The Daily Change

Thousands of people shared the PCCC’sAi??10 Bad Things In Trump’s Budget graphic, which makes clear that Trump would rather gut programs that help working families than ask rich people or giant corporations to pay a dime more in taxes.

Now, the PCCC is collecting stories of people who would be impacted by Trump’s budget to share with reporters and members of Congress who want to elevate these voices. This is a very powerful way to impact the national debate!

If you or someone you know would be hurt by cuts to Meals on Wheels, let us know.
If you or someone you know would be hurt by cuts to heating assistance for seniors, let us know.
If you or someone you know would be hurt by cuts to student aid, let us know.
If you or someone you know would be hurt by cuts to public broadcasting, let us know.

The PCCC is also collecting stories of people hurt by the Republican health care plan — and folks who would benefit if there was a progressive vision of Medicare for All. If that would be you or someone you know, let us know.

Also, if youAi??or someone you knowAi??would be hurt by Supreme Court nominee Neil GorsuchAi??making decisions like Hobby Lobby that put corporations and employers ahead of workers and women’s health care autonomy, let us know.

It’s possible to persuade voters to abandon Trump and the Republicans if progressives amplify the emotional stories of people impacted by Trump’s disastrous agenda. Impact the national debate by sharing how you’d be hurt by Trump’s policies here.

(The PCCC has big plans to make emotional TV ads …

The PCCC, MoveOn, Democracy for America, 350.Org, and Presente are making the closing argument supporting Keith Ellison for DNC Chair in an open letter to DNC voting members before tomorrowai??i??s vote.

As CNN just reported, it highlights the fact that Ellison is the best candidate in the Chair race to connect the DNC to the vibrant resistance energy ai??i?? having earned the trust of grassroots groups representing millions of people:

In a letter to DNC members obtained by CNN, the leaders of five groups at the heart of the political left ai??i?? MoveOn, the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, Democracy for America, 350 Action and Presente Action ai??i?? argued that only Ellison can bridge the divide between the Democratic establishment and the partyai??i??s grassroots.

The groups also said theyai??i??d be ai???eager to engageai??? directly with the partyai??i??s infrastructure under Ellisonai??i??s leadership. It was an implicit rebuke of former Labor Secretary Tom Perez, who is in a tight race with Ellison for DNC chair. … They continued: ai???If Keith Ellison is DNC chair, we can hit the ground running ai??i?? and because of the pre-existing trust that exists between Keith and the grassroots, every state party would have a head start harnessing the power of the resistance.ai???

The PCCC has been a top Ellison organizing force ai??i?? recently announcing four new voting members for Ellison earlier this week: NH Sen. Martha Fuller-Clark (D-Portsmouth), Sheila Selkregg from Anchorage, AK, Edward Wesley from Anchorage, AK, and Curtis Wylde Wells, a Missouri Democratic Party State Committee member.

Can you chip in $3 to Keith Ellison’s campaign to fund his vote-counting operation and outreach to DNC delegates in this final week? Help make history.

Joint Letter From Grassroots Progressive Groups On Why Keith Ellison Is The Best Candidate To Make The Democratic Party Relevant In This …

Chip in $3 to put this ad on TV this weekend in Nevada, Virginia, and Delaware — home of 3 key Republican and Democratic senators who will vote next week.

Sign the petition to the Senate at RejectMnuchin.org.

Starting today, Trump’s corrupt catering to billionaires and Wall Street at the expense of working families will be more visible than ever. It won’t be pretty.

Progressives are prepared to foster a historic resistance that merges the power of millions of people taking action with the leadership of Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, Keith Ellison, and others in Congress.

Elizabeth Warren says, “Our agenda is still America’s agenda, fighting for that agenda is more important than ever, and the Progressive Change Campaign Committee is one of my main partners in the fight. Could you chip in $3 or more so the PCCC is ready for our next big fights with President Trump and the Republican leadership in 2017? Click here.”

We’ve already seen evidence our resistance works.

Republican senators are publicly caving on Obamacare repeal.
Republican House members caved on watering down ethics rules after a flood of public pressure.
Just yesterday, a Republican senator targeted by our TV ad that Rachel Maddow called “the most effective one I’ve seen since the election” shocked people by grilling the Goldman Sachs billionaire that Trump wants to run our economy.

