52-590: The Congressional Taiwan Caucus is a Congressional Member Organization in the United States Congress with 144 members. The caucus focuses exclusively on improving US–Taiwan relations . Its counterpart in the Senate is the Senate Taiwan Caucus . The caucus was founded on April 9, 2002. Congressmen Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Steve Chabot (R-OH), Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA), and Robert Wexler (D-FL) were
104-642: A Cook Partisan Voting Index of D+34, the 7th is by far the most Democratic district in New England. The GOP has only nominated a candidate in this district five times since longtime Speaker Tip O'Neill retired in 1986. The 7th district is traditionally Democratic and is the state's only district where the majority of residents are not white. Capuano received endorsements from civil rights veteran and U.S. Representative John Lewis of Georgia as well as U.S. Representative Maxine Waters of California. For years before she challenged him, Pressley had been speculated as
156-785: A comprehensive sex education and health curriculum which was implemented in Boston Public Schools . In June 2014, the Boston City Council unanimously passed an ordinance Pressley coauthored with Councilor Michelle Wu , which prohibits its city government "from contracting with any health insurer that denies coverage or 'discriminates in the amount of premium, policy fees, or rates charged...because of gender identity or expression". This ordinance guaranteed healthcare (including gender reassignment surgery , hormone therapy , and mental health services) to transgender city employees and their dependents. Pressley declared, "We can't be
208-508: A sexual assault on the campus of Boston University while a student there. After leaving Boston University Metropolitan College, Pressley worked as a district representative for Representative Joseph P. Kennedy II ( D − MA ), for whom she had interned during college. She became Kennedy's scheduler, then worked as constituency director, before becoming the political director and senior aide for Senator John Kerry (D-Mass.) In 2009, Pressley served as Kerry's political director. Pressley
260-548: A congresswoman, Pressley was the author of a credit report reform bill titled the "Comprehensive Credit Reporting Enhancement, Disclosure, Innovation, and Transparency Act" ("CREDIT Act"). It passed the House 221-to-189 in January 2020. The resolution would have: During the 2016 Democratic Party presidential primaries , Pressley endorsed Hillary Clinton . In November 2019, Pressley endorsed Senator Elizabeth Warren for president ahead of
312-456: A full year following birth for the purpose of assuring new mothers have access to services unrelated to pregnancy. The bill also directed Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program 's Payment and Access Commission report its data regarding doula care coverage under state Medicaid programs and subsequently develop strategies aimed at improving access to doula care. Pressley has supported
364-899: A likely top-contender to succeed Capuano if he were to retire. Pressley was endorsed by the editorial boards of both The Boston Globe and the Boston Herald as well as a local chapter of the hotel and electrical worker union. Grassroots movements including Democracy for America , Brand New Congress and the Justice Democrats supported Pressley. She received the endorsements of former Massachusetts Democratic Party chair John E. Walsh , Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey , former Newton mayor Setti Warren and Boston city councilor Michelle Wu . The nomination win in New York's 14th congressional district of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez over long-time representative Joseph Crowley increased
416-518: A major priority of her work in Congress. Pressley supports decriminalizing sex work , saying it "would improve the health and safety of sex workers and put them on the path to greater stability." She argued that sex work is the only work available to some marginalized people , especially transgender women of color, and that they would be less at risk if they could self advocate and report unlawful acts committed against them. On April 9, 2019, Pressley
468-590: A proposal to increase the number of liquor license in the city by 152 over a three year period, with the majority of licenses being granted to underserved communities. In 2017, the Council passed the Equity in City of Boston Contracts Ordinance, which was sponsored by Pressley and Councilor Michelle Wu. It required that the city create a supplier diversity program to conduct outreach to female and minority-owned businesses in regards to
520-410: A reliably liberal voting record was not enough to meet the needs of a district whose demographics and character had changed over the years. She also claimed that the district needed to be represented by someone who would take a more aggressive role in opposing the presidency of Donald Trump . She campaigned with the slogan "change can't wait", and promised that she would bring "activist leadership". In
