Representing a Democratic-leaning district in southeastern Pennsylvania, mostly in suburbs of Philadelphia, Dean is the only CPC member who scored a full 100 percent wrong on core progressive issues in our review. Now in her second term, Rep. Dean has already disappointed some of her supporters, including labor activists demanding she take stronger stands on healthcare.

Dean avoided supporting Medicare for All, stating on her reelection campaign website: “Every person deserves to be able to have access to affordable, quality, and comprehensive healthcare. … Madeleine wants to continue working in Congress to support universal healthcare that is economically balanced to fulfill the promise that our government made in 2010.” Reform that is “economically balanced”? It seems Dean ignored extensive research showing that Medicare for All could save lives and up to $450 billion a year.

At a 2019 public forum in Philadelphia for area members of Congress, Dean was booed by Democratic activists when she explained her opposition to Medicare for All. In April 2021, healthcare workers and unions picketed Dean’s district office to protest her inaction on even a temporary expansion of Medicare to cover everyone during the pandemic. David McMahon, a delegate for the Montgomery County Central Labor Council, said: “when it comes to healthcare reform she lets Big Business do all the talking. We couldn’t even get her to meet with us on the Healthcare Emergency Guarantee Act in the middle of a pandemic.”

Rep. Dean took $77,500 in campaign donations from the insurance industry sector in 2020, and another $40,300 from the pharmaceuticals and health products sector.

Union activists weren’t the only disappointed Dean supporters. Journalist Dave Lindorff wrote a scathing piece on Dean after getting a meager response from her office on a basic civil liberties issue; Dean sits on the House Judiciary Committee.

Dean has failed to support either of the Green New Deal measures from Reps. Ocasio-Cortez and Cori Bush. At the Philadelphia forum in 2019, Dean told the crowd of Democratic activists that while she supports the idea of a Green New Deal, she wouldn’t co-sponsor it. In her reelection campaign, Dean touted more tepid “legislation that transforms our country into a climate-forward and clean energy powerhouse.” (While Dean has joined many progressives in supporting the THRIVE Act, which has some elements of the Green New Deal, she backed it a full month after 44 of her colleagues had cosponsored the bill.)

In foreign policy, Dean signed the March 2021 congressional letter (backed by 70 Republicans and 70 Democrats) aimed at slowing the Biden administration’s efforts to reestablish an Iran nuclear deal—a letter organized by the Israel-can-do-no-wrong lobby, AIPAC. In 2020 and 2021, she voted against amendments to reduce military spending.

Donald Norcross, in Congress since 2014, may be best known as the brother of South Jersey power broker and insurance-industry executive George Norcross. According to an investigation by ProPublica and WNYC, the Norcross brothers joined forces when Donald was a state senator to push through a 2013 state tax plan that reaped “at least” $1.1 billion for George’s powerful insurance brokerage and connected business partners and charities. Norcross represents a heavily Democratic congressional district that includes the impoverished city of Camden and New Jersey suburbs of Philadelphia.

On March 17, 2021, as Rep. Jayapal introduced her Medicare for All bill, Norcross tweeted promisingly: “The United States is the richest country in the world, but millions of Americans still can’t afford health care. #MedicareForAll will change that—it’s time for a bold change.” Yet at year’s end, Norcross still has not co-sponsored the legislation in either of the last two sessions of Congress. A coalition of progressive New Jersey groups has urged Norcross to match his words with action. Norcross raked in $82,000 from the insurance industry sector in the 2020 election cycle.

While Norcross supported the COVID-vaccine waiver, he has often failed to back progressive priorities. Norcross has not co-sponsored either Green New Deal measure, and he voted for legislation in 2018 to boost natural gas exports.

Norcross, whose congressional website features an aircraft carrier in fully armed military posture, sits on the House Armed Services Committee and has proved a reliable Yes for military spending increases—“fighting to ensure our military is ready to meet any challenge, at home or abroad,” as his website puts it. He was one of 70 Democrats who signed the letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken undermining an Iran nuclear deal. He voted against both military budget-cut amendments and voted for massive military budget increases in  2020 and 2021. Norcross chairs the Tactical Air and Land Forces Subcommittee and serves on the Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee. He voted last year to reauthorize warrantless government surveillance powers, after voting to expand those powers in 2018.

In an interview with Defense News, asked about his “Buy American” push for military manufacturing, Norcross responded: “The Chinese are very focused on trying to have a boot on the throat of America so that it can cut off some of those critical supplies.” Norcross also heaped praise on Israel’s Iron Dome, calling it “a purely defensive system that safeguards lives.” According to research by the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, Norcross has received more than $52,000 worth of trips to Israel paid for by “pro-Israel” groups allied with AIPAC.

