Progressives

Progressives are mounting a campaign to have longtime congressional aide Shalanda Young elevated from deputy director of OMB to the top position.

"The $15 minimum wage itself is a compromise," said Adam Shah, policy director at Jobs With Justice.

A professor at American University said, "I think it's dead in the Senate, unless there's some miracle."

A rise in the federal minimum wage is a key goal for progressives, but is proving contentious with Republicans who question how it could impact businesses.

Lawmakers said forgiving student loan debt would address racial equity and help low-income households.

"It's absolutely essential and I believe the Senate will do it," said Representative Pramila Jayapal.

"There were vicious attacks against progressives, people who I have worked with, me personally," Sanders told Tanden during her confirmation hearing.

Representative Ilhan Omar said that the wage increase is supported by the "overwhelming majority of Americans, including in swing states."

"Last I heard, someone making $55,000 a year is not 'rich,'" Senator Bernie Sanders tweeted.

"The filibuster was never intended to be used and abused the way it has been over the past decade," a coalition of 62 progressive groups wrote in a letter to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) on Friday.

"Today marks the beginning of a new era in our foreign policy," Representative Ro Khanna said.

The No Excuses PAC argues the two Democratic senators are moving the party away from "real solutions to half measures" in the name of bipartisanship.

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez accused Senator Ted Cruz and other Republican lawmakers of being eager to "move on" from the Capitol riot without discussing accountability.

Bernie Sanders said providing emergency relief was the "most important" issue facing the U.S. at the moment.

President Joe Biden spent his first week in office signing executive orders and memorandums on priority issues, including climate change, LGBT rights, the economy and health care.

The president is proposing another one-off payment of up to $1,400 per person, but some lawmakers are calling for more.

Two Democratic senators affirmed their support for protecting the 60-vote legislative filibuster, reassuring Republicans that there won't be enough votes to kill the procedural tool.

Both political parties have made changes to the filibuster in the past, but now some Democrats want it gone completely.

The Squad of left-leaning Democratic lawmakers is calling for "real substantial change" under the new administration.

"While you may politically regret what you've revealed about yourself, you still have no place in public office," tweeted Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

"There are some things in some areas that I know we can work together," Representative Jeff Van Drew explained. "The way to do that is not to call for another impeachment."

Expansive COVID relief, $15 federal minimum wage and renewable energy infrastructure package among calls made by progressive Democrats in response to victory in Georgia senatorial runoffs

Amid relentless pressure from progressives, the president-elect shifted from his endorsement of no-check stimulus legislation. He now promises $2,000 stimulus checks—if Georgia Democrats win.

Meet the four AOC-backed progressive lawmakers who were sworn into Congress this Sunday.

In a shrewd play for $2,000 stimulus checks, Sanders is leveraging a Pentagon bill to try to secure aid for millions of struggle Americans

"We have to deliver and we have to deliver bold, it cannot be incremental," Progressive Caucus chair Pramila Jayapal told Newsweek.

Representative Kathleen Rice secured the final seat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, shutting out Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

"I think that is misguided and I don't think it's candidly very progressive," Senator Mark Warner said about the progressive's demands for a second round of stimulus checks.

After progressives and some Republicans demanded $1,200 payments in a new relief bill, bipartisan negotiators put forward a provision to provide half that amount.

Many former Bernie Sanders staffers have blasted President-elect Joe Biden's Cabinet pick of Neera Tanden, who they claim would work against progressive policies. Sanders himself has remained silent on Tanden's nomination.