572-548: A world-class city if anyone is made to feel like a second-class citizen." Pressley worked on the issue of liquor licenses in the city. The ultimate product of Pressley's push was the passage of state legislation in 2014 granting Boston the authority to distribute 75 additional liquor licenses over a three year period, with the aim of distributing them to less advantaged neighborhoods in order to increase economic activity in those neighborhoods. However, The Boston Globe ' s Meghan Irons observed that an unintentional impact of this
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#1732855721767624-522: A write-in campaign as a Republican. Pressley won the election. Presley defeated Republican Donnie Palmer in the general election. Pressley is the first black woman elected to represent Massachusetts in Congress. With the November election victory of Jahana Hayes in Connecticut's 5th congressional district , they became the first women of color to be elected to Congress from New England . Pressley
676-814: Is a member of the informal group known as " The Squad ", whose members form a unified front to push for progressive changes such as the Green New Deal and Medicare-for-all. The other original members of "The Squad" are Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY). Pressley is the oldest and most politically experienced of the four, and she was asked by the group to act as their spokesperson after then-President Donald J. Trump attacked them. In an interview with The Boston Globe in July 2019, Pressley said her office received death threats after President Trump's tweets on July 14, 2019, and in general since her election. In May 2019, Pressley gave
728-765: Is consistent with the impulsive, reckless, short-sighted foreign policy of the occupant of this White House who I think proceeds as if he's engaging in a game of Battleship and does not prioritize diplomacy." In 2023, Pressley was among 56 Democrats to vote in favor of H.Con.Res. 21 which directed President Joe Biden to remove U.S. troops from Syria within 180 days. On July 18, 2023, she voted against, along with eight other Progressive Democrats ( Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , Cori Bush , Jamaal Bowman , André Carson , Summer Lee , Ilhan Omar , Delia Ramirez , and Rashida Tlaib ), congressional non-binding resolution proposed by August Pfluger which states that “the State of Israel
780-515: Is not a racist or an apartheid state ", that Congress rejects "all forms of antisemitism and xenophobia" and that “the United States will always be a staunch partner and supporter of Israel." She condemned Hamas's October 2023 attack on Israel . On October 16, 2023, Pressley signed a resolution calling for a ceasefire in the Israel–Hamas war . She said on the press call: "Let me make it plain:
832-486: Is willing to advance LGBT rights, regardless of their sexual identity or orientation; it has historically been co-chaired by every openly-LGBT member of the House. The caucus had 194 members, all of them Democrats , in the 118th United States Congress . The most common caucuses consist of members united as an interest group . These are often bi-partisan (comprising both Democrats and Republicans) and bi-cameral (comprising both Representatives and Senators). Examples like
884-654: The Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement against Israel . The resolution passed 398–17; Pressley was the only member of " the Squad " to vote in favor of it. On September 23 Pressley was one of eight Democrats to vote against the funding of Israel's Iron Dome missile defense system. Speaking at a fundraiser with Ilhan Omar in Somerville, Massachusetts , Pressley condemned the 2020 Baghdad International Airport airstrike that killed Iranian general Qasem Soleimani , saying: "It
936-524: The College of General Studies at Boston University , before leaving school to take a full-time job at the Boston Marriott Copley Place to support her mother, who had lost her job. She took further courses at Boston University Metropolitan College . Pressley has publicly recounted having been a survivor of a "near decade of childhood sexual abuse ". She has also publicly recounted surviving
988-533: The Congressional Bike Caucus works to promote cycling , and the Senate Taiwan Caucus promotes strong relationships with Taiwan. The House Committee on House Administration (HCHA) prescribes certain rules for Congressional Member Organizations (CMOs). Each Congress, CMOs must electronically register with the Committee on House Administration, providing the name of the caucus, a statement of purpose ,
1040-526: The Senate to set legislative agendas, select committee members and chairs and hold elections to choose various floor leaders . They also oversee the four Hill committees , political party committees that work to elect members of their own party to Congress. Ideological congressional caucuses can represent a political party within a political party. In the United States two-party dominant political system, these congressional caucuses help congregate and advance
