For many of us, today is one we spend with family, enjoying the last waning hours of summer.
#LaborDay is the product of hard-fought battles led by the labor movement, which built the middle class and brought us protections working Michigan families rely on today to get by.
But today is not a day of rest for all.
Our essential workers are answering the call to serve our country every day in the ongoing fight against COVID-19.
From doctors and nurses, to teachers, home care workers, law enforcement officers, custodial and cleaning service workers, childcare workers, postal employees and so many others –– every day their hard work keeps our economy and our communities moving through this crisis.
Today, we celebrate and honor your work, on behalf of us all.
The return of Michigander Paul Whelan, along with Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and others, is tremendous news. 1/5 cbsnews.com/news/us-russia…
They and their families have suffered horribly, and now they will be reunited thanks to determined diplomacy by the Biden team of negotiators and the advocacy of @RepHaleyStevens and others in Congress. 2/5
Special appreciation goes to Paul’s family, who refused to let him be forgotten, and were relentless in the visits and calls with officials in Washington to keep hope alive for Paul. 3/5
🧵I went to the Pentagon today with several colleagues for a briefing on Ukraine and what will happen if we fail to support its military. It was the most stark description of the stakes — for both Ukraine and US interests — should we fail to provide more military aid. /1
First, it’s no secret that Ukraine is running short of critical ammunition – artillery shells to hold Russia’s ground forces back, and air and missile defenses to knock down the missiles Russia uses to attack Ukrainian civilians. /2
Russia would be able to strike Ukraine’s cities with ballistic missiles, destroying its economy, damaging critical infrastructure like energy plants, and raising worldwide food prices as Ukraine is unable to export grain that feeds millions around the globe. /3
This agreement, if reached, would be good news – first and foremost for the released hostages and their families, but also for the civilians of Gaza and Israel’s long-term security. Here’s why: 🧵 (1/9)
Since early November, I have called for a strategic pause that would help enable the safe return of hostages, allow humanitarian aid to flow into Gaza, and give Israel time to think about its strategy. (2/9)
Let’s be clear: there is no equivalency between Israel and Hamas terrorists in how they treat innocent civilians. But, Hamas’ heinous acts do not eliminate Israel’s responsibility to protect civilians. (3/9)
This past week, I spent more time with Arab Michiganders, Muslim Michiganders & Jewish Michiganders, all still feeling very raw about the ongoing violence in the Middle East. But here’s what’s heartbreaking about these meetings: the communities are saying nearly the same thing.
Both feel sick about what’s happening & feel the way they see the world has fundamentally changed; both feel real trauma & anger about what they see on their screens; both feel the press isn’t telling the whole story & that their elected leaders could do more to tell that story.
And in particular, in a place like MI, where we all live in the same communities, go to the same schools, eat at the same restaurants, & visit the same doctors’ offices, there is a feeling of vulnerability to antisemitism & Islamophobia that remains very present for people.
At the end of next week the federal government runs out of money, and we are again at risk of a government shutdown. But as we wait for the new Speaker to lay out a plan to keep the government running, I want to make sure people understand some of the risks of a shutdown. (1/4)
And as the only Michigander on @HouseAgDems, I want to make sure we don’t lose sight of the Farm Bill – a major piece of legislation sets national agriculture and nutrition policy, like federal crop insurance or food assistance for low-income families. (2/4)
It’s a vitally important bill because it ensures we can feed ourselves by ourselves and that Americans don’t go hungry. But, many Farm Bill programs expire on Jan. 1, and if they do, it could be catastrophic for U.S. agriculture, creating food shortages and sky-high prices. (3/4)