CPD Action Endorses Nancy Pelosi for Speaker of the House

11.21.2018

WASHINGTON, DC –- Heading into the 116th Congress with a Democratic House majority, Jennifer Epps-Addison, Co-Executive Director and Network President of Center for Popular Democracy Action (CPD Action) and leaders from grassroots organizations, released the following statements to endorse Nancy Pelosi for House Speaker.  

“As a network of more than 50 grassroots community organizations building power in 131 cities across the country, we know a powerful organizer when we see one. Nancy Pelosi has a proven track record of bringing together the Democratic caucus and the broader House of Representatives in pursuit of the legislation that our communities need. She overcame tea party hysteria and blatant sexism to pass the Affordable Care Act under President Obama, and to save key provisions of the ACA from Donald Trump’s attacks. We also believe that when voters sent the most diverse group of freshman members to Congress in history, we did so with the expectation that new leaders of color, new young leadership, and new LGBTQ leadership would be given the space and the support to govern. With black and brown voters giving her a solid majority in the House, we expect Rep.Pelosi to advance an agenda rooted in ensuring all of our communities have the freedom to thrive.

“Speaker Nancy Pelosi must work with the new progressives in her caucus to win Medicare for All in this next Congress. In our current economic reality that favors the wealthy few, we are counting on Nancy Pelosi to create good jobs in a new green economy so that everyone can provide for themselves, their families and our earth. With vicious attacks from Trump and his Republican allies on voting rights and immigration, we need House leadership that will lead with a strong racial justice agenda and build an America where we can all thrive.

“With this endorsement of Nancy Pelosi for speaker we are making the commitment to mobilize our communities behind her leadership and the leadership of the new women of color elected to Congress. We look forward to helping Speaker Pelosi and the most diverse Congress in our nation’s history advance an agenda rooted in our deepest aspirations for America and our democracy.”

Executive Directors within the Center for Popular Democracy Action network released the following statements:

Angela Lang, Executive Director, Black Leaders Organizing for Communities (BLOC)

“We are supporting Nancy Pelosi as Speaker of the House knowing that she will work with the Congressional Progressive Caucus and the Congressional Black Caucus to pass a racial justice agenda that divests from systems of criminalization, surveillance and suppression and invests in creating communities where we all have the freedom to thrive. This administration has emboldened white supremacists, criminalized our existence, and doubled down on support for an inhuman and racist criminal legal system. Our communities voted in record numbers not to go back to the status quo, but to transform our politics and our justice system. We know it will take millions of us in motion to help Democrats advance this vision and we will look forward to doing that with Nancy Pelosi as Speaker.”

Stephanie Porta, Executive Director, Organize Florida

“We need clean air, clean water, and green infrastructure in every community. In Florida, we’re reeling from the effects of climate change and this administration’s refusal to put our communities over the profits mega polluters. As Speaker, Nancy Pelosi can demonstrate her commitment to environmental justice-- and we need that leadership moving forward. Climate change is not an intangible issue of the future. It’s happening now. A Green New Deal could transform our economy, provide struggling communities with good family supporting jobs, and make a major intervention in addressing the global climate crisis. We look forward to working with House leadership that is committed to confronting the environmental challenges that lie ahead.”

Nse Ufot, Executive Director, New Georgia Project Action Fund

“Let’s not mince words -- Georgia’s elections were stolen. And it could have been avoided. We need automatic voter registration, updated voting technology, and a strengthened, updated Voting Rights Act. We’re doing everything we can here in Georgia to prevent what happened in this election from happening again. But we need an advocate in Congress like Nancy Pelosi, who will pursue a strong federal agenda.”

Erin Kramer, Executive Director, One Pennsylvania

“The people of Pennsylvania sent a clear message to DC this November. On the issue of health care we are far from done. Nancy Pelosi has proven herself as a champion of health care for all securing the ACA when others around her were failing. Health care is a right for all Americans and Medicare for All is the best way forward. Nancy Pelosi is an effective leader who can move us forward and ensure that all Americans are covered. Community activists at One PA helped to make big change in Pennsylvania politics to move our progressive agenda. We are ready to get to work. We’ve made significant progress by expanding Medicaid, we’ve sent our Governor back to work with a mandate. We need a leader in Washington that shares our values and knows how to win.”

Media Contact: Lia Weintraub, lweintraub@populardemocracy.org