1092-508: The U.S. national anthem protests , which have been used to bring attention to the disproportionate rate of which police brutality affects black people. On March 5, 2019, Pressley proposed lowering the voting age from 18 years old to 16 in an amendment she introduced in Congress. This was her first amendment on the House floor and was intended to amend the For the People Act of 2019 . Her amendment
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#17328557217671144-691: The United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate and governed under the rules of these chambers . In addition to the term "caucus", they are sometimes called conferences (especially Republican ones), coalitions , study groups, task forces, or working groups. Many other countries use the term parliamentary group ; the Parliament of the United Kingdom has many all-party parliamentary groups . The largest caucuses are
1196-407: The commencement address to the graduates of University of Massachusetts Boston, saying they are "President Trump's worst nightmare". In her speech, she said, "Represented here today are dreamers and doers, immigrants, people of every race identity, every gender identity and sexuality, sisters rocking Senegalese twists and hijabs." On September 17, 2019, Pressley filed a resolution that called for
1248-636: The party caucuses comprising all members of one house from one party (either the Democrats or the Republicans ) in addition to any independent members who may caucus with either party. These are the House Democratic Caucus , House Republican Conference , Senate Democratic Caucus and Senate Republican Conference . The caucuses meet regularly in closed sessions for both the House of Representatives and
1300-492: The 7th district primary had not voted in the five previous primaries. The percentage of new voters included a disproportionate number of Hispanic and Asian voters. She won the general election unopposed, though the Democratic primary in her district is seen as tantamount to election . Pressley was unopposed for the Democratic nomination. Rayla Campbell, a claims adjuster and occupational zoning activist from Randolph , mounted
1352-457: The Boston City Council, Pressley was one of the first notable Massachusetts politicians to endorse Elizabeth Warren 's successful campaign in Massachusetts' 2012 U.S. Senate election . In January 2018, Pressley announced her challenge to incumbent United States Representative Michael Capuano in the 2018 Democratic primary nomination for the Massachusetts's 7th congressional district . With
1404-567: The CMO officers and the employee designated to work on issues related to the CMO. The HCHA rules include the following: Ayanna Pressley Ayanna Soyini Pressley (born February 3, 1974) is an American politician who has served as the U.S. representative for Massachusetts's 7th congressional district since 2019. This district includes the northern three quarters of Boston , most of Cambridge , parts of Milton , as well as all of Chelsea , Everett , Randolph , and Somerville . Before serving in
1456-887: The City Council. O'Brien, in 2018, observed that the city's "old guard" viewed Pressley as a "showboat" but that, "in many communities of color , she is viewed as incredibly exciting and voicing issues the council has ignored." In the Boston City council election of November 2011 , Pressley finished first among at-large candidates with 37,000 votes. She led in 13 of the city's 22 wards and finished second in three others. Pressley won Boston's communities of color and many progressive neighborhoods. In all, she placed first in more than half of Boston's 22 wards. Pressley placed first ticket again in November 2013 and November 2015 , and placed second in November 2017 behind only Michelle Wu. While on
1508-525: The ERA, marching on April 28, 2023 to the Senate in support of S.J. Res 4, the bill to affirm the ERA. The Southern Caucus was a Senate caucus of Southern Democrats chaired by Richard Russell , which opposed civil rights legislation and formed a vital part of the conservative coalition that dominated the Senate into the 1960s. The tone of the Southern Caucus was to be more moderate and reasonable than
1560-513: The House Judiciary Committee to launch impeachment proceedings against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh . In November 2019, Pressley introduced a criminal justice reform resolution that called for decriminalizing consensual sex work , abolishing cash bail , legalizing marijuana , abolishing capital punishment and solitary confinement , and shrinking the U.S. prison population by greater than 80 percent. The house resolution
1612-457: The September 4, 2018, Democratic primary election , Pressley defeated Capuano by a margin of 59% to 41%. The primary victory was a surprise, as the last poll before the election showed Capuano with a significant lead, 48% to 35%. Part of the reason the polls may have been inaccurate was a surge in the number of primary voters. According to Boston NPR station WBUR , 24 percent of primary voters in