The resistance is strong. And growing.

Your help is needed. Elizabeth Warren asks: “Please make a contribution of $3 — or anything you can afford — to help the PCCC fight by my side in 2017.”

PCCC co-founder Stephanie Taylor went on C-SPAN’s Washington Journal on Tuesday to talk aboutAi??the role of progressives as the general election phase of the presidential campaign begins. During the 45-minute interview, she discussed the relationship between progressives and the Clinton-Kaine ticket: “There’s trust there, but it’s a fragile one.”

Take a look:

Stephanie pointed out that in order to build on that fragile trust, Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine must campaign on bold, progressive issues including debt-free college, expanding Social Security, reforming Wall Street, a public health insurance option, and opposing bad trade deals like the TPP.

It was very exciting to see in [Clinton’s] acceptance speech a litany of issues that progressives have worked very hard on, like expanding Social Security, like debt-free and tuition-free college, opposing unfair trade deals. … She really needs to keep the volume high and keep talking about these issues throughout the campaign.

Stephanie also gave this analysis a few hours before Hillary Clinton accepted the Democratic nomination on Thursday, July 28, during a POLITICO Hub panelAi??in Philadelphia, including AFSCME president Lee Saunders, Sanders’ campaign manager Jeff Weaver, and pollster Mark Penn with POLITICO’s Susan Glasser and Glenn Thrush moderating.Ai??Click here to watch.

Click here to share on Twitter.

Click here to share on Facebook.

Now, tell the platform committee to put big progressive ideas like expanding Social Security in the 2016 Democratic Platform!

On Wednesday, President Obama made huge news by saying for the first time that we must expand Social Security benefits — not cut them. This represents a sea change from 2012 when the White House was pushing to cut benefits as part of a ai???grand bargainai??? with Republicans.

THIS IS A GIANT WIN FOR PROGRESSIVES.

And it didnai??i??t happen in a vacuum. Three years of activism by PCCC members and progressive allies led to 7 senators, then nearly all Democratic senators, then the majority of House Democrats, and then both Democratic candidates for president supporting expanding — not cutting — Social Security. And now, a sitting president. Activism matters. Together, we made history.

In 2 weeks, we have an opportunity to etch this victory in stone.Ai??Thatai??i??s when a small committee of 15 Democrats will start writing the 2016 Democratic Platform.

Sign the petition to the platform drafting committee.Ai??Tell them to make sure it reflects big progressive ideas that have risen to the forefront in recent years — starting with expanding Social Security, and also including debt-free college, breaking up too-big-to-fail banks and monopolies, paid family leave, a $15 min wage, banning for-profit prisons, ending fracking, a carbon tax to fight climate change, restoring voting rights, grand jury reform, public financing of congressional elections, overturning Citizens United, massive infrastructure investment, and ending the revolving door between Wall Street and government.

In 2013, PCCC co-founders Stephanie Taylor and Adam Green met with Elizabeth Warren shortly after her victory. In the course of a wide-ranging conversation, they brought up how hard PCCC members and progressive allies had been fighting against proposed Social Security cuts.

Elizabeth Warren informed the PCCC for the …

HUGEAi??CNN HEADLINE:Ai??Donald Trump in 2006: I ‘sort of hope’ real estate market tanks

In 2006, Trump cheered on a housing market crash saying, “I sort of hope that happens because then people like me would go in and buy. …Ai??If there is a bubble burst, as they call it, you know you can make a lot of money.”

Last night, Elizabeth Warren gave a speech that is going viral — slamming Trump for being a “small, insecure money grubber” who is in the pocket of Wall Street and looking to con the American people.

Show your support for Elizabeth Warren and help her 2018 election.

(Also share this amazing video on social media! Click here to share it on Facebook and click here to share it on Twitter.)

