Jayapalbak

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progressive caucus takes no corp $

TERMED OUT 2024

insta DPFHfNegVO0

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8 23 ltr to anne

Cosponsor the We the People Amendment

Sending Office: Honorable Pramila Jayapal

Sent By: Eliazar.Chacha@mail.house.gov

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11 25 crooked com

orig organizer // zm

Live from D.C. w. Rep. Pramila Jayapal and Suzanne Lambert | Crooked Media

fox 8 min on violent overthrow; moved hse bc man w gun shd not say hang but she not even black, firing squad

fox Rep. Jayapal says it is 'inspiring' when people obstruct ICE | Fox News

Rep. Jayapal calls it 'inspiring' when she sees groups obstruct ICE

Washington Rep. Jayapal promotes 'Resistance Lab' training to counter what she calls 'democratic backsliding'

By Rachel del Guidice Fox News

Published July 7, 2025 4:59pm EDT | Updated [July 7, 2025

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Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., said in a new interview that she is most inspired when she sees people obstructing ICE.

"Some of the most inspiring things have been when people encircle courtrooms and refuse to allow ICE agents in," Jayapal said during a conversation with Joy Reid on of "The Joy Reid Show."

"There are all kinds of nonviolent resistance tactics that we have to use," Jayapal added. "And I've started something called Resistance Lab… It's a training on really the documented most effective ways to counter democratic backsliding, nonviolent resistance tactics to build that movement."

Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., said she is most inspired when she sees people obstructing ICE. (Nathan Posner/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

ICE DIRECTOR SAYS PROGRESSIVE DEM SHOULD APOLOGIZE TO VOTERS AFTER CALLING AGENCY A 'TERRORIST FORCE'

The Resistance Lab website, which includes a page on Jayapal’s new book, "USE THE POWER YOU HAVE: A Brown Woman’s Guide to Politics and Political Change," is advertising a "Virtual Organizing Training 1.0" on July 13.

The website says that Jayapal "knew we need a way to turn our anger, fear, and frustration into action and progress. That’s exactly why she launched The Resistance Lab, an in-depth organizing training to build our movement and give you the tools you need in this moment. The scary truth is that democracies fall in a matter of months. So this is an immediate, urgent matter – and we need to quickly build our capacity to resist."

Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., has been critical of ICE, calling it a "terrorist force" in a recent Instagram post. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) (Getty)

'SQUAD' DEM SAYS TRUMP MAY JAIL PEOPLE 'FOR PRACTICING DIVERSITY' AFTER VISITING ICE-DETAINED STUDENTS

"We've already trained over 10,000 people in all 50 states," Jayapal told Reid. "And the next one's coming up on July 13. So, we're going to keep doing those, because that is what we have to realize is the United States has been complacent for too long. We think that maybe these checks and balances were supposed to keep us safe, but we're seeing that they assume that people on the other side also care about the Constitution. Not the case right now."

The Washington State lawmaker has been critical of ICE, calling it a "terrorist force" in a recent Instagram post.

Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., has called ICE’s immigration enforcement "outrageous," "unconstitutional," and "illegal." (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE

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ICE is acting like a terrorist force.

People across the country of all legal statuses — including U.S. citizens — are being kidnapped and disappeared off the street by masked men.

No oversight, no accountability. Completely lawless.

She then defended the comment during an interview with CNN, where she was asked to respond to the White House’s criticism of her post. She retorted the White House "owes an apology" to Americans.

Jayapal also called ICE’s immigration enforcement "outrageous," "unconstitutional" and "illegal" during her CNN segment defending the comments she made, calling ICE a "terrorist force."

ICE Acting Director Todd Lyon responded to Jayapal's comments.

"Rep. Jayapal’s glorification of the harassment of law enforcement officers and of ignoring our nation’s laws is particularly concerning coming from a sitting congresswoman. Moreover, these comments came on July 4, just hours before a coordinated attack at an ICE facility in Texas, during which a local law enforcement officer was shot," Lyon told Fox News Digital. "And today — also in Texas— a violent attacker shot a U.S. Border Patrol officer. Inciting activists is not a game; there are very real consequences. I’m relieved that both these officers are expected to recover, but how much more dangerous rhetoric can we as a nation tolerate before it’s too late?"

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An Arizona Republican lawmaker on Wednesday called for the execution of a Democratic congresswoman because she urged people upset with President Donald Trump to protest in the streets.

Kingman Republican Rep. John Gillette wrote on the social media site X that U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal, a Democrat from Washington, was calling for the the government to be overthrown and should be hanged.

“Until people like this, that advocate for the overthrow of the American government are tried convicted and hanged.. it will continue,” Gillette said in response to a video of Jayapal.

That clip uploaded to X was from a longer video, which was posted online in March, that is part of Jayapal’s “Resistance Lab” series in which she and others discuss protest movements and non-violent actions. The session in question featured a speaker who studied political violence and spoke about non-violence.

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The post Gillette responded to claimed that Jayapal was making a call to violence because she said protesters should be “strike ready” and “street ready.” The Arizona Mirror watched the video in its entirety and found no calls to violence or advocating for overthrowing the government; it was focused on “non-violent resistance” to Trump and advising people on how to do that.