Congressional Taiwan Caucus - Misplaced Pages Continue
1664-579: The United States House of Representatives, Pressley served as an at-large member of the Boston City Council from 2010 through 2019. She was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 2018 after she defeated the ten-term incumbent Mike Capuano in the Democratic primary election for Massachusetts's 7th congressional district and ran unopposed in the general election . Pressley
1716-428: The caucus is to work for LGBT rights , the repeal of laws discriminatory against LGBT persons, the elimination of hate-motivated violence , and improved health and well-being for all persons, regardless of sexual orientation , gender identity , or gender expression . The caucus serves as a resource for Members of Congress , their staffs, and the public on LGBT issues. The LGBT Equality Caucus admits any member who
1768-442: The city contracting process. It also required the city to actively solicit bids from at least one female-owned business and one minority-owned business for contracts under $ 50,000. It also created a quarterly reporting requirement for the city. According to Erin O'Brien, a political science professor at University of Massachusetts Boston , Pressley did not have the reputation for being controversial or an outsider during her time on
1820-579: The college level. Her mother, Sandra Pressley (née Echols), worked multiple jobs to support the family and also worked as a community organizer for the Chicago Urban League advocating for tenants' rights. The marriage ended in divorce. Pressley grew up on the north side of Chicago and attended Francis W. Parker School , where she was a cheerleader, did modeling and voice-over work, appeared in Planned Parenthood bus advertisements, and
1872-853: The defunding of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement , saying the law enforcement agency poses an "existential threat" to immigrant communities. In June 2019, Pressley was one of four Democratic representatives to vote against the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations for Humanitarian Assistance and Security at the Southern Border Act (H.R. 3401), a $ 4.5 billion border funding bill sponsored by Nita Lowey that required Customs and Border Protection enact health standards for individuals in custody such as forming standards for individuals for "medical emergencies; nutrition, hygiene, and facilities; and personnel training." In 2018, Pressley said that she would make ending sexual violence
1924-595: The explicit white supremacism of some Southern Senators. The caucus was where the Southern Manifesto was written which supported the reversal of the landmark Supreme Court 1954 ruling Brown v. Board of Education and was signed by 19 Senators and 82 Representatives. The formation of the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus was announced on June 4, 2008, by openly gay members of congress Tammy Baldwin and Barney Frank . The mission of
1976-486: The founding co-chairs. There is no official source available to the public regarding the accurate list of the caucus. According to public information including news reports, these Congressional members are in the caucus: Congressional Member Organization A congressional caucus is a group of members of the United States Congress that meet to pursue common legislative objectives. Formally, caucuses are formed as congressional member organizations ( CMOs ) through
2028-416: The ideals of a more focused ideology within the two major relatively big tent political parties. Some caucuses are organized political factions with a common ideological orientation. Most ideological caucuses are confined to the House of Representatives. The rosters of large caucuses are usually listed publicly. Members of Congress are not restricted to a single ideological caucus, creating overlaps between
2080-457: The legislative process that would likely get bogged down in partisanship . Pressley told The Boston Globe , "It's about an equitable economic recovery. If people really do believe that Black Lives Matter, then the only receipts that matter in this moment are budgets and policies." As a city councilor, Pressley introduced an ordinance that would have prohibited the use of credit scores by employers in assessing prospective and existing hires. As
2132-508: The murder of innocent Israeli civilians by Hamas is horrific and unacceptable. And the murder of innocent Palestinian civilians is a horrific and unacceptable response from Israel. Vengeance should not be a foreign policy doctrine." In early February 2021, Pressley supported a plan to cancel up to $ 50,000 in student loan debt for approximately 44 million Americans who have federal student loans. She has asked President Biden to forgive this debt by using executive order rather than going through