To top it off, many major outlets are buzzing about the role Elizabeth Warren will play in unifying the Democratic Party in the months to come. Take a look:

REAL CLEAR POLITICS:Ai??Sen. Warren Seen as Key Figure in Uniting Dems

As the Democratic primary heads toward a predictable but potentially acrimonious conclusion, questions abound about how the party can unite and invigorate itself. One solution often mentioned by party operatives hoping to quickly heal: Elizabeth Warren.

The Massachusetts senator is likely to be an integral figure in rallying the troops around the Democratic ticket, whether she is a part of it or not.

Warrenai??i??s potential was on full display Tuesday night, when she used a speech at a Washington gala to excoriate Donald Trump, calling him ai???a small, insecure money grubber.ai??? Earlier in the day on Capitol Hill, Warren launched a new coalition of lawmakers and union leaders designed to ai???take on Wall Street.ai???

Warren has built a national profile on progressive issues that have been at the heart of the partyai??i??s primary between Hillary Clinton and Bernie …

ai???The Warren Wing won tonightai??i??s debate, hands down. For the 4th Democratic debate in a row, key Warren wing priorities of debt-free college, Wall Street accountability, and expanding Social Security benefits were discussed. We are seeing a race to the top on economic populism issues — a stark contrast to the extremism, intolerance, and race to the bottom in the Republican primary.ai???

— Adam Green, co-founder, Progressive Change Campaign Committee

BOOM: For 4th #DemDebate in a row, #DebtFreeCollege, #ExpandSocialSecurity & #BreakUpTheBanks #JailTheBankers discussed. #WarrenWing victory

ai??i?? BoldProgressives.org (@BoldProgressive) January 18, 2016

#WarrenWing won the #demdebate tonight w #DebtFreeCollege, #WallStreet, & #BlackLivesMatter center stage. Shameful absence on #repro rights.

ai??i?? BoldProgressives.org (@BoldProgressive) January 18, 2016

Tuesday night is President Obama’s final State of the Union. We asked allies across the progressive movement what executive actions they would like to see in the president’s final year — in addition to any bigger fights he picks with Congress. From disclosing corporate political spending to increasing wages for federal workers, here are 10 concrete progressive actions President Obama could take on his own with a single signature.

We know these can work because the president’s own former communications director said so:

Like and share your favorite!

Debt-Free College:

On Facebook | On Twitter

Money in Politics:

On Facebook | On Twitter

Wall Street reform:

On Facebook | On Twitter

Fight for $15/hour:

On Facebook | On Twitter

Income Inequality and Tax Fairness:

On Facebook | On Twitter

Black Lives Matter:

On Facebook | On Twitter

Family leave and benefits:

On Facebook | On Twitter

Abortion and women’s rights:

On Facebook | On Twitter

Immigrant rights:

On Facebook | On Twitter

Climate Change:

On Facebook | On Twitter

This New Year, letai??i??s be proud of what we did together in 2015!

1. Big Ideas Project:

Democrats lost the 2014 election because they lacked big ideas that inspire voters. So the Progressive Change Institute launched the Big Ideas Project, calling for a bold new agenda. PCCC members submitted their own ideas and voted on others, casting over one million votes.

Polling showed that big progressive ideasAi??are popular with Democrats, Independents, and Republicans alike. These results were shared with dozens of members of Congress and presidential campaigns — leading to many high-profile endorsements of the big ideas submitted by PCCC members.

Historic first: TV ad for debt-free college

We organized events on campuses.

2. Debt-Free College Campaign:

One of the most popular ideas from the Big Ideas Project was debt-free college — the idea that students should be able to graduate from any public college or university without debt.

Thanks to your phone calls, letters to the editor, and nearly half-a-million petition signatures, as well as a strong lobbying effort and coalition of allies like Demos and Democracy for America,Ai??we now have over 100 congressional co-sponsors on a resolution calling for debt-free college! Plus all 3 Democratic presidential candidates have called for debt-free college, legislators in 10 states are planning their own local efforts, and TV ads are hitting the airwaves. By next year, there will be a major mandate in this …

Legislators in 10 states nationwide will be introducing debt-free college legislation, making debt-free college a central 2016 campaign issue from the top to bottom of the ticket.

This state-level action will give voters a unified Democratic message going into the 2016 election. All three Democratic presidential candidates have embraced debt-free college, and so have 100 members of Congress.

