PDA - Progressive Dems

HEALTHCARE NOT WARFARE VIGILS IN 82 DISTRICTS ON MARCH 17 | Press Release

Labor and advocacy groups organized "brown bag" lunch vigils against war funding in 22 congressional districts in January and 67 in February. Currently 82 are planned for March 17th, with more being added. Organizations participating include: Progressive Democrats of America (PDA), AfterDowningStreet, the Backbone Campaign, Democrats.com, the California Nurses Association / National Nurses Organizing Committee, Healthcare Now, CodePINK, and United for Peace and Justice.

On March 10th, 65 members of Congress voted to end the occupation of Afghanistan.  Yet only 14 have publicly committed to voting No on funding the same war.  A $33 billion supplemental spending bill for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq is expected to be voted on in April or May.  
Brownbaggers are asking members of the House to publicly commit to voting No on any bills that fund wars, and to publicly urge their colleagues and the House leadership to make the same commitment. As lesser steps in the same direction, the Brown Bag Vigils are encouraging congress members to cosponsor HR 2454, calling for an exit strategy from Afghanistan, and HR 3699, prohibiting any increase in the number of U.S. Armed Forces in Afghanistan. Congress members' commitments are tracked at defundwar.org.

Vigil participants, who support a shift in resources from warfare to healthcare, are also asking their representatives to join the growing movement calling for "Medicare for All" by demanding passage of the Kucinich amendment facilitating state-level single-payer healthcare and by offering their support to single-payer efforts moving forward in state legislatures, including in California, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Maine, Minnesota, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.

A message from Tim Carpenter, National Director of Progressive Democrats of America:

Progressive Democrats of America and The Nation Magazine will be in Denver August 24-28 for the DNC Convention, and to greet progressives from all over the country. Whether you plan to participate as a delegate inside the Convention or outside building the progressive movement, we have a fascinating 5-day event planned for you.

Code Pink, Progressive Democrats of America, Iraq Veterans Against The War demonstrate outside Rep. Adam Schiff's Office (Day 1 Occupation Project)

Here's an important article from William Greider in the Nation, with the headline "Rebels". Yes, rebels within the Democratic Party are needed if the party is going to do any good for itself or the world. The mention here (too brief) of Progressive Democrats of America is exactly to the point.

An impressive coalition has been assembled during the past week to work, against all odds, for the defeat in the Congress of a bankruptcy bill passed last month in the Senate.  The House is expected to vote on the bill (S. 256) this week.

The groups lobbying against it include: Democrats.com, Progressive Democrats of America,  AFL-CIO, Billionaires for Bush, Black Commentator, Center for American Progress, Democracy Week, The Nation, National Community Reinvestment Coalition, National Organization for Women, People's Email Network, Politology, Public Citizen, and more.  See list at www.debtslavery.org