In contrast, Gillette has expressed support for the Trump supporters who stormed the U.S. Capitol in January 2021, who violently assaulted police officers and broke down doors and windows in order to access the building so they could stop Congress from certifying the 2020 election. In several posts on X, he called the 1,600 or so people who were prosecuted — and since pardoned by Trump — for their actions that day “political prisoners.”

He refused to answer questions when the Mirror reached him by phone on Thursday.

“You guys aren’t known for putting out accurate information,” Gillette said. “The comment is what it is, it is on the post. You can see what it is, there is no hidden meaning. No nothing. You report whatever you want to report. We are done. Stop calling me. Have a good day.”

Gillette then hung up and he did not respond to follow up questions texted to him about the post. A representative for Jayapal said that she is out of the country and currently unable to comment.

What will he need to say before Republican leadership in the House takes action? This is language that leads to violence. I’m tired of him putting us and our families at risk.

– Assistant House Democratic Leader Nancy Gutierrez

One of Gillette’s Democratic colleagues in the Arizona House of Representatives said the Kingman Republican’s call for an elected official to be put to death for exercising their First Amendment right was appalling.

“The Congresswoman was clearly talking about nonviolent protest and legal strikes — absolutely nothing violent,” Assistant House Democratic Leader Nancy Gutierrez said in a statement to the Mirror. “Representative Gillette misconstrued her words to once again put a target on a political opponent’s back, calling for her to be hanged. What will he need to say before Republican leadership in the House takes action? This is language that leads to violence. I’m tired of him putting us and our families at risk.”

Gillette’s recent comments come after some of his democratic colleagues have voiced concerns over his rhetoric after he castigated them for calling for civility and unity in the wake of the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. In a message to all his fellow lawmakers that included a racial slur, he placed blame for political violence solely on Democrats and the political left, accusing them of stoking hate and violence against Republicans.

“The tone was set by your party; unity is no longer an option,” Gillette wrote to the 59 other members of the state House. “We handed you an olive ranch (sic), and you broke it. Your party invited the radicals to the table and they took over. Now you own them. As the J**s did at Peral (sic) Harbor, Radical Muslims on 911, your party has woken the sleeping giant.”

He has also recently come under fire for Islamophobic comments that led to an ethics complaint that was ultimately dismissed. The Republican chair of the House Ethics Committee said that Gillette had a First Amendment right to say whatever he wanted on social media without consequence.

Jeff Sharlet, a professor at Dartmouth and author of “The Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War,” said he was “wary” to call Gillette’s words a direct call to violence, but said the comments were still worrying and part of a larger trend.

“I think it is grotesque what he is saying. I would be afraid that someone would maybe act on it,” Sharlet said, adding that if he were a Democratic politician who had to work with Gillette, he may be nervous. “If he got anywhere near the Congresswoman he is targeting, I’d want security to take notice.”

Discussions around political violence have reached a fever pitch in recent weeks, with high-profile conservatives laying blame on their political opponents and their rhetoric.

“We are having a punctuated burst — a historically high period of political violence that I would call America’s era of violent populism,” Dr. Robert Pape, a professor of political science at the University of Chicago who has studied political violence for 30 years, told the Mirror.

In June, Pape penned an op-ed in The New York Times saying that the country was on the brink of an “extremely violent era” in American politics.

“We are now … in the eye of the storm I was worried about,” Pape said.

Pape runs the Chicago Project on Security and Threats, a nonpartisan research center. In May, Pape’s organization found that 40% of Democrats supported the use of force to remove Trump and 25% of Republicans supported the use of military against anti-Trump protests, double what the numbers were last fall.

That violent rhetoric used by Gillette also could have an unintended consequence on him and his political allies, Pape said.

“It is going to push those supporters (of Jayapal) to becoming more defiant and probably more supportive of political violence against Republicans,” he explained. “Whatever his intentions are, it is increasing the danger to Republicans.”

Sharlet said that, although the intention behind Jayapal’s words was easy to discern, “this is not the time for ambiguous language.” Politicians, he said, should aim to speak to the public in a more truthful and concise manner.

“They need to know the way it boomerangs back in a negative way to their own community,” Pape said, adding that he’d advise them to be more like Kirk’s widow, Erika.

At the memorial service for her husband, she said she forgives the man who killed her husband, adding that “the answer to hate is not hate.”

“Erika Kirk offered an olive branch here, and we need more olive branches here,” Pape said.

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Axios reports "a schism is emerging between members of Congress who want to ban their colleagues from trading stocks over how best to accomplish their shared goal."

Congressional stock trading is the topic that Congress has long stalled as representatives grow wealthy from what looks to critics like insider trading.

U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) admitted in April that she purchased between $21,000 and $315,000 in stocks the day President Donald Trump sent stocks soaring by pausing his sweeping tariffs. Numbers also showed she dumped between $50,000 and $100,0000 in Treasury bills the day the bond market selloff badly rattled investors.