Progressive organizing has led to all three Democratic presidential candidates embracing debt-free college and 100 members of Congress have endorsing it.

“Progressives are unifying the Democratic Party around a bold Elizabeth Warren-style agenda that motivates people to get to the polls and that would be a game changer in millions of lives,” said PCCC debt-free college campaign director Kayla Wingbermuehle. “The progressive strategy now is to go deep, unifying the Democratic Party around debt-free college and ensuring that there’s an undeniable mandate in November of 2016.”

Lawmakers include those fromAi??the First in the Nation states with Rep. Marjorie Porter of New Hampshire, Rep. Chris Hall of Iowa, and Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter of South Carolina, from key battleground states with Rep. Stephanie Howse of Ohio and Rep. Katrina Shankland of Wisconsin, plus Rep. Paul Mark of Massachusetts, Rep. Will Guzzardi of Illinois, Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal of Missouri, Rep. Paula Hawks of South Dakota, and Rep. Kaniela Ing of Hawaii.

Join the call for debt-free college in your state — sign the petition at DebtFreeCollegeNOW.com and contact your state legislator to ask them to sign on!

Here’s what lawmakers have to say about the importance of debt-free college:

ai???Debt-free college will be a major voting issue in New Hampshire in 2016. Voters are counting on Democrats to make debt-free college a central campaign issue. My colleagues and I will be working hard at the state level to do …

The Democratic presidential debate showed just how much the ai???Warren wingai??? has shifted the national conversation:

MSNBC:Ai??Democratic Debate: Progressives Win the Night

THE NATION:Ai??Who Won the Democratic Debate? Progressives, Hands Down

WASHINGTON POST:Ai??A Highly Progressive Economic Agenda Dominates the Democrats’ First Debate

Take a look below to see how much progressives have shifted the debate on issues like debt-free college, expand Social Security, and Wall Street accountability. Then share with your friends and family on Facebook and Twitter!

In the days ahead, weai??i??ll address some important distinctions between the candidates. But for now, let’s celebrate that disagreement is not over the direction we should go — but rather, on how big to go and how we should get there.

Share on Twitter | Share on Facebook

Share on Twitter | Share on Facebook

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Share on Twitter | Share on Facebook

The PCCC, Democracy for America, and MoveOn.org are asking the Democratic candidates to be bold during the debate in addressing economic populism issues — such as debt-free college, expanding Social Security benefits, and Wall Street reform and accountability.

These issues motivate the base in primaries, and candidates need to go bold with an Elizabeth Warren-style agenda to inspire voters. Watch the video and read the letter sent to Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, and Martin O’Malley below.

Letters to Democratic candidates to be bold on economic populism issues in the Oct. 13 #DemDebate

Take a look below to see how much progressives have shifted the debate on issues like debt-free college, expand Social Security, and Wall Street accountability. Then share with your friends and family on Facebook and Twitter!

Share on Twitter | Share on Facebook

Share on Twitter | Share on Facebook

Share on Twitter | Share on Facebook

Share on Twitter | Share on Facebook

President Obama: “We spend over a trillion dollars, and pass countless laws, and devote entire agencies to preventing terrorist attacks on our soil…And yet, we have a Congress that explicitly blocks us from even collecting data on how we could potentially reduce gun deaths.”President Obama: “Iai??i??d ask the American people to think about how they can get our government to change these laws, and to save lives, and to let young people grow up.” Call your members of Congress right now.

It happened again. Another school shooting. Americans are sending thoughts and prayers to the people of Roseburg, Oregon.

The President delivered a powerfulAi??call to action.Ai??Here’s a small excerpt:

Our thoughts and prayers are not enough. It does not capture the heartache and grief and anger that we should feel. And it does nothing to prevent this carnage from being inflicted someplace else in America.

We’ve become numb to this.

And, of course, whatai??i??s also routine is that somebody, somewhere will comment and say, Obama politicized this issue. Well, this is something we should politicize. It is relevant to our common life together, to the body politic.

This is a political choice that we make to allow this to happen every few months in America. We collectively are answerable to those families who lose their loved ones because of our inaction.

