Progressive Democrats Call For Unity Of Purpose

WASHINGTON - Aug. 21, 2017 - PRLog -- Who: Progressive Democrats of America Staff and Supporters

What: Helping Democrats win through unity of purpose

Where: In Washington, D.C. and nationwide

Why: To bring the Democratic Party back to its progressive roots

When: During the Summer for Progress and the 2018 election cycle

How: Via the People's Platform and outreach via the media

Washington, D.C.—Progressive Democrats of America (PDA) Executive Director Donna Smith said, "We've been reading and hearing that the progressive wing of the Democratic Party must stand down to avoid division within the Party. We at PDA strongly disagree with that assumption. We believe that Democrats only win when Democrats run as the party of the people, but Democrats lose when they try to run as 'Republican-Lite.'

Smith explained, "PDA and our allies working on the Summer For Progress campaign, holding meetings with our representatives this month, and calling on every Democratic member of the House to cosponsor the eight bills in the highly popular People's Platform. We're also calling on the Democratic Party to support the platform. Doing so would provide Democrats with powerful unity of purpose—not create division—as we gear up for the critically important mid-term elections next year.

Smith added, "PDA was founded in 2004 as a grassroots political action committee with a specific goal: to transform American politics by bringing the Democratic Party back to its progressive roots. We build bridges between progressive members of Congress and organizations working for peace, justice, equality, the environment, and more. From 2013 to 2014, PDA worked behind the leadership of our late founder Tim Carpenter to persuade Sen. Bernie Sanders to run for president as a Democrat. We presented 10,000s of signatures to the Senator, urging him to run. When he agreed to do so, we worked tirelessly mobilizing volunteers and holding events in nearly every primary and caucus state.

PDA Deputy Director Michael Fox said, "The Bernie Sanders campaign raised critically important issues including the advantages of a Single Payer / Medicare for All health program, as well as the need to end corporate rule and Wall Street abuses, to halt regime change and profligate weapons spending, to address the climate emergency and end police violence, and much more. The Sanders for President campaign probably would not have happened without PDA's efforts.

Fox added, "PDA helped organize the Bernie Delegate Network—including 226 PDA members—that worked to make the Democratic Party platform reflect the unifying people-centered principles that drew massive crowds and more than 7 million voters to support Bernie Sanders. We believe that had more Democratic candidates built their campaigns around the platform, the Democrats—not the Republicans—would enjoy majorities in the House and Senate, and Hillary Clinton would be president today."

Fox explained, "PDA and our allies will keep working to make the Democratic Party the Party of the People. This will help win seats for Democrats in Congress, and will also ensure that the Democrats we elect will act like real Democrats, not corporatist 'Democrats In Name Only' (DINOs). This effort will attract strong progressive candidates, fire up young and old Democrats alike, and foster the unity of principle the Democratic Party needs to be successful in 2018, 2020, and beyond."

Progressive Democrats of America is a grassroots political action committee. The organization was founded in 2004 to transform the Democratic Party and U.S. politics by working inside the Democratic Party and outside with peace, justice, civil rights, environmental, and other reform movements. PDA's Healthcare Not Warfare campaign brings together the need for a comprehensive universal healthcare system with our advocacy for scaled-down military spending and reliance on non-military approaches to foreign policy, rather than regime change and military action.

The PDA National Advisory Board includes: Representatives John Conyers, Jr., Barbara Lee, Keith Ellison, Raul Grijalva, and James McGovern; as well as progressive leaders including Academy Award winning documentarian Michael Moore, Actress / Activist Mimi Kennedy, Rev. Dr. Rodney Sadler, Author Jim Hightower, and Radio Hosts / Authors Lila Garrett and Thom Hartmann. Esteemed activists Michael Lighty, Medea Benjamin, Steve Cobble, Kristin Cabral, and Dr. Paul Song, M.D. also serve on the PDA Advisory Board.

For more information please see http://www.pdamerica.org and contact:

Executive Director Donna Smith donna@pdamerica.org 720-256-8373

Deputy Director Michael Fox mikefox@pdamerica.org 727-320-4502

Communications Director Mike Hersh mike@pdamerica.org 301-602-9388