U.S. Rep. Rob Bresnahan (R-Penn.), meanwhile, sold up to $50,000 in Alibaba stock on March 4, the same day Trump doubled the tariff on Chinese imports. In fact, there are trading companies that buy and sell based upon the reliability of U.S. politicians’ market transactions.

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Axios reports House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) have expressed support for a ban, but talk appeared to stall until Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) announced last month that she plans to introduce a discharge petition on a bill to ban lawmakers, spouses and dependents from trading or owning stocks.

“Luna's going to force it, and I think we need to do that, because I'm sick of messing around," Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) told Axios, adding that he was certain "some" Democrats would sign on to a discharge petition that bypasses House leadership and forces a floor vote.

Axios reports Burchett is part of a bipartisan group that includes Reps. Seth Magaziner (D-R.I.), Chip Roy (R-Texas), Joe Morelle (D-N.Y.), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.).

Luna tells Axios she is suspicious of the bipartisan group, however, claiming members don’t actually want to bring forward a bill because they don't "want to hurt their friends.”

A senior House Democrat told Axios the bill “is causing problems and being sorted."

Read the full Axios report at this link.

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BANKING

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Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts), Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York), Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Washington) and others on the left have often said that one of the painful lessons of the Great Recession is that the United States needs more regulation of banks, not less. But according to Politico's Michael Stratford, the second Trump Administration is "gearing up to deliver a major win to Wall Street banks" by "easing rules imposed on megabanks in response to the 2008 financial crisis."

:{:{In an article published by Politico on May 31, Stratford reports, "Trump-appointed regulators are nearing completion of a proposal that would relax rules on how much of a capital cushion the nation's largest banks must have to absorb potential losses and remain solvent during periods of economic stress.}:

The plan — being developed jointly by the Federal Reserve, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation — could be released in the coming months, according to two people familiar with the discussions who were granted anonymity to discuss plans that aren't yet public. The forthcoming proposal would represent the latest policy win for the banking industry, which has been closely scrutinized and regulated since the 2008 global financial meltdown."}:

Stratford adds, "The move would be the first major banking regulation that Trump-appointed regulators take up as they advance policies they say will lead to greater economic growth."

The Politico reporter notes that under former President Joe Biden, "regulators" proposed "that large banks increase the size of their capital cushions" — a plan that was "detested by" the banking industry. And the Trump Administration's plans, according to Stratford, would be a major departure from Biden-era banking policies.

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Politico's reporting is receiving a lot of discussion on X, formerly Twitter.

Financial writer Michael Zaccardi tweeted, "Deregulation on the way? Trump administration is said to move to ease capital rules for big banks."

X user and MAGA critic Stephen Herling commented, "What’s the worst that can happen? Asking for the people back in 2007."

Another X user, Jarmo Laitinen, posted, "We all remember what happened last time they cut regulations."

X user Richard Brown wrote, "Don't protect your constituents. R.I.P. them off. Hey MAGA did you vote for this?"

Jayapal has been outspoken about the second Trump Administration and banking regulations.

The progressive congresswoman tweeted, "After the Great Recession — which cost millions of jobs and destroyed countless lives — our government put regulations in place to make sure it never happened again. Now, Trump is getting rid of those rules. What could possibly go wrong?"

*Read Michael Stratford's full article for Politico at this link.

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bill, HR 9495, which would allow a presidentially appointed treasury secretary to unilaterally strip a nonprofit of its status if deemed a “terrorism-supporting” organization, has passed in the US House of Representatives.

The bill passed 219-184, mostly along partisan lines, with Republicans in support and Democrats opposing; 15 Democrats broke with their caucus to vote in favor of the bill.

The measure, formally named the Stop Terror-Financing and Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act, has raised alarm across the nonprofit sector and US civil society, and a multitude of organizations—from civil rights groups to nonprofit media to advocacy and direct service groups—have mobilized against the bill.

The measure has raised alarm across the nonprofit sector and US civil society.

An earlier version of the bill was introduced with bipartisan support amid widespread campus protests over the war in Gaza, with at least the implication that some groups supporting or organizing those protests were also (or therefore) supporting “terrorism.”

That assumption alone would be enough to spark fears of political retribution by any president, via the secretary of the treasury, against disfavored nonprofit groups.

But the stakes of the bill were raised when Donald J. Trump won reelection this month.

Those mobilizing against the measure fear that Trump, who has publicly broadcast his interest and willingness to punish his perceived political opponents, will use the bill to target and silence any organization he disagrees with.

Those mobilizing against the measure fear that Trump…will use the bill to target and silence any organization he disagrees with.

This September, the ACLU and some 150 organizations cosigned a letter opposing the legislation, expressing “deep concerns about the bill’s potential to grant the executive branch extraordinary power to investigate, harass, and effectively dismantle any nonprofit organization—including news outlets, universities, and civil liberties organizations like ours—by stripping them of their tax-exempt status based on a unilateral accusation of wrongdoing.”