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2184-565: The organisations. Among the most visible caucuses are those composed of members sharing the same race or ethnic group . The most high profile of these represent people of color . The Congressional Black Caucus, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, and the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus also form the Congressional Tri Caucus when they sit together. The ERA Caucus (Equal Rights Amendment Caucus)
2236-486: The visibility of Pressley's campaign. While some political commentators distinguished Pressley's campaign from the one of Ocasio-Cortez as Capuano was understood to have one of the most progressive records in Congress, the incumbents both represented districts in which the majority of voters are not white. Like Capuano, Pressley campaigned as a staunch progressive, admitting that her voting record would likely be almost identical to Capuano's. However, Pressley contended that
2288-465: Was a competitive debater . During her senior year of high school, she was voted the "most likely to be mayor of Chicago" and was the commencement speaker for her class. Pressley's mother later moved to Brooklyn , where she worked as an executive assistant and remarried. When Pressley was elected to the Boston City Council, her mother would often attend the public meetings, wearing a hat that said "Mama Pressley". From 1992 to 1994, Pressley attended
2340-534: Was called The People's Justice Guarantee. In July, 2021, Pressley joined Cori Bush and Ilhan Omar in sleeping on the steps of the U.S. Capitol to protest the expiration of the eviction moratorium during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States . On November 5, 2021, Pressley was one of six House Democrats who broke with their party and voted against the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act , as it
2392-593: Was decoupled from the social safety net provisions in the Build Back Better Act . Pressley is an advocate of Medicare for All . In May 2019, Pressley and Senator Cory Booker introduced the Healthy MOMMIES Act, legislation that would expand Medicaid coverage in an attempt to provide comprehensive prenatal , labor, and postpartum care with an extension of the Medicaid pregnancy pathway from 60 days to
2444-568: Was defeated 305–126–2, with a slight majority of the Democrats and one Republican voting in favor. On December 5, 2019, Pressley, Cory Booker, and Representatives Cedric Richmond , Marcia Fudge , and Barbara Lee introduced the Create a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair (CROWN) Act to ban discrimination based on hair textures and hairstyles that are commonly associated with a particular race or national origin. In June 2018, Pressley called for
2496-499: Was first elected to the Boston City Council in November 2009 . Upon being sworn in on January 4, 2010, she was the first woman of color to serve in the 100-year history of the Boston City Council. Pressley placed a strong focus to women's and children's issues. Pressley founded the Committee on Healthy Women, Families, and Communities, which addresses issues such as domestic violence , child abuse , and human trafficking . She worked collaboratively with community members to develop
2548-557: Was formed March 28, 2023, by representatives Ayanna Pressley and Cori Bush to affirm the Equal Rights Amendment as the 28th amendment of the U.S. Constitution, having met all requirements of Article V in 2020 with the ratification by the 38th state, Virginia. The Caucus has quickly grown to be one of the largest in the U.S. House of Representatives, standing at 69 members in May 2023. The ERA Caucus quickly showed their support of
2600-489: Was one of four House Democrats to introduce the Be HEARD Act, legislation intended to abolish the tipped minimum wage along with ending mandatory arbitration and pre-employment nondisclosure agreements . The bill would also give workers additional time to report harassment. On July 23, 2019, Pressley voted in favor of H. Res. 246 , a House Resolution introduced by Illinois Congressman Brad Schneider that formally condemns
2652-427: Was that, "it created uneven competition. It left out certain neighborhoods. It allowed businesses that were already established to get the licenses." Nevertheless, in 2018, The New York Times called Pressley's work on the matter a "major accomplishment". To remedy the shortfalls, Pressley worked with Mayor Walsh to further expand the number of new available liquor licenses. In 2017, Pressley and Mayor Walsh unveiled
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#17328557217672704-606: Was the first black woman elected to the Boston City Council and the first black woman elected to Congress from Massachusetts. Pressley is a member of " The Squad ", a group of progressive Congress members. Pressley was born in Cincinnati , Ohio , and raised in Chicago , Illinois . Her father, Martin Terrell, struggled with addiction and was incarcerated throughout Pressley's childhood, but eventually earned multiple degrees and taught at
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