Despite his dubious record on many core issues, Norcross received the endorsement of the Progressive Caucus in his 2020 reelection bid, and is the caucus’ vice chair for labor; yet he also is a member of the corporatist New Democrat Coalition. Norcross is being challenged in 2022 by Mario DeSantis, who supports universal single-payer healthcare and Pentagon budget cuts, among other progressive priorities opposed by Norcross.

Following in his father’s footsteps, Jimmy Panetta represents the same Central California Coast district—overwhelmingly Democratic—that elected Leon Panetta for nine terms (formerly the state’s 16th  then 17th Congressional District). Panetta seems to have inherited his father’s hawkish tendencies, voting to reauthorize the misnamed USA Freedom Act, backing military spending increases, and opposing Rep. Pocan’s and AOC’s modest attempts to rein in the military budget. Panetta also signed the letter undermining a renewed Iran nuclear deal.

Panetta received credit from the Progressive Caucus for urging Biden and Pelosi to go “big and bold” on infrastructure and Build Back Better—but when push came to shove, Panetta was not among the 22 Democrats who at a key moment in late September pledged to oppose BIF unless it was packaged in a vote with BBB.

Panetta receives substantial corporate campaign donations, including from top contributors Blue Cross/Blue Shield, the USA Rice Federation, Honeywell International, Morgan Stanley, and the American Hospital Association.

Panetta is one of 16 CPC members who is part of the corporate-allied New Democrat Coalition. In 2020, Panetta faced his first progressive primary challenge, from Adam Bolaños Scow, who roundly criticized the congressman’s corporate campaign donations ($550,000 from corporate PACs in that cycle) and his refusal to support a fracking ban.

Elected in 2018 to replace the late Democratic Rep. Louise Slaughter, Joe Morelle represents New York’s 25th District, centered in Rochester. This strongly Democratic district cast a 60 percent vote for Biden in the 2020 general election (and 59 percent for Morelle’s reelection).

When the CPC endorsed Morelle for reelection in 2019, it called him “a true champion of the progressive values CPC stands for.” Unfortunately, on a host of key progressive values, Morelle has often acted more like a corporate centrist. Though Morelle supported the COVID-vaccine trade waiver, he has not sided with progressive leadership on much else.

Morelle failed to cosponsor AOC’s Green New Deal resolution or Cori Bush’s Green New Deal for Cities. When asked about his position, Morelle told the nonprofit 500 Women Scientists, “While I do not support the Green New Deal in its entirety, I support many of its proposals, including transitioning our economy away from fossil fuel dependence.” (Morelle did cosponsor the THRIVE Act.)

Despite declaring on his campaign website that “universal access to health care is a fundamental human right,” Morelle has not backed Jayapal’s Medicare for All legislation. In a 2019 congressional hearing on the bill, Morelle raised “concerns” about “disruptions in the marketplace,” and the taxes and costs associated with transitioning to Medicare for All. The insurance industry sector is Morelle’s top campaign donor (followed by lobbyists and real estate). At the hearing, universal healthcare activist Ady Barkan responded to Morelle, “We pay for far more expensive things like wars of choice. We can afford to do this. We just need to decide to make it happen. It is a political challenge, not an economic one.”

While questioning the costs of Medicare for All, Morelle voted in favor of big military spending increases which, as a member of the House Armed Services Committee, he was “proud to have helped craft.” He voted against both Rep. Pocan’s and AOC’s amendments to cut Pentagon spending by 10 percent, and voted to reauthorize warrantless government surveillance powers last year. He signed the AIPAC-organized letter to Blinken attempting to impede restoration of an Iran nuclear deal.

Lisa Blunt Rochester has served as Delaware’s lone congresswoman since 2017, after filling the seat vacated by Democratic Gov. John Carney; she made history as the first African-American and first woman elected to Congress from Delaware. While Delaware is a blue state (D+6, choosing Biden by 58 percent in 2020), Blunt Rochester has consistently been one of the most conservative members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

Heralded as an “emerging player” in congressional healthcare policy, Blunt Rochester has not supported Jayapal’s Medicare for All legislation. Notably, Blue Cross/Blue Shield is among her top campaign contributors this cycle. In 2018, the insurance industry sector was Blunt Rochester’s top campaign funder, donating $105,226.

Blunt Rochester also failed to support either Green New Deal measure, and did not back the COVID-vaccine TRIPS waiver push. In 2020 and 2021, Blunt Rochester voted against 10 percent “defense” budget cuts, while voting for military spending hikes. She also voted last year to reauthorize government surveillance powers, and voted to expand those powers in 2018. According to the Open Secrets website, she receives substantial campaign donations from “defense/aerospace,” pharmaceuticals, “pro-Israel,” and oil and gas sectors.

