Democratic Socialists of America Member Appointed President of New Congressional Workers Union

Philip Bennett, the newly selected president of the Congressional Workers Union and a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, is the first individual in American history to hold such a title because the CWU is the first collective bargaining unit ever allowed to be organized by the U.S. House of Representatives for staff aides.

Bennett is also a member of the Congressional Progressive Staffers Association, the Hispanic Staffers Association, and the Native American Staffers Association.

The California native’s actual job on Capitol Hill is serving as scheduler for Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), a member of the radically left-wing group of representatives known as “The Squad.”

Before his new duties with CWU were made public, Bennett was among a group of six staffers to be arrested on July 26 during a sit-in by 17 aides in Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s (D-N.Y.) office. The sit-in was to protest what Bennett and the others protesting described as too little action by Congress against controversial predictions of dire global warming.

Bennett could not be reached for comment, as a message on his official email said he is out of the office until Aug. 15. A request for comment sent via the CWU’s media inquiry email did not receive a response.

Bennett is one of 12 House staffers announced by the CWU as “interim” members of the union’s governing board. It is not known how Bennett and the other board members were selected.

The first-ever congressional staff union was approved by the House in May and the initial offices to begin organizing bargaining units included those of Rep. Andy Levin (D-Mich.), Rep. Jesús García (D-Ill.), Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.), Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.), Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.), as well as Omar.

Levin led the effort among House members to gain the

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