Posted May 23, 2016 | by KimS | in DemDaily, Resource, Uncategorized

Convention Central: Platform Committee Announced!

May 23, 2016

Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz announced today the names of the 15-person Platform Drafting Committee, which develops and oversees the process for determining the Party's core statement of principles.

The Convention is the formal nominating event for the Democratic candidates for President and Vice President. At the Convention, the Party also adopts its official platform or "plank" of endorsed issues

Under DNC rules, members of the 15-person committee are appointed at the discretion of the DNC Chair. In an effort to quell the contentious primary debate, W-S elected instead to award 75% of the committee seats to each presidential campaign based on the % of the popular vote received to-date.

Accordingly, Clinton received six seats, Sanders five, and the Chairwoman chose four. Sanders' Policy Director Warren Gunnels, and Clinton Senior Policy Advisor Maya Harris, will also be on hand as official, non-voting members of the Committee.

"Members Represent Diversity of the Party including Significant Appointments from both Campaigns"

DNCC Release, May 23, 2016

Congressman Elijah Cummings, a ten-term Member from Maryland, will serve as Chair of the drafting committee, and political veteran and former DSCC Director Andrew Grossman will serve as Executive Director (reprising his 2012 role).

The Platform Drafting Committee (/nominated by)

Honorable Howard Berman	Former 15-term Member of Congress (California)	DNC Chair
Paul Booth	Executive Asst to the President, American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees (AFSCME/union)	Clinton
Honorable Carol Browner	Former Director WH Energy & Climate Change Policy, former Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency	Clinton
Congressman Keith Ellison	Five-term Member of Congress (Minnesota)	Sanders
Congressman Luis Gutiérrez	12-term Member of Congress (Illinois)	Clinton
Congresswoman Barbara Lee	Ten-term Member of Congress (California)	DNC Chair
Bill McKibben	Author & Environmental Activist	Sanders
Deborah Parker	Attorney & Native American Activist	Sanders
Representative Alicia Reece	State Rep & President, Ohio Legislative Black Caucus	Clinton
Bonnie Schaefer	Author, Philanthropist, former CEO of Claire's	DNC Chair
Ambassador Wendy Sherman	Former Dep US Secretary of State, Albright Stonebridge Group, Harvard Kennedy School Senior Fellow	Clinton
Neera Tanden	President, Center for American Progress	Clinton
Dr. Cornel West	Professor, Philosophy & Christian Practice @Union Theological Seminary, Professor Emeritus @ Princeton	Sanders
James Zogby	Author Arab Voices, Founder & President of Arab-American Institute	Sanders

The Platform

Drafting Committee will submit their report to the full Platform Committee, which will present the final platform to the Convention Delegates for approval.