Sixty seven members of Congress have signed onto Progressive Caucus Representative Grijalva's and Representative Ellison's letter to Nancy Pelosi, which states in part
Especially in these tough economic times, we should not be cutting Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid benefits that millions of our constituents paid into and depend on. Such benefit cuts should be off the table in current debt discussions...
...it's time to stand up to the Republican hostage-taking.
We stand united with you in insisting that benefit cuts for working families, our seniors, children, and people with disabilities must be off the table, and we stand united with you in fighting for millions of Americans who need Democrats to be firmly on their side.
That's less than 70 out of more than 190 alleged Democrats in the US House of Representatives. Less than forty percent are willing to sign a letter reiterating the fundamental principles of the Democratic party.
Perusing the list of signatories we see that:
- Despite the letter's defense of Social Security and Medicare, only a single Democrat from Florida is willing to step up!
- Although Connecticut and Maryland are a very bright shade of blue, only a single Democratic representative from CT and two from MD have signed.
- Neither Representative from blue Rhode Island has put his John Hancock to this statement of Democratic principles.
- And there are almost as many signatures from Texas as their are from Illinois!
Is your Representative among the less than 40% of House Democrats willing to affirm Democratic principles? If not, don't you think he or she deserves an earful?
Can we get the majority of House Democratics to sign (the full text of the letter is below)? If you call and demand that your Representative support these principles and sign the letter we just might. And if you know of any further Representatives who have or are to sign, please leave a note in the comments.
List of US Representatives Who Have Signed.
Raul Grijalva (D-AZ, Co-Chairman Progressive Caucus)
Keith Ellison (D-MN, Co-Chairman Progressive Caucus)
Sam Farr (D-CA)
Pete Stark (D-CA)
Barbara Lee (D-CA)
Lynn Woolsey (D-CA)
Maxine Waters (D-CA)
Bob Filner (D-CA)
Judy Chu (D-CA)
Laura Richardson (D-CA)
Lucille Royabal-Allard (D-CA)
Joe Baca (Blue Dog-CA)
Zoe Lofgren (D-CA)
John Garamendi (D-CA)
Henry Waxman (D-CA)
Grace Napolitano (D-CA)
Carolyn Maloney (D-NY)
Jose Serrano (D-NY)
Charlie Rangel (D-NY)
Yvette Clarke (D-NY)
Jerry Nadler (D-NY)
Maurice Hinchey (D-NY)
Paul Tonko (D-NY)
Marcia Fudge (D-OH)
Marcy Kaptur (D-OH)
Tim Ryan (D-OH)
Betty Sutton (D-OH)
Dennis Kucinich (D-OH)
Barney Frank (D-MA)
Jim McGovern (D-MA)
John Tierney (D-MA)
John Olver (D-MA)
Ed Markey (D-MA)
Jan Schakowsky (D-IL)
Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-IL)
Luis Gutierrez (D-IL)
Danny Davis (D-IL)
Donald Payne (D-NJ)
Steve Rothman (D-NJ)
Frank Pallone (D-NJ)
Rush Holt (D-NJ)
Lloyd Doggett (D-TX)
Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX)
Al Green (D-TX)
David Wu (D-OR)
Pete DeFazio (D-OR)
Mark Critz (D-PA)
Chaka Fattah (D-PA)
Hank Johnson (D-GA)
John Lewis (D-GA)
Elijah Cummings (D-MD)
Donna Edwards (D-MD)
John Conyers (D-MI)
Betty McCollum (D-MN)
Chellie Pingree (D-ME)
Jim McDermott (D-WA)
Bennie Thompson (D-MS)
Corrine Brown (D-FL)
Steve Cohen (D-TN)
Andre Carson (D-IN)
Rosa DeLauro (D-CT)
Silvestre Reyes (D-TX)
Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO)
Mazie Hirono (D-HI)
Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC)
Full letter:
We write in strong agreement with your unwavering defense of the Democratic programs that form the bedrock of America's middle and working classes, and which are overwhelmingly popular.
On July 7, you made very clear that "We are not going to balance the budget on the backs of America's seniors, women and people with disabilities" and that "we do not support cuts in benefits" for vital safety-net programs. We agree completely.
Especially in these tough economic times, we should not be cutting Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid benefits that millions of our constituents paid into and depend on. Such benefit cuts should be off the table in current debt discussions.
Our Republican colleagues should be embarrassed by their insistence that unless Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid benefits are cut, the nation will default on its debts. Middle-class families have sacrificed enough, and a deal that pushes the American Dream further out of reach, in order to pay for extending tax breaks for the rich and corporations, is simply unacceptable.
We are united as Democrats in saying that it's time to stand up to the Republican hostage-taking. We will not be forced to vote for a "final agreement" that we do not agree to -- and that the American people do not agree to.
We stand united with you in insisting that benefit cuts for working families, our seniors, children, and people with disabilities must be off the table, and we stand united with you in fighting for millions of Americans who need Democrats to be firmly on their side.
Contact your Representative here
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This diary was revised and retitled from Friday's Are There Only Sixty-Seven Democratic Members of Congress?