Strikingly, Blunt Rochester was one of only two Progressive Caucus members who voted with Republicans in 2018 to weaken banking regulations in the Dodd-Frank Act, the Democrats’ fairly limited 2010 Wall Street reform law.

Lawrence has served in Congress since 2014, representing Detroit and surrounding areas. She supported Keith Ellison for DNC chair in 2017, saying: “he’s progressive.” Yet despite representing Michigan’s most Democratic district—a shade bluer than Rashida Tlaib’s district—Lawrence scored 75 percent wrong on progressive legislation, failing to cosponsor either Green New Deal measure, while backing military spending increases and opposing Rep. Pocan’s modest 10 percent military reduction in 2020 (though she favored a nearly identical measure this year).

In 2019, Lawrence was confronted by constituents at a local union hall about her position on a Green New Deal. “When asked whether she supported the Green New Deal, she hedged,” according to a report by Michigan Left: “I do support the concept of it, but it’s a theory, it’s a philosophy.” The Detroit Coalition for a Green New Deal—which includes Rep. Tlaib, Sunrise Michigan, Southeast Michigan Jobs With Justice, and other worker and environmental groups—has unsuccessfully pressured Lawrence to change her tune on the Green New Deal.

Lawrence failed to cosponsor or support Rep. Jayapal’s Paycheck Recovery Act to help small businesses hurt by COVID-19. Lawrence signed the March 2021 AIPAC-organized letter undercutting efforts to revive an Iran nuclear deal—and voted to reauthorize the USA Freedom Act, which further expands the surveillance state and diminishes civil liberties. Given all this, it’s no surprise that Lawrence is also a member of the New Democrat Coalition.

Some PINOs with dismally centrist status-quo records represent swing districts where they may face serious challenges from Republicans. We urge them to embrace progressive policies that have broad popular support and that address the critical needs of people and the planet. District-level pressure on these representatives to take more progressive populist stands—and not be cowed by corporate and conservative interests—would benefit their constituents, as well as their re-election chances.

First elected to represent Nevada’s 4th—a swing district spanning rural south-central Nevada and portions of Las Vegas—in 2013, Horsford is the Silver State’s first African American to serve in Congress. Despite joining the CPC, Horsford has been far more of a centrist in Congress, and rated among the worst in our assessment, parting ways with progressive leaders 90 percent of the time. He is also a member of the corporatist New Democrat Coalition.

On Medicare for All, Horsford not only failed to support Jayapal’s bill, but has repeatedly spoken out against the idea, echoing insurance-industry talking points. In 2019, Horsford told Nevada journalists, erroneously, that Medicare for All would be “taking healthcare away from people that have it now.” He added, “Who’s going to pay for all that? Every one of us is taxpayers.” Yet like many Democratic colleagues, including a minority of CPC members, Horsford doesn’t raise these fiscal concerns when it comes to increasing military spending; he opposed amendments in both 2020 and 2021 that would have modestly trimmed the bloated military budget.

Horsford has also “pushed back on the Green New Deal, saying it was a distraction from pursuing actual policy,” the Nevada Independent reported. In his opposition, he emphasized “that we stay centered on growing the American workforce,” a false “jobs versus environment” wedge. Horsford, who sits on the budget, natural resources, and ways and means committees, receives major campaign funding from corporate interests, including the securities and real estate industries.

Now in his third term in office, Soto has proven to be far from progressive while reliably in the corporate centrist wing of Democrats. It’s no surprise that Soto is also a member of New Democrat Coalition, as well as the Problem Solvers Caucus, launched by conservative Democrat Josh Gottheimer and Republican Brian Fitzpatrick, which pledges “to find bipartisan solutions” on issues including healthcare. Soto failed to cosponsor either Green New Deal measure, backed military spending increases, signed the AIPAC letter undermining a renewed nuclear deal with Iran, and supported the USA Freedom Act which has rolled back civil liberties protections.

Soto has a troublesome record of claiming progressive positions while taking contradictory actions. Despite having been a member of the congressional Medicare for All caucus, Soto has so far failed to cosponsor Jayapal’s Medicare for All bill. On his campaign website in 2019, Soto stated, “I support Medicare for All.” We found that Soto has violated his pledge not to accept fossil fuel industry money by taking substantial campaign donations from Duke Energy, a top greenhouse gas emitter. Soto’s other top campaign donors include the real estate and insurance industries.

