Rep. Ayanna Pressley is pushing Democrats to use their new control of Congress to pass Medicare for All, enact reparations and abolish U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement after Republicans lost both their House and Senate majorities in the midterm elections.
Speaking Tuesday, the Massachusetts Democrat aimed her message at House colleagues she said were likely watching. She told them that a party holding power has to use it, and she challenged them to prove they have a majority rather than talk about one, describing it as a people-powered majority with a mandate for justice, compassion and progress.
Now, please don't tell me about a majority, show me a majority.
Ayanna Pressley, U.S. representative from Massachusetts
Her agenda reached across several issues. On health care, she called for Medicare for All. On abortion, she urged passage of the EACH Act and repeal of the Hyde Amendment. She also demanded reparations and called for stripping ICE of every last dollar and abolishing the agency.
Any of those bills would still have to get past President Donald Trump, who can veto anything the Democratic-controlled Congress sends him during his final two years in office.
On Wednesday, Pressley turned her criticism on Trump directly in a post on X, calling him a fascist and accusing him of trying to end DEI and pushing Black women out of the workforce. She wrote that Black women are now poised to lead at every level of government.
White House spokeswoman Allison Schuster responded Friday that Trump had promised to end divisive, racist policies and restore merit and efficiency. She blamed DEI under the Biden administration for a restricted labor pool, higher operational costs and workforce inefficiencies, and said the administration supports equal treatment for every American regardless of race or ethnicity.
The Republican National Committee did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday.
Pressley belongs to the progressive group of House Democrats known as the Squad and has served in the chamber since early 2019.