Last week, the Council on Foundations, Independent Sector, National Council of Nonprofits, and United Philanthropy Forum penned another letter, stating:

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This legislation would allow the Secretary of the Treasury to designate section 501(c) nonprofits as “terrorist supporting organizations” at the Secretary’s discretion, without requiring the Secretary to share their full evidence or reasoning with accused nonprofits. Furthermore, the legislation runs counter to constitutional due process protections by placing the burden of proof on the accused organization and providing only 90 days for organizations to demonstrate their innocence before revoking their tax-exempt status.

The bill failed an earlier House vote last week, when supporters failed to rally a two-thirds vote required for procedural reasons, with 52 Democrats breaking with their caucus to vote in favor. The House vote today, however, required only a simple majority to pass.

Speaking on the House floor Thursday, Democrat opponents of the bill warned that it could be weaponized by Trump and his administration to target political enemies and perceived opposition to the incoming president’s agenda.

Describing the bill as a “death penalty for nonprofits,” Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-TX) said that rather than protecting Americans, the measure would allow President-elect Donald Trump to “use it as a sword against those he views as his political enemies.…If this bill were to become law we would hand him a bludgeon for a crusade against those he deems the greatest danger to America, what he calls ‘the enemy within’.”

“It is not just Trump imposing a death sentence that should concern us but it is his power to intimidate,” said Doggett. “Clearly the bill would have a chilling effect on any group that has the audacity to challenge his chilling vision.”

Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), who chairs the Democratic Progressive Caucus, called the bill “an authoritarian play by Republicans to expand the sweeping powers of the executive branch to go after political enemies and stifle political dissent.”

Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) called the measure “a dangerous and unconstitutional bill that would allow unchecked power to target nonprofit organizations as political enemies and shut them down without due process.”

The bill now advances from the Republican-controlled House to the Senate, where its fate is uncertain.

Republican members dismissed such objections. Noting previous bipartisan support for the bill, House Ways and Means Chair Jason Smith (R-MO) blasted his colleagues across the aisle for voting against the measure.

“Despite that consistent bipartisan support,” Smith said, “the majority of our Democrat colleagues voted last week to block passage of this bill. Why?…Because President Trump won the election.”

“They now believe the authorities in this bill might be abused,” said Smith. “But every concern raised by Democrats has been addressed in this bill to ensure due process and to protect legitimate nonprofits.”

The bill now advances from the Republican-controlled House to the Senate, where its fate is uncertain—but where it very well may be defeated by Democratic senators, who still hold a slim majority.

Regardless, groups following the legislation warn that the bill is likely to return, at least in some form, in 2025—under a Republican-controlled Congress and President Donald Trump.

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odd choice for an enemy within

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data released by the Federal Reserve on Thursday shows the top 1% of Americans are the richest they've ever been.

The new data reveals that at the end of the fourth quarter last year they had a record $44.6 trillion in wealth. That's up from $30 trillion in 2020

The main driver of wealth gains last year was from the stock market hitting record highs. While wages are increasing for average Americans, the top 1% is gaining wealth at a much faster pace.

The wealth of U.S. billionaires is currently at $5.5 trillion, which is up 88% since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. The nation's rich accruing so much wealth in recent years has renewed calls for a wealth tax.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass), Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), and others are pushing to pass the Ultra-Millionaire Tax Act, which would put a 2-cent tax on every dollar of wealth over $50 million. Warren referred to U.S. President Joe Biden calling for higher taxes on billionaires during his State of the Union when the bill was reintroduced earlier this month.

"As President Biden says: No one thinks it's fair that Jeff Bezos gets enough tax loopholes that he pays at a lower rate than a public school teacher," said Warren. "All my bill is asking is that when you make it big, bigger than $50 million dollars, then on that next dollar, you pitch in 2 cents, so everyone else can have a chance."

As progressives fight to pass a wealth tax at the federal level, legislators in many states are pursuing their own wealth taxes.:

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House Democrats call on Clarence Thomas to resign over 'stunning' corruption

Jake Johnsonand Common Dreams August 11, 2023

Several House Democrats on Thursday pushed U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas to immediately resign after the investigative outlet ProPublica revealed fresh details about the powerful judge's billionaire-funded—and undisclosed—luxury vacations.

Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.), a member of the House Judiciary Committee, said in a statement that Thomas' "alleged actions are not just shocking, they are illegal."

"Disclosure laws like the ones Justice Thomas allegedly violated are meant to provide transparency and prevent corruption," Lieu added. "Justice Thomas' alleged actions don't just appear corrupt, they are corrupt because of the unprecedented scale of his ethical and legal violations. Justice Thomas has brought shame upon himself and eroded the credibility of the Supreme Court. Justice Thomas should resign immediately."

ProPublica reported Thursday that Thomas has taken at least 38 luxury trips on the dime of ultrawealthy executives and Republican donors, some of whom have had business interests reach the high court.

The outlet noted that "while some of the hospitality, such as stays in personal homes, may not have required disclosure, Thomas appears to have violated the law by failing to disclose flights, yacht cruises, and expensive sports tickets."

ProPublica's detailed account of the gifts Thomas has received for decades from a group of right-wing executives renewed outrage over the Supreme Court's lack of ethical standards. Unlike every other federal court in the U.S., the Supreme Court does not have a binding code of ethics, providing an opening for justices to take dozens of private jet flights and stay at luxury resorts with the help of conservative billionaires.

