Progressive Democrats of America

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Progressive Democrats of America

Formation	July 26–29, 2004
Affiliations	Democratic Party
Website	pdamerica.org

The Progressive Democrats of America (PDA) is a progressive political organization and grassroots political action committee operating inside and outside the Democratic Party.

History[]

The Progressive Democrats of America formed out of the presidential campaigns of Howard Dean and Dennis Kucinich as well as with outside, independent involvement from peace and justice activists.^[1]

PDA was founded during the 2004 Democratic National Convention in Massachusetts by Tim Carpenter, Steve Cobble, Kevin Spidel, Mimi Kennedy, Laura Bonham, Joe Libertelli, Bruce Taub, and about two dozen other former staffers and supporters of the Dennis Kucinich for President Campaign—as well as Joel Segal, and other progressive activists who helped organize delegates and activists concerned with the centrist and right leaning trends in the Democratic Party. Currently PDA consists of "a large group of progressive grassroots activists from across the country who want to support progressive grassroots activities both locally and nationally."

Appearing at the first PDA meeting in Roxbury, Massachusetts were leaders, activists, and politicians including Dean and Kucinich, U.S. representatives John Conyers, Jesse Jackson, Jr. and Barbara Lee, Rev. Jesse Jackson, James Zogby, Tom Hayden, Medea Benjamin, John Lauritsen, and the late PDA Executive Director Tim Carpenter.

PDA's mission is to strengthen the voice of progressive ideas inside and outside the Democratic Party by using "inside/outside" and "grassroots fusion" models of working both in the Democratic Party as well as working with other progressive organizations both inside and outside the Party.

In March 2019, PDA endorsed progressive Bernie Sanders for president in the 2020 race; Sanders received two-thirds of member votes.^[2]

Policy positions[]

Foreign policy[]

The Progressive Democrats of America opposes wars and occupations.

PDA launched the Healthcare Not Warfare campaign to emphasize these policy positions. Donna Smith currently serves as the chair of the campaign. PDA supports the following legislation: to Repeal of the Authorization for Use of Military Force, the , the , and the .^[3]

Healthcare[]

PDA supports establishing an expanded, improved Medicare for All National Healthcare Program, a single-payer health care system. PDA advocates passage of H.R. 1976 the , which would provide enhanced Medicare for all by establishing a streamlined, nonprofit national health program under which care would be publicly financed and privately delivered. PDA also supports the which would enable states to establish their own health care programs with publicly financed Single Payer systems.^[4]

Economic and social policies[]

PDA supports fair trade, which it asserts would protect consumers' and workers' rights as well as the environment while opposing free trade agreements that it believes tend to let multinational corporations exploit labor worldwide. PDA is opposing renewal of fast track authority that allows the White House to enact trade deals without Congressional amendment or full oversight. This especially as regards the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a sweeping agreement which PDA believes would "save substantial negative impact on millions of people in the 12 nations holding talks, including the United States."^[5]

PDA supports the Employee Free Choice Act, which would make it easier for workers to organize unions.^[6]

Electoral reform[]

PDA has endorsed and worked to gain support for the following legislation: / S. 123 the , the , the , the (for census purposes, the place of residence is last address prior to incarceration), and to establish voting as a Constitutional Right.^[7]

Environment[]

PDA supports the following legislation: the FRAC Act aka Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals Act "To amend the Safe Drinking Water Act to repeal a certain exemption for hydraulic fracturing, and for other purposes",^[8] the aka Focused Reduction of Effluence and Stormwater runoff through Hydrofracking Environmental Regulation Act "To amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act and direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study with respect to stormwater runoff from oil and gas operations",^[9] the BREATHE Act aka Bringing Reductions to Energy's Airborne Toxic Health Effects Act "To amend the Clean Air Act to eliminate the exemption for aggregation of emissions from oil and gas sources",^[10] and the aka Closing Loopholes and Ending Arbitrary and Needless Evasion of Regulations Act "To require regulation of wastes associated with the exploration, development, or production of crude oil, natural gas, or geothermal energy under the Solid Waste Disposal Act."^[11]

PDA seeks to reduce America's dependence on oil and fossil fuels by raising auto fuel economy and imposing taxation on carbon dioxide while investing in public transportation, energy conservation technologies, and alternative energy development.^[12]

Democracy Restoration Act[]

PDA supports legislation including constitutional amendments to protect voting rights, and opposes court decisions, legislation and other efforts to roll back the Voting Rights Act.^[13]

Criminal justice[]

The End Mass Criminalization Issue Team works on the following related issues, including: Mass Incarceration, Prison Industrial Complex/Privatization of Prisons, School to Prison Pipeline, Restoration of Voting Rights, Voter Suppression by Incarceration, Stop and Frisk, Harm Reduction, Criminalization of Poverty, Mandatory Minimum Sentences, Criminal Justice System, War on Drugs, Solitary Confinement.^[14]

Advisory board[]

• Mimi Kennedy, Advisory Board Chair^[15]
• Cindy Asner (emeritus)
• Medea Benjamin
• John C. Bonifaz (emeritus)
• Kristin Cabral
• Steve Cobble
• Jeff Cohen (emeritus)
• Marjorie Cohn
• Rep. John Conyers Jr.
• Rep. Donna Edwards (emeritus)
• Keith Ellison (emeritus)
• Jodie Evans
• Gary L. Flowers (emeritus)
• Lila Garrett
• Rep. Raul Grijalva
• Thom Hartmann
• Tom Hayden
• Jim Hightower
• Rep. Barbara Lee
• Joe Libertelli (emeritus)
• Rep. Jim McGovern
• Ralph I. Miller (emeritus)
• (emeritus)
• Rev. Dr. Rodney Sadler
• Joel Segal (emeritus)
• , Advisory Board Vice Chair (emeritus)
• Andy Shallal
• Belén Sisa
• Donna Smith (emeritus)
• Paul Y. Song, MD
• David Swanson (emeritus)
• Rep. Maxine Waters (emeritus)
• Rep. Diane E. Watson (emeritus)
• Lyle Wing (emeritus)
• Rep. Lynn Woolsey (emeritus)
• Rev. Lennox Yearwood Jr. (emeritus)

References[]

External links[]

• Official website
• PDA YouTube channel