WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – While House Democrats figure out what went wrong after losing the White House and Senate, the Congressional Progressive Caucus is celebrating what they say went right.
“We should be doing that soul searching,” Rep. Greg Casar (D-Texas) said. “And you find that soul in these new members of Congress.”
Texas Rep. Casar and Washington Rep. Pramila Jayapal introduced seven new members of their caucus Monday, many of them making history with their elections.
“We have our first trans member of Congress,” Jayapal said. “First Iranian American Democrat in Congress.”
The incoming lawmakers, spanning California, New Jersey, Delaware and Arizona, say voters sent them to Congress to address a number of issues.
California’s Laura Friedman is taking the seat of now Senator-elect Adam Schiff.
“People care deeply about climate change because my state is literally on fire right now in some places,” Friedman said.
Delaware’s Sarah McBride is the first transgender member of Congress.
“What I was hearing was that we need to guarantee affordable healthcare, housing and childcare,” McBride said.
California’s Luz Rivas is the first Latina to represent her district.
“I represent an immigrant community, one that would be devastated by the mass deportations,” Rivas said.
While the caucus celebrates its new members, it’s also trying to address the losses of last week.
“I’m not really interested in blame,” Rep. Jayapal said.
Jayapal says the party has to do a better job of communicating its successes.
“People can’t be in denial or question whether we are standing up for them,” Jayapal said.
The new members take their oaths of office on Jan. 3.
