The MP has been at the center of action in recent weeks as her party strives to finalize a broad package of measures to extend the social safety net, a key priority for President Joe Biden.
Democrats control extremely narrow majorities in Congress, a dynamic that has empowered moderates as well as progressives and both factions have locked themselves in a power struggle. In this context, the Washington State Democrat has emerged as a leading voice for the left flank and the party’s progressive policies.
As moderates focus on passing the infrastructure bill, the priority for progressives is to reach agreement to pass the largest social safety net package, which would focus on health care, the helping families and the climate crisis.
Struggle between progressives and moderates on Biden’s agenda
To ensure that the bigger package is not left behind, House progressives, led by Jayapal, have made it clear that they will only support the infrastructure bill if the net bill security evolves in tandem.
This stance dramatically shaped the political landscape that Main Democrats faced and forced House leaders this week to delay the vote on the infrastructure bill for the second time in two months. The result highlighted the power of the Progressive Caucus, which has nearly 100 members representing almost half of the Democratic caucus.
The decision to push back the timetable for the infrastructure vote came at a critical time for Biden’s agenda. It came just hours after the president came to Capitol Hill to present House Democrats with a framework for his social safety net plan. This legislation has not yet been finalized or publicly approved by all Senate Democrats whose votes will be critical to its passage.
“The reality is that while discussions around the Infrastructure Bill have lasted for months in the Senate, there has been no serious discussion of the details of the larger Build Back Better Act in recent weeks, thanks to the Progressive Caucus. holding the line and putting both parts of the agenda on the table, “Jayapal said in a statement Thursday.
“Now Congress must finish the job and put the two bills to a vote,” she said.
Jayapal’s Rise as a Progressive Leader
Prior to coming to represent Seattle in Congress, Jayapal was a State Senator and a leading immigrant, women’s, and civil rights activist. She won her first congressional race in 2016, and
was endorsed by Independent Senator from Vermont Bernie Sanders in his candidacy for Congress. Once in Congress, she quickly rose within the progressive congressional caucus and became a prominent critic of the Trump administration.
Jayapal has the distinction of being the first South Asian woman to be elected to the House,
according to his Congress biography, who states that she was born in India and came to the United States to study at Georgetown University when she was 16. The biography also states that Jayapal also lived in Indonesia and Singapore.
The Democratic lawmaker represents Washington’s Seventh Congressional District, which includes much of Seattle as well as its surrounding areas.
His caucus has also gained greater visibility in recent years, as rising stars of the Democratic Party have been elected to Congress and joined its ranks, including Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez from New York.
Jayapal spoke to CNN in an interview earlier this year about her vision for the caucus and how she wants it to function as a unified bloc.
“We have to be able to say that this is what the progressive caucus is, this is what we are fighting for,” she said. “It’s not a litmus test, it’s not a purity test, but we want people to generally agree with the voting caucus.”
The caucus has remained largely unified as moderates and progressives vie for Biden’s agenda, a dynamic that has bolstered the bloc’s influence and Jayapal’s power amid high-stakes negotiations.
CNN’s Annie Grayer and Alex Rogers contributed.
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