Iai??i??d ask the American people to think about how they can get our government to change these laws, and to save lives, and to let young people grow up.

(Read the full remarks on the White House blog, h/t Lindsay Holst)

Please call Congress right now. Tell them America wants common-sense gun safety laws like background checks and an assault weapons ban.

Republicans in Congress need to hear about this …

Nearly 200 graduates of the PCCC’s National Candidate Training will run on bold Elizabeth Warren-style ideas everywhere — including across the Deep South.

First off, let me say this: The PCCC National Candidate Training is hands down the best training I have ever been to.

Second, as a progressive running for State Representative in Georgia, I want to be clear: For too long, too many voters in the South havenai??i??t been given a real progressive choice. But by preparing candidates to run on big bold Elizabeth Warren-style ideas, I believe we can win big in places we never have before.

Third, itai??i??s thanks to grassroots donations from PCCC members that many candidates like me could attend this training.Ai??There is no way that I — and many others — could have afforded the training I received from some of the best campaign professionals in the nation.

Can you chip in $3 to train even more progressive candidates so they can run and win in 2016?

Right now, many progressive activists are deciding whether to run in 2016. This training can give them the confidence to take the plunge.

You might not hear about it on the news, but the progressive movement is alive in Georgia.

A few weeks ago, a 29-year-old progressive Democrat named Taylor Bennett shocked the establishment by beating an incumbent State Representative in a mid-summer special election — breaking the Republican supermajority in the Georgia House. The margin was 375 votes.

Some called it a fluke. Me? No way. Iai??i??m part of a new generation of leaders that is emerging in Georgia and all over the South, and weai??i??re preparing to make big changes in 2016 and beyond.

The PCCC National Candidate Training has been crucial to my candidacy — preparing me to deal with press, showing me …

Monday was one of the high points in the PCCC’s organizational history.

FIRST THIS HAPPENED…

“The phrase ‘debt-free college’ was hardly present in the national political lexicon until the Progressive Change Campaign Committee launched a campaign in January to push Democrats to support the idea.” [Bloomberg, May 8, 2015]

… AND THENAi??MONDAYAi??THIS HAPPENED ON CNN:

THESE HEADLINES WERE AMAZING:

MSNBC:Ai??Clinton’s sweeping new debt-free college plan

Wall Street Journal:Ai??Hillary Clinton Proposes Debt-Free Tuition at Public College

The Guardian:Ai??Clinton takes debt-free higher education from progressive dream to mainstream

(Help the PCCC’s effective activism continue. Make an impact with aAi??$3 donation to our presidential organizing.)

(Also,Ai??please sign the petition for debt-free college as the PCCC works to get more members of Congress and candidates on board…and have Democratic unity.)

CLINTON CREDITED THE PCCC’S ACTIVISM! DEBT-FREE COLLEGE IS NOW A CENTRAL 2016 ISSUE FOR DEMOCRATS — SUCCESS ON THE PCCC’S GOAL!

Clinton yesterday:Ai??”I’ve been traveling the country for months, talking to students and families, educators, legislators, and experts of every stripe — including youngAi??progressive activists whoai??i??ve put the issue of debt-free college and affordability at the top of the national agenda.”

Real Clear Politics:Ai??ai???Affordable,Ai??debt-free college is now an economic policy plank for all the Democratic presidential candidates,Ai??who believe it resonates across political parties, across economic strata, and with young people as well as with their parents and grandparents.ai???

Wall Street Journal:Ai??”The Clinton campaign views this proposal as a centerpiece of its domestic agenda, akin in importance to health care in 2008, and it is her most expensive proposal so far.”

Washington Post:Ai??ai???Tackling the high cost of college has emerged asAi??a central issueAi??in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination.ai???

This was just …

Debt-free college means all students in America should be able graduate without debt. This big idea would expand economic opportunity, expand America’s economy, and improve quality of life for millions of people. Debt-free college is a result that can be achieved through multiple means.

Below is a checklist that Demos and the Progressive Change Campaign Committee will use to judge any plan by presidential candidates or Congress.

