The good news is we do have leaders in Washington who come from our communities and fight for our values.
Let’s be honest. It’s hard to get excited about our political choices right now. One party is unsure about who should lead, while the other wants to divide, attack, and control us.
Both parties say what they think we want to hear. Yet at People’s Action, we know actions speak louder than words. That’s why we hold all elected officials to account, whatever their party, for what they do to improve the lives of working people. This matters far more to us than what politicians say.
What matters is winning the fundamental things every one of us needs: homes, health care, education and a clean environment, with public safety and hope for the future. These are the things we work for, and the good news is we do have elected leaders in Washington who fight for these things, too: they are the members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC).
The CPC was started by six representatives in 1991, and has grown to 100 House members and one senator - Bernie Sanders. They work tirelessly to advance legislation that promotes justice and dignity for our communities, and to build a country where every one of us can thrive.
Many of the signature achievements of the Biden administration for working people–the investment of $4 trillion dollars to strengthen workers’ rights, lower the costs of healthcare and prescription drugs, transition to a green economy, cancel student debt and directly support Black, Brown and Native communities–started in proposals made by progressives we helped elect from all across the country, from Wisconsin and Minnesota to Washington State, and from Illinois to California and Texas.
The members of the CPC represent the essence of good government. When we elect leaders like them, who come from our communities, they pass policies which benefit us all and rein in the power of big corporations. We have the most diverse Congress in history, and our government is starting to crack down on companies who use monopoly power to raise prices. This is progress, and is the result of our organizing.
While Trump and his allies talk about helping working people, their 900-page blueprint for his next administration - Project 2025 - will hurt us. They will jail and deport millions, cut taxes for the wealthy and allow corporations to pollute our environment and mistreat workers. They will cut school lunches, yet force poor and working-class students to take military recruitment tests.
We, in contrast, have a plan to build a brighter future for us all. The Progressive Proposition Agenda outlines the CPC’s agenda to expand access to health care, end our housing crisis, strengthen rights and provide permanent support for working families in 2025 and beyond.
Right now, we face two futures: one of hostility and fear, and one in which every one of us can thrive. To help us understand this choice and also what is possible, we are hosting two livestream events, one in English and one in Spanish, with leaders from the CPC and leaders like you, from our communities.
Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), the CPC’s chair, will be our special guest for “Our Future Is Now” on July 31, and Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.) will join us for “Nuestro futuro comienza hoy” on July 30.
Please join our livestreams with the CPC on July 30 and 31 for these important conversations - in English and en español - about the two futures we face, and the concrete steps we can take to defend democracy and the wellbeing of our people. Together, we can build a better future.
Sulma Arias is executive director of People's Action and the People's Action institute, a national network of grassroots groups with more than a million members in 38 states.
I am from East Palestine, OH where a Norfolk Southern train derailed in Feb. 2023, spilling chemicals into my community and ultimately leading to an unnecessary and intentional poisoning of thousands of people. The biggest issue I have seen in our government regarding the response to the disaster is a lack of communication with residents on the ground. They have no clue that we are still here, still sick, and still suffering.
Good Stuff