"No justice should accept these types of gifts,"Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) said Thursday. "Thomas has repeatedly brought dishonor and ethical malpractice to our highest court. I reiterate my call that he must resign. This is exactly why we need SCOTUS ethics reform."

Rep. Pramila Jayapal(D-Wash.), the chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, called Thomas' conduct "unprecedented," "stunning," and "disgusting," writing that it is "the height of hypocrisy to wear the robes of a SCOTUS [justice] and take undisclosed gifts from billionaires who benefit from your decisions."

"Resign," she added.

Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.)joined his colleagues in demanding Thomas' resignation, slamming the right-wing justice as "corrupt as hell."

Thomas insists that he has "always sought to comply with the disclosure guidelines," but the justice has a long history of failing to disclose key items, such as income that his wife has received from right-wing organizations.

In April, after ProPublicareported that Thomas has been taking undisclosed yacht and private jet trips funded by billionaire GOP megadonor Harlan Crow for more than two decades, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez(D-N.Y.) toldThe Lever that she would be willing to draft articles of impeachment against Thomas if no other House member did so.

To date, no House lawmaker has unveiled articles of impeachment even as the Supreme Court's ethical crisis spirals further out of control. An impeachment vote against Thomas would stand no chance in the House, which is controlled by Republicans.

A few House Democrats nevertheless voiced support for an impeachment vote on Thursday.

Rep. Summer Lee (D-Pa.) noted that she "called for a vote to impeach Justice Thomas if he would not resign back in April—before we even knew just how much farther his corruption goes thanks to ProPublica's reporting."

Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), for her part, wrote Thursday, "Today's a good day to impeach Clarence Thomas."

FROM YOUR SITE ARTICLES

The $267,230 RV Clarence Thomas 'scrimped and saved to afford' was financed by wealthy friend: report ›

Why the worst may be yet to come for Clarence Thomas: report ›

'You want yachts? We got yachts': Hayes blasts 'kept man' Clarence Thomas over billionaire ties ›

Staff

Chief of StaffLilah Pomerance

SchedulerNaava Ellenberg

Legislative DirectorJennifer Chan

Press SecretaryChris Evans

Committees

Budget

Education and Labor

Subcomittee on Higher Education and Workforce Investment

Subcomittee on Workforce Protections

Judiciary

Subcomittee on Immigration and Citizenship

Subcomittee on Antitrust, Commercial and Administrative Law

https://www.billtrack50.com/legislatordetail/19901

SEATTLE —U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Co-Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, announced today that Lilah Pomerance will become her new Chief of Staff in Washington, DC. Interim Chief of Staff Rachel Berkson will become the Deputy Chief of Staff while also returning to her previous role as District Director.

“As we look towards a new administration, it is time for us to deliver on a bold, transformative agenda that takes on the crises we face and makes a real impact in the lives of everyone across America. This change will take a coordinated movement that organizes on the inside and outside to fight for robust COVID-19 relief, guaranteed health care, humane immigration reform, racial justice and climate action,” said Congresswoman Jayapal.“I’m elated that Lilah will bring her wealth of experience working throughout Capitol Hill and with key outside partners to our office. She is not only highly respected at every level of government but she has the organizing mindset and core progressive values that we need to fully capitalize on this governing moment.”

“As a lifelong organizer, Representative Jayapal knows that lasting change comes from building a people-first movement that brings the voices of outside activists and advocacy groups to the halls of power,” said Pomerance.“With so much at stake, I’m looking forward to organizing alongside her on Capitol Hill, across the district and throughout the country, so we can deliver on a progressive agenda that makes a tangible difference in people’s lives. I’m honored to join her team as she continues to lead the progressive movement inside and outside of Congress.”

Berkson has served as Interim Chief of Staff since August. Prior to this, she served as District Director since Representative Jayapal first came to Congress in 2017. She has also worked as the executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Washington and as the executive director of the SEIU Washington State Council.

“I want to thank Rachel for her incredible service as interim Chief of Staff during a pivotal moment,” said Jayapal.“She has helped lead our team since the day we came to Congress, and I’m excited that she will continue to do so as Deputy Chief of Staff and District Director.”

Pomerance previously worked as the Chief of Campaigns at the Center for Popular Democracy.It was there that she led a department focused on executing issue campaigns at the local, state and federal levels. She also helped build the organization’s federal advocacy program that connected the national organization to its 50 affiliates across 34 states. From 2009 to 2017, Pomerance served in several senior roles — including Acting Political Director, Deputy Director of Government Relations and 2020 Director — at SEIU. She managed the intergovernmental affairs team that built relationships and programs with elected officials at the local, state and national levels. A key element of Pomerance’s work at SEIU was helping to create and lead a national program to influence federal policy outcomes by mobilizing members and utilizing innovative organizing tools. Prior to joining SEIU, Pomerance worked in the Office of Senator Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and on two presidential campaigns.