A true debt-free college plan should affirmatively check all of these boxes:

DoAi??allAi??undergraduate students have access to debt-free college?
Does debt-free college apply toAi??allAi??undergraduate public institutions?
Does debt-free college apply toAi??allAi??college costs, not just tuition?
Does the ai???debt-free collegeai??? plan facilitate all students having equal access to high-quality public education — i.e. incentivizing investment in instruction and student support services.
Does the formula used to calculate “debt-free” avoid academic hardship for students and economic hardship for everyday families? (i.e. Low-income students are not forced to hurt their academic performance by working excessive hours while wealthier students study. Middle-class families are not assumed to have savings and disposable cash they do not truly have.)
Is aid distributed progressively — investing most in those who may not attend or complete college, or not maximize their participation in the economy after college, due to student debt?

The G.I. Bill resulted in a 7-to-1 return on investment for our economy. By unshackling students from crushing debt — freeing them to start the next Google, start a small business, or buy a first home — we will see similar economic expansion. Quality of life will also be improved for millions of Americans who will be more able to get married, enter the career they are passionate about, or even do something as simple as moving out of their parents’ home.

That’s why a national poll by the Progressive Change Institute in January 2015Ai??showedAi??this issue is popular …

Huge news. Monday in Iowa, Hillary Clinton talked about moving toward debt-free college for the first time. Take a look at the video.

Bloomberg News reports:

“The phrase ‘debt-free college’ was hardly present in the national political lexicon until the Progressive Change Campaign Committee launched a campaign in January to push Democrats to support the idea.”

The more public support presidential candidates see for big ideas, the more they will make them central to their campaigns.

Watch the video. Then, join 320,000 of us on the petition urging Clinton and other candidates to make debt-free college central in 2016.

Inside Higher Ed reports:

“After a concerted push over the past several months from liberals and progressive groups, Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign appears to be on the cusp of embracing a debt-free college plan.”

PCCC has partnered with Democracy for America, Daily Kos, Demos, the AFL-CIO, NEA, the Working Families Party, Credo Action, MoveOn, and Americans for Democratic Action.

Here is a summary of PCCC members’ activism together:

In January, debt-free college rose to the top of the Progressive Change Instituteai??i??s ai???Big Ideas Project.ai???
On the day of the State of the Union, PCI released polling data of 2016 likely general election voters that showed federal investment in debt-free college is 71% to 19% popular. It is the #1 issue that Democrats who didn’t vote in 2014 said would have motivated them to vote.
In February and March, PCCC lobbied Congress. And sent field organizers to Iowa and New Hampshire.
In April, 5,000 political leaders signed the Ready For BoldnessAi??statement to urge all Democratic presidential candidates to run on …

As the 2016 landscape gets formed, likely presidential candidate Martin Oai??i??Malley endorsed debt-free college last Friday in anAi??op-ed and a national email to supporters, where he declared, “Our ultimate goal should be simple: every student should be able to go to collegeAi??debt-free.” Check out his email below.

———- Forwarded message ———-
From:Ai??Martin O’MalleyAi??<info@martinomalley.com>
Date: Fri, Apr 24, 2015 at 9:35 AM
Subject: Debt free college

Sounds like a pipe dream? It shouldn’t be.

When my dad returned home from flying a B-24 Liberator in WWII, the GI bill was what enabled him to go to school, open a law practice, and support a family.

Today, our kids arenai??i??t getting the same bargain that my dad did.

The majority of students are graduating with significant debt. This is debt big enough for the down payment on a new house. And instead of buying a house or starting a business, recent graduates are struggling not to default on their student loans.

It’s outrageous that we can figure out a way to bail out big banks, but we can’t figure out a way to make college affordable.

In Maryland, we saw this trend, and we refused to give up.Ai??We froze tuition at public four-year institutions, invested in higher education and financial aid, and took steps to make sure our high school students were graduating with a degree thatai??i??s already worth something.

Now it’s time, as a country, that we do even more.Ai??Our ultimate goal should be simple: every student should be able to go to college debt-free.

Today, I’m offering some ideas to tackle this problem of student loan debt head-on.

