response and delaying infrastructure projects to undermining medical research, food safety, and environmental and public health protections.
"These consequences are real and avoidable—but only if House Republicans stop playing political games with people's lives and catering to the ideological demands of their most extreme, far-right members," the White House added. "It's time for House Republicans to abide by the bipartisan budget agreement that a majority of them voted for, keep the government open, and address other urgent needs for the American people."
Lee Saunders, president of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME)—the nation's largest trade union of public employees—also called out "anti-worker politicians in Congress" for "going back on their word."
"They are demanding drastic cuts to the essential programs millions of families need to survive—food, housing, education, and more," he said. "And to get their way, they are using the threat of a government shutdown, which would jeopardize the livelihood of frontline federal employees as well as their families, while pausing lifesaving programs for millions of people nationwide."
"All this to appease their corporate megadonors, who care about little else besides receiving massive tax cuts," Saunders emphasized. "Extremists in Congress need to stop using our lives as bargaining chips. It's time for them to follow through on the promises they have already made to keep the government open."
The current GOP-caused chaos on Capitol Hill was arguably predicable. As Chris Lehmann
wrote Tuesday for The Nation:
Today's shutdown battle involves little in the way of clear policy objectives beyond McCarthy's rapid capitulation to far-right House demands to launch Biden impeachment inquiries and the perennial demand for more draconian measures to police the U.S. southern border. "In many ways, the shutdown is the goal," says Princeton University historian Julian Zelizer... "Meaning, to create chaos and dysfunction has become an animating goal for the GOP, which makes negotiation much harder to achieve even within the party."
[...]
Across the past quarter-century of Republican-engineered shutdowns, the clearest lesson is that the triumph of procedural nihilism only ensures that things will get worse. Since this budget bloodsport launched in 1995, Zelizer says, "we have seen a continual ratcheting up of what the GOP is willing to do: shutdowns, debt ceiling threats, and the rest are all part of the new normal. McCarthy... accepts this and agreed to rules that made these forces stronger than ever."
Given those conditions, "small groups of centrist Democrats are holding secret talks with several of McCarthy's close GOP allies about a last-ditch deal to fund the government," Politicoreported Wednesday, citing over a half-dozen people familiar with the discussions.
"Generally, the bipartisan group is focusing on two major ideas: a procedural maneuver to force a vote on a compromise spending plan—or somehow crafting a bill so popular that McCarthy can pass it and survive any challenge from the right," according to the outlet. "That bill would likely be a bipartisan short-term patch with some disaster money, Ukraine aid, and small-scale border policies."
In the meantime, Punchbowl News' John Bresnahan reported after House Republicans' Wednesday afternoon meeting that "the current thinking in House GOP leadership" is that the chamber should focus on a defense bill Thursday and Friday, then pass a new CR Saturday.
Then, the Senate could take up the CR, amend it, and send it back to House, which "will take several days" and "sets up shutdown drama for [the] following weekend," he explained, stressing that "this is all very fluid."
On the Senate side, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said Wednesday that "House Republicans rejected their own extremist bill, and by rejecting it, that's a dead giveaway they're not serious about avoiding a shutdown."
"Speaker McCarthy says he wants to avoid a shutdown, he says nobody wins in a shutdown," Schumer added. "Well, then he should reach across the aisle to find an agreement that actually has the votes to pass both chambers. That's the only way—the only way—this crisis gets resolved."
This post has been updated with comment from Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and the Groundwork Collaborative.
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