Index of Rep. Pramila Jayapal's staff, past and present

https://www.alternet.org/2020/08/complete-bombshell-former-top-usps-official-reveals-disturbing-new-details-of-dejoy-selection-and-mnuchin-sabotage-of-mail-service

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"Complete bombshell’: Former top USPS official reveals ‘disturbing’ new details of DeJoy selection and Mnuchin sabotage of mail service

Written by Common Dreams August 21, 2020

In his first public remarks since resigning from the U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors in protest at the end of April, David Williams on Thursday offered a number of alarming new details surrounding the selection of Trump megadonor Louis DeJoy as postmaster general and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin’s efforts to exert influence over mail operations and finances.

Williams, the former vice chairman of the USPS Board of Governors with decades of federal government experience, testified to the Congressional Progressive Caucus that what he witnessed in his final months at the Postal Service was unprecedented, detailing how Mnuchin required members of the supposedly independent board to “come to his office to kiss the ring and receive his blessing before confirmation” and made “illegal” demands of officials.

“Corruption, plain and simple. Not only is Louis DeJoy a Trump crony and clearly unqualified to be Postmaster General but he also has significant financial conflicts of interest that make him eager to destroy the USPS altogether. We won’t let him.”

—Rep. Pramila Jayapal

“The Secretary has called over board members to provide instructions and requests and express his displeasure, which is really striking. I’m not sure I’ve run into that before, where one department is trying to run another department,” said Williams, who previously served as USPS inspector general. “Normally you would simply reject the effort and report it to Congress.”

Williams told lawmakers that the removal of USPS mailboxes in several states was specifically advocated by Mnuchin, a former Goldman Sachs executive who was reportedly involved in the recruitment of DeJoy for the postmaster general position.

“The blue boxes were maybe the most interesting of all,” said Williams, a Democrat who was appointed to the Board of Governors by President Donald Trump. “Those were not part of ongoing plans. To my knowledge, as a matter of fact… Secretary Mnuchin wanted that done. His study of the Postal Service asked that it be done.”

In response to Williams’ account of Mnuchin’s interference at the independent agency, Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) said the treasury secretary should be called—and, if necessary, subpoenaed—to testify before Congress.

“This hearing is a complete bombshell,” tweeted David Dayen, executive editor of The American Prospect, which first reported that Williams resigned from the Board of Governors in protest.

Williams also offered an inside look at the process that led to the Board of Governors’ selection and May appointment of DeJoy, a former logistics executive with zero experience working for the Postal Service.

Asked whether the board interviewed other qualified candidates for the postmaster general role, Williams answered in the affirmative and characterized DeJoy as uniquely unfit for the job, recounting that he had to be coached through his interviews. Williams said DeJoy’s appointment was pushed by John Barger, a board member and Republican donor who—according to Williams—helped DeJoy “finish a number of sentences where he got stuck” and “explained to the board what Mr. DeJoy meant during the presentation.”

Rep. Andy Levin (D-Mich.) called Williams’ description of the selection process “very, very disturbing.” Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said Williams’ testimony was “stunning.”

Williams’ revelations came just hours before DeJoy is set to appear before the Republican-controlled Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, where he is expected to face questions about his sweeping policy changes that caused massive mail backlogs across the nation.

A day after DeJoy vowed to suspend the operational changes until after the November election, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said in a statement that the postmaster general “frankly admitted” to her that he has “no intention of replacing the sorting machines, blue mailboxes, and other key mail infrastructure that have been removed and that plans for adequate overtime, which is critical for the timely delivery of mail, are not in the works.”

In a letter to the USPS Board of Governors on Wednesday, 90 House Democrats demanded the immediate removal of DeJoy for using his brief tenure as postmaster general “to sabotage the United States Postal Service.”

“Despite recent claims by Mr. DeJoy that implementation of certain changes may be delayed,” the lawmakers wrote, “he has already done considerable damage to the institution and we believe his conflicts of interest are insurmountable.”

https://www.alternet.org/2020/07/she-must-resign-top-trump-official-comes-under-fire-after-new-report-exposes-extensive-corruption

Rep. Pramila Jayapal on Thursday called for the ouster of Medicare and Medicaid chief Seema Verma following a watchdog’s report revealing that the administration official violated federal requirements in her management of over $6 million in contracts.

The report from inspector general at the Department of Health and Human Services, according to Jayapal (D-Wash.), added more evidence that “Verma has been using government money for her personal benefit” and showed that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services administrator engaged in “the textbook definition of corruption."

[twt]

For its audit, the OIG said it looked at three contracts for strategic communications services from June 2017 through April 2019 and found:

CMS allowed a subcontractor individual to perform inherently governmental functions, such as making managerial decisions and directing CMS employees. CMS also administered its strategic communications services contracts as personal services contracts. CMS officials exerted a level of control over the contractors’ work that exceeded what is allowed under service contracts; in essence, CMS administered these contracts as if the services had been procured under CMS’s statutory authority to contract for experts and consultants. Lastly, CMS did not comply with FAR [Federal Acquisition Regulation] requirements in managing contract deliverables and approving the use of a subcontractor, did not maintain complete working files for all three contracts, and paid some questionable costs.