We can make college affordable, and we can start by making sure our students …

After hearing from thousands of members across the nation, today the PCCC is kicking off a grassroots campaign to ensure every presidential candidate knows: Americans are ready for boldness.

It starts with a big announcement.

Over 200 leaders in the highly coveted first presidential primary states of Iowa and New Hampshire are joining the PCCCAi??on a statement saying, “Presidential candidates must campaign on big, bold, economic populist ideas” like debt-free college, expanding Social Security benefits, reforming Wall Street, campaign finance reform, clean-energy jobs, and more pay for workers.

Signers include Iowa’s longtime U.S. Senator Tom Harkin, members of Congress, dozens of state legislators, union presidents, and other progressives.

Sign the statement and tell any Democrat running for president: America is ready for boldness on economic populism issues.

The New York Times, the Washington Post, MSNBC, Politico, NH Journal, theAi??Des Moines Register, and the Sioux City Journal have already reported on today’s big news.

Hillary Clinton and others want support from key leaders, passionate activists, and voters — and they’ll take notice as our “Ready for Boldness” campaign gains momentum and shows them the way.

Big Elizabeth Warren-style ideas are popular, and making them central to the 2016 presidential election is key if Democrats want to win.

Our letter was signed by:

Tom Harkin, longtime U.S. Senator from Iowa
Carol Shea-Porter and Paul Hodes, recent New Hampshire members of Congress
Dave Loebsack, Iowa Congressman
Roxanne Conlin, Former Iowa Democratic Party Chair
Dozens of Iowa and New Hampshire state legislators
Iowa’s SEIU Local 199 and CWA Presidents, and New Hampshire’s NEA President
And many others

Tell the next Democratic nominee America is ready for boldness.

For the next couple weeks, we’ll take this “Ready for Boldness” campaign national — telling the media as we gain momentum.

Then, …

The Congressional Progressive Caucus introduced a budget that is focused on helping Americans, called The People’s Budget. CPC Co-Chair Rep. Keith Ellison sent this email to PCCC members:

Hi. This is KeithAi??Ellison, Co-Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

Yesterday, House Republicans offered their same old budget that privatizes Medicare and hurts seniors, students, and working families.

Today, I’m proud to stand with my colleagues, unions, the PCCC, economists, and others in announcing The People’s Budget — the progressive budget alternative.

The People’s Budget endorses many of the “big ideas” that progressives like you and voters of all political stripes support: Investing in millions of good-paying jobs, making college debt-free, expanding Social Security benefits, reforming our broken campaign finance system, and investing in clean energy. It closes tax loopholes for corporations that ship jobs overseas and makes Wall Street, millionaires, and billionaires pay their fair share.

Our budget will get a vote on the floor of the House of Representatives.

Will you help show the wide public support for The People’s Budget by joining me as a citizen co-sponsor today?

There are 70 of us in the Congressional Progressive Caucus. Your signature will help us convince our colleagues to vote for these big, bold, economic populist ideas. I talk to colleagues on the House floor all the time, and telling them about grassroots momentum really makes a difference.

Support our budget here.

Here is some of what’s in The People’s Budget:

Investing over $1.9 trillion in America’s future.
Creating 8.4 million good-paying jobs by 2018.
Investing $820 billion in rebuilding our roads, schools, and bridges.
Making college debt-free through federal assistance to states for public colleges and universities.
Endorsing an expansion of Social Security benefits to keep up with seniors’ true costs.
Eliminating egregious tax loopholes, including for corporations that ship jobs overseas and executives who pay themselves in stock options instead …

Itai??i??s official — Donna Edwards is in! Thousands of PCCC and Democracy for America members across the nation urged Donna to run for U.S. Senate in Maryland, and she heard us loud and clear!

Donna sent PCCC a note this morning: “Thank you to all the PCCC and DFA members who urged me to run. You showed me the type of grassroots support I can count on. I’m in! Together, we will make this a people-powered campaign about bold progressive issues.”

Chip in $3 to help bold progressive Donna Edwards start her campaign with momentum!

Donna Edwards has proven time and again that she’s a bold progressive. She’s not just an ally — she’s one of us.

