Press Releases
WASHINGTON—In another transparent attempt to weaken the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and deny 80 million private sector workers, both union and non-union, the protection they are guaranteed under law, U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is refusing to allow votes on President Obama’s nominees to the Board. Without a fully-functioning NLRB, hardworking Americans will have no recourse when their rights are violated, creating uncertainty for both workers and businesses. In response, U.S. Rep.
WASHINGTON—One week after student loan rates doubled from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent for nearly 160,000 Wisconsin students, U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan (WI-02) once again urged GOP leadership to stop balancing the budget on the backs of students and bring up a vote to freeze student loan rates. Last month, Pocan joined his colleagues in signing a discharge petition to bring up for a vote the Student Loan Relief Act of 2013, which would freeze the interest rates on subsidized Stafford loans for the next two years.
WASHINGTON—U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan (WI-02) today released the following statement after the U.S. Senate passed legislation to enact comprehensive immigration reform in a bipartisan 68-32 vote.
WASHINGTON– U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan (WI-02), a co-chair of the LGBT Equality Caucus and the only current married gay member of Congress, today issued the following statement in response to the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and to dismiss the Prop 8 case on a lack of standing. As a result of today’s rulings, married same-sex couples in the states that recognize same-sex marriage will now also be recognized by the federal government and have access to federal rights, obligations and protections.
WASHINGTON—U.S. Reps. Mark Pocan (D-WI) and Keith Ellison (D-MN), authors of the Right to Vote Amendment that would provide an affirmative constitutional right to vote for all Americans, today issued the following statement after the Supreme Court rejected Section 4 of the landmark Voting Right Act, which contains a formula to determine specified jurisdictions that need federal government approval before making voting changes that could be racially discriminatory. In its ruling on Shelby County v. Holder, the Court determined that the current formula was outdated.
WASHINGTON– U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan (WI-02) concluded the “SNAP Challenge” today, ending a week during which he lived off the food stamp budget of $4.50 of food per day to bring attention to the country’s hunger crisis and highlight Republican efforts to cut $20.5 billion from this critical food assistance program. On his final day of the challenge, Pocan voted on an amendment to the Farm Bill that would have restored the Republican cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which benefits more than 800,000 Wisconsinites.
WASHINGTON—Almost two years since the landmark repeal of “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell,” tens of thousands of gay veterans who served this country with honor and dignity possess records that remain blemished with a range of discharges because of their sexuality. To support the Department of Defense’s efforts to rectify this injustice, U.S.
WASHINGTON—U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan (WI-02) today congratulated former U.S. Senator Russ Feingold on being named the U.S. special envoy to Africa's Great Lakes Region and the Democratic Republic of Congo by Secretary of State John Kerry.
WASHINGTON –U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan (WI-02) today condemned the extreme and very likely unconstitutional bill being considered by the U.S. House of Representatives that would place a national ban on abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy and roll back critical women’s rights. A vote on the bill is scheduled for later this evening.
WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan (WI-02), a small business owner for more than two decades, today honored small businesses across Wisconsin in celebration of the 50th Annual National Small Business Week. National Small Business Week recognizes the immense contributions of the country’s small business owners to the economy and culture of America.