The contacts, as Politico reported Thursday, “ultimately benefited GOP-aligned communications consultants.” Or, as Esquire‘s Charles Pierce put it,the IG findings showed Verma “has been helping various Republican consultants get fat.”

Government watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) responded to reporting on the inspector general’s findings with a tweet Thursday saying, “Reports like this are exactly why we need independent IGs to conduct robust oversight.”

Jayapal isn’t alone in her call for Verma—an ally of Vice President Mike Pence and proponent of Medicaid privatization—to replaced.

The Washington congresswoman joined seven other House Democrats in a letter to President Donald Trump on Thursday, writing, “After a 15-month inspector general (IG) investigation, it has now been proven that Verma has consistently shown a lack of good judgement when it comes to responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars.”

“She has defied rules, skirted regulations, violated trust, misled Congress, and she must be replaced,” the Democrats wrote in the letter, led by Rep. Joe Kennedy (D-Mass.).

“Besides arranging contracts with personal friends to raise her profile and thus misspending CMS dollars, the IG investigation identified additional hundreds of thousands of ‘questionable costs’ all associated with reckless spending,” the letter added. “She has put the agency at risk of fraud and abuse and therefore she has put the public in jeopardy.”

Additional scrutiny came from Reps. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-N.J.) and Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) and Sens. Patty Murray (D-Wash) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), who said in a joint statement Thursday that over “the past year, our offices have been investigating Administrator Verma’s use of millions of taxpayer dollars to retain high-end communications consultants to burnish her public profile.”

The “report confirms that Administrator Verma and her top officials used contracts in violation of federal regulations and spent taxpayer funds inappropriately to retain these private consultants,” the lawmakers continued, adding that their offices would soon release additional findings they claimed would “provide additional details on Administrator Verma’s inappropriate use of private consultants for her personal benefit.”

Verma, for her part, has rejected the IG’s conclusions, calling them “unsubstantiated assumptions and incomplete analyses.”

CREW’s deputy director Donald Sherman, in a Thursday tweet, hinted at Trump’s purge of inspectors general and the important role the watchdogs play in rooting out corruption.

“Inspectors general expose corruption like Verma’s,” he said. “That’s why President Trump hates them so much.”

===

https://www.alternet.org/2020/04/it-is-a-joke-ocasio-cortez-tears-into-republicans-shameful-servility-to-corporate-interests-during-the-pandemic/

impeach gop yellers:

"i am not yielding’: Watch Rep. Pramila Jayapal shut down Jim Jordan’s attempt to hijack impeachment hearing David Edwards / Raw S

no lnx

Just one Republican breaks ranks to join the Democrats in passing new Voting Rights Advancement Act

Written by Jake Johnson / Common Dreams December 6, 2019

Just one Republican—Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania—joined a united House Democratic caucus on Friday to pass what rights groups hailed as “historic” legislation to restore and expand voter protections that were gutted by the Supreme Court in 2013.

Lisa Gilbert, vice president of legislative affairs for Public Citizen, said passage of the Voting Rights Advancement Act (H.R. 4) is a “critical step” in combating Republican voter suppression efforts that have proliferated in the six years since the Supreme Court’s infamous decision inShelby County v. Holder.

“Numerous state legislatures have undertaken targeted and deliberate steps to limit or impede the right to vote for communities of color, students, the elderly, and people with disabilities,” said Gilbert. “Americans who are eligible to vote but are denied that right due to fabricated or illegal barriers are being deprived of the full privilege of our democracy.”

BREAKING: The House just passed #HR4, one of the most important bills to emerge during this Congress. As voter suppression continues to spread across the US, this bill would breathe life back into the Voting Rights Act. A win for the people & a win for democracy! #RestoreTheVote pic.twitter.com/TR14b3ltxQ

— Kristen Clarke (@KristenClarkeJD) December 6, 2019

BREAKING: @RepBrianFitz is the one and only House Republican that believes in voting rights. https://t.co/37aqHMYIMO

— Public Citizen (@Public_Citizen) December 6, 2019

“If we want a true democracy, we must protect the right to vote for all,” said Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. “The Voting Rights Advancement Act is critical to getting there.”

The legislation now heads to the Senate, which is controlled by Republicans. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has refused to allow a vote on Democrats’ For the People Act (H.R. 1), to which the Voting Rights Advancement Act was previously attached.

As Ari Berman of Mother Jones reported, H.R. 4—sponsored by Rep. Terri Sewell (D-Ala.)—would “initially cover 11 states: nine in the South, plus California and New York, which have more recently been found to discriminate against Latinos and Asian Americans.”

“The bill would also require all states to get federal approval for election changes that are known to disproportionately affect voters of color, such as strict voter ID laws, tighter voter registration requirements, and polling place closures in areas with large numbers of minority voters,” Berman noted.

Vanita Gupta, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, applauded the House for passing H.R. 4 and demanded that McConnell bring the bill up for a vote in the Senate as soon as possible.