Donna started as a community activist. Then, she was aAi??founder of a progressive nonprofit. In Congress, she’s devoted her time to taking on powerful interests — even defeating an entrenched Wall Street Democrat to win her seat.

Donna was the first member of Congress to introduce an amendment to overturn Citizens United.Ai??She led the National Network to End Domestic Violence. And Donna agrees with Senator Elizabeth Warren that we should expand Social Security benefits — never cut them.

Donate $3 to fuel Donna’s campaign today!

Corporate “New Democrats” have been attacking the “Warren wing” in the press. They think the way to win is to cozy up to corporate interests and protect the status quo. The way bold progressives fight back is to elect more people like Donna Edwards.

Like Massachusetts, a state as blue as Maryland can give the nation the gift of a bold progressive leader.

Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI), the ranking Democrat on the Senate Commerce subcommittee on Communications, Technology and the Internet, spoke about Net Neutrality at the ai???Protecting the Internet and Consumers Through Legislative Actionai??? hearing on Jan. 21, 2015.

Sen. Schatz said there are four key elements necessary for the FCC to protect an open Internet and Net Neutrality: 1) prohibit fast lanes, 2) do not block lawful content, 3) prohibit throttling, and 4) increase transparency.

The FCC will meet on Feb. 26 to decideAi??how it will rule on Net Neutrality.

Read Sen. Schatz’s full remarks below:

Mr. Chairman. I am looking forward to working with you, Ranking Member Nelson, and my Subcommittee Chair, Senator Wicker. We all agree that an open Internet has become crucial for everyone to function in todayai??i??s society. That is why it is important for us to work together to consider the best path forward to protect Net Neutrality.

As we consider our options, we must aim to accomplish and balance three objectives:

– Ai?? provide maximum protection to consumers,
– Ai?? provide maximum flexibility to promote innovation and the Internet economy while also
– Ai?? enabling continued investment in a state of the art broadband infrastructure.

Most importantly, Net Neutrality protections must ensure that the FCC has the ongoing authority to protect consumers. To be effective, these rules must contain at least four essential elements:

– Ai?? they must prohibit fast lanes,
– Ai??Ai??they must not block lawful content,
– Ai??Ai??they must prohibit throttling while allowing for reasonable network management,
– Ai??Ai??they must increase transparency.

So, I look forward to hearing from our witnesses on the Chairmanai??i??s draft legislation and on the FCCai??i??s ongoing rulemaking and the best way to achieve each of these objectives.

Congress always has the prerogative to legislate, but we also must recognize the advantages of …

A month ago the Progressive Change Institute (PCCCai??i??s C3 sister organization) launched the Big Ideas Project at ThinkBig.US — a crowd-sourced platform allowing the public to submit and vote on big ideas they believe progressives should champion in 2015 and 2016.

And in that month, the crowd definitely responded.

Over 800,000 votes have been cast on over 2,000 user-submitted ideas, including over 30 from policy experts from AFL-CIO, Demos, ROC United, Lawrence Lessig, former Senators Byron Dorgan and Ted Kaufman, plus many more.

The top 20 ideas that rise to the top will be seriously considered by over 30 members of Congress, including Senators Harry Reid, Chuck Schumer, Elizabeth Warren, Jon Tester and Representatives Raul Grijalva, Keith Ellison, Alan Grayson, Bonnie Watson Coleman, Ruben Gallego, and more.

PCI will even be polling ideas pulled from the project in battleground states.

Some of the top ideas are:

Now is the time to expand Social Security ai??i?? not cut it. Social Security benefits simply haven’t kept up with the rising costs that seniors faceai??i??for medicine, food, and housing. We’re facing a retirement crisis where seniors can’t rely on pensions and other parts of the social contract. We need to increase benefits to make sure they reflect the true costs seniors face. Expanding Social Security is the best way to ensure all Americans have the economic security they need to retire with dignity.

Corporations are paper, not people. People before profit. Enact laws which reverse Citizens United, McCutcheon, and Buckley v. Valeo. Without a fair field in which everyday people are heard and treated equally, when, as we’re now seeing, corporations and money carry more weight than the voices of our citizens, our entire system of …