Elected in 2018 and reelected by a nearly 8 percent margin in 2020, Andy Kim represents central New Jersey’s 3rd Congressional District, considered a swing district, which Trump won in 2016 and virtually tied with Biden in 2020. A former national security adviser in the Obama administration, Kim has rarely supported progressive priorities despite his CPC membership.

Kim has consistently leaned corporate centrist, and hasn’t co-sponsored Medicare for All legislation or the Green New Deal measures. He signed onto the bipartisan letter to obstruct the Biden administration’s push to revive an Iran nuclear deal. Meanwhile, Kim did not join the majority of House Democrats signing a letter encouraging the Biden administration to support waiving of international trade rules to facilitate distribution of COVID-19 vaccines around the globe.

While Kim voted against legislation to reauthorize warrantless government surveillance powers in 2020, he voted against both Rep. Pocan’s and Ocasio-Cortez’s measures to trim the Pentagon budget by 10 percent and voted for bloated military budgets in 2020 and 2021.

A disturbing number of other CPC members scored badly on core progressive issues, ranging from 50 percent to 70 percent disagreement with CPC leadership and stalwart caucus members. Our “dishonorable mention” roll call of CPC members includes:

Representing this heavily Democratic and Latino/a district curling around East Houston, Garcia has performed more like a corporate centrist than a progressive. The two-term congresswoman failed to sponsor Medicare for All or either Green New Deal measure, backed military spending increases, and supported the USA Freedom Act reauthorization undermining civil liberties. Last March, some of her constituents urged Garcia to step up and support the Green New Deal. Her top campaign donors include the oil and gas industry and the commercial bank sector.

Despite representing the nation’s most Democratic district, according to the Cook Political Report, an area spanning West and North Philadelphia made up of 55 percent Black voters, Evans has proven to be a centrist. In Congress since 2016, he has failed to sponsor Jayapal’s Medicare for All bill even though he has been a member of the Medicare for All caucus, and despite tweeting that he is a “staunch supporter” (a post he has since deleted). Evans also failed to sponsor either Green New Deal measure, backed military spending hikes, and failed to sign the COVID-19 waiver letter to enable greater global access to vaccines. Evans’ top campaign funding source is the insurance industry. Evans is being challenged in 2022 by Alexandra Hunt, a public health researcher and progressive who supports Medicare for All and the Green New Deal.

Representing one of the nation’s most Democratic and Latino/a districts (likely to be altered by redistricting) since 1992, Roybal-Allard has functioned as more of a centrist than a progressive. She failed to sponsor either Green New Deal measure, while backing more military spending increases and the USA Freedom Act reauthorization curtailing civil liberties protections. Roybal-Allard also signed the bipartisan letter organized by AIPAC to undercut efforts to renew an Iran nuclear deal. Roybal-Allard has two progressive challengers in 2022.

In a solidly Democratic district in southeastern Pennsylvania, Scanlon failed to sponsor Medicare for All or either Green New Deal bill yet supported military spending increases and the USA Freedom Act reauthorization. Scanlon’s failure to support Jayapal’s Medicare for All bill seems to contradict her 2018 campaign statement that she “supports universal healthcare, and a transition to Medicare For All.”

Despite her reputation as a progressive, Frankel has a centrist record on several core issues. The five-term congresswoman from South Florida signed the letter undermining a diplomatic renewal of an Iran nuclear deal and backed the USA Freedom Act reauthorization and rising military budgets (though she deserves credit for supporting both Pocan and Ocasio-Cortez’s amendments for10 percent military cuts). Frankel, who has personal investments in top greenhouse gas emitters Duke Energy and Dominion Energy, has failed to cosponsor the Green New Deal (and also has not supported the THRIVE Act, seen as a more modest GND).

While Levin has some progressive credentials and support in northern coastal San Diego County, the two-term congressman has acted like a centrist on major issues, including his support for record military spending increases and the USA Freedom Act reauthorization’s rollback of civil liberties. Levin touted his success in securing $105 million in the 2020 military budget for construction at Camp Pendleton. Levin also signed the AIPAC letter undermining efforts to revive an Iran nuclear deal, while failing to sign the COVID-19 waiver letter to expand global access to vaccines.

It’s no small feat these days for a Democrat to win a Republican district. And Cartwright, who represents Scranton and northeast Pennsylvania, has sponsored Medicare for All and signed the letter calling for a COVID-19 waiver enabling greater worldwide vaccine production. But the five-term congressman has failed to support either Green New Deal bill, has backed runaway military spending increases, and did not sponsor Jayapal’s Paycheck Recovery Act to aid small businesses hammered by the pandemic.