“The passage of H.R. 4 in the House of Representatives today brings us one step closer to restoring the Voting Rights Act and undoing the tremendous damage of Shelby,” Gupta said in a statement. “The VRAA is too important—and the right to vote is too fundamental—to end up buried in the McConnell legislative graveyard.”

ctt koch-ademic

The practice of individuals who are funded by special interests representing themselves as independent scholars has the potential to deceive lawmakers and other public officials. U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) put forth legislation in the last Congress that would require disclosure of the sponsors of some research that is submitted as part of public comments.[[17]](https://www.citizen.org/article/koch-cog-rsc/?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=ab4a011e-a30b-428d-805a-411de0805c8e#_ftn17) Proposals such as this might provide a guide to Congress, as well as state and local governments, for ways to unmask the special interests that lurk behind purported independent scholarship.

https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-joint-resolution/48/cosponsors?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22hjr48%22%5D%7D&s=2&r=1&overview=closed#tabs

Congresswoman Jayapal Has Re-Introduced the We the People Amendment in the 116th Congress!

The We the People Amendment will overturn Citizens Unitedby ending corporate personhood and getting big money out of politics

https://www.alternet.org/2019/04/very-few-in-congress-are-questioning-how-the-us-can-spend-7-5-trillion-on-the-military-but-not-on-progressive-policies/

no lnx

Pentagon spending is on track to grow significantly for the fifth consecutive year, but “very few in Congress are questioning” how the U.S. can afford it.

That’s according to the Washington Post‘s Jeff Stein and Aaron Gregg, who reported Thursday that “the United States is expected to spend more on its military in 2020 than at any point since World War II, except for a handful of years at the height of the Iraq War.”

In his 2020 budget request, Trump called for $750 billion in Pentagon spending. Democrats countered with a $733 billion offer, which would still represent a substantial increase over the Pentagon’s 2019 budget.

Either number would bring U.S. military spending to “near-historic highs,” according to the Post.

“Earlier this year, the Congressional Budget Office projected the United States would spend more than $7 trillion on defense over the next decade,” the Post reported, “which is in line with both the White House’s and House Democrats’ budget plans.”

As Stein noted on Twitter, only a few progressive lawmakers are asking how the United States can afford such spending—a question frequently raised about bold progressive policies.

Jeff Stein

@JStein_WaPo

Apr 18, 2019

Replying to @JStein_WaPo

Also FWIW: "The United States spends more on national defense than China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, India, France, United Kingdom, and Japan combined"

View image on Twitter

Jeff Stein

@JStein_WaPo

Just a final note: Aside from a handful of lawmakers — @RoKhanna, @IlhanMN, @AOC — very few in Congress are questioning how the US can afford to spend $7.5 trillion on the military at time of already unusually high deficits

5,174

3:12 PM - Apr 18, 2019

Twitter Ads info and privacy

1,474 people are talking about this

Consumer advocacy group Public Citizen tweeted that the “establishment says we can’t afford” Medicare for All and the Green New Deal, but apparently has “unlimited” funds for the military.

As Common Dreams reported, Democratic leaders such as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and DCCC chair Cheri Bustos (D-Ill.) have both raised alarm about Medicare for All’s supposedly high “price tag”—but neither have raised similar alarm about soaring military spending.

Public Citizen

@Public_Citizen

Things the establishment says we can’t afford:

-@RepJayapal & @SenSanders' Medicare for All legislation

-@AOC's Green New Deal

-A living wage for workers

-Universal childcare

-A Federal Jobs Guarantee

-Tuition/Debt-free College

Things the establishment has unlimited $ for:

The Washington Post

@washingtonpost

U.S. military spending set to increase for fifth consecutive year, nearing levels during height of Iraq war https://wapo.st/2XhSEtI

624

3:02 PM - Apr 18, 2019

Members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) are among the few speaking out against bipartisan efforts to raise military spending.

In response to the Post‘s reporting, the CPC tweeted, “We are spending way, way, way, way too much money on the Pentagon.”

As Common Dreams reported earlier this month, the CPC revolted against House Democratic leaders’ Pentagon spending request and forced the party to cancel a vote on their sweeping 2020 budget measure.

Progressives demanded an increase in domestic social spending in line with the Pentagon’s budget.

“We need to prioritize our communities, not our military spending,” tweeted Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), co-chair of the CPC. “Progressives aren’t backing down from this fight.”

https://www.alternet.org/2019/03/2020-democrats-dont-only-have-to-face-trump-they-must-say-how-theyll-take-on-the-blob/

Jayapalbak

Rep. Jayapal calls it 'inspiring' when she sees groups obstruct ICE

Washington Rep. Jayapal promotes 'Resistance Lab' training to counter what she calls 'democratic backsliding'

Staff

Committees

Index of Rep. Pramila Jayapal's staff, past and present

"i am not yielding’: Watch Rep. Pramila Jayapal shut down Jim Jordan’s attempt to hijack impeachment hearingDavid Edwards / Raw S

Congresswoman Jayapal Has Re-Introduced the We the People Amendment in the 116th Congress!

The We the People Amendment will overturn Citizens Unitedby ending corporate personhood and getting big money out of politics

"i am not yielding’: Watch Rep. Pramila Jayapal shut down Jim Jordan’s attempt to hijack impeachment hearing David Edwards / Raw S