Three weeks ago, 25 Democrats and 25 Republican members of the Problem Solvers Caucus urged leaders to get back in a room and negotiate a COVID relief deal that our communities desperately need.
Since then, negotiations have, by all accounts, moved us closer to a compromise.
I cannot understand why the President would halt negotiations until after the election except in a cynical move to secure votes.
Doing so does not serve the needs of the Michigan families and our small businesses, it places himself above the needs of the country, and it’s out of step with the mission of government –– which is to help in moments of crisis.
The people of Michigan are doing their part to weather these public health and economic crises, and the President should do the same.
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I am deeply disturbed to hear of the plot, conducted in part in my own district, to kidnap our Governor.
I’m so thankful to federal, state and local law enforcement for taking the threat seriously and getting to the perpetrators before they could act.
If true, they are cowards and criminals and should be treated accordingly.
Make no mistake: This is about as far from their proclaimed patriotism as one can get. This is terrorism.
Both here in the state and on the Homeland Security Committee, our law enforcement and intelligence agencies have been warning us with increasing urgency about the threat of violent domestic extremism.
Today the President again cast doubt on whether he would accept the results of the election if he doesn’t win.
He has been saying this since July.
He has laid the groundwork to refuse the peaceful transition of power.
And if he loses, it will be up to those around him to either support his claims, or step back.
This is why I have been working to get senior military and DHS officials to clearly state on the record what they will do if the President refuses to transition from power.
The President can’t successfully refuse to accept the results of the election without a number of very senior officials aiding him.
It is those officials, along with many others involved in administering elections, that will determine what happens after November 3rd.
The United States is my country. It’s the only country I have ever known. bit.ly/2FsFcQI
I have worked on behalf of the U.S. for 14 years, putting my country and my country’s interests above all else. Now I’m an elected official for the country I love.
This is the fifth time in two years I am speaking out to make clear that, as an American Jew, my loyalty lies first and forever with the United States.
Nineteen years ago today, I was in New York City, on my second day of grad school, when 9/11 took place.
I remember the fear, the sounds of sirens headed downtown, the F-16s that flew overhead, and later, the sound of the bagpipes accompanying the remains of first responders.
Our country was forever changed by those events, as was my life. This day, 19 years ago, was what started my career in national security. A year later, I was recruited by the CIA to be a Middle East analyst.
Each year, we mark 9/11 by remembering those who were lost. It was a generational event.
But this year, we mark this day in the middle of yet another generational event, the COVID-19 crisis.
We were not the same country after 9/11 –– and it may be quite the same with COVID.
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.
We’re depending on the @USPS, a cherished, founding institution in our country, to support us during a generational crisis.
It’s hard to overstate how important USPS’s swift, effective, and non-partisan service is to our communities and our country right now.
In an era of distancing, the post office brings us a means of commerce, a ballot box, a critical line of communication for our rural communities and, most urgently, a way to access life-saving medication.
So, it’s distressing to see reports of mail-sorting machines being removed from postal facilities, and to hear the President state plainly that he does not support funding for the postal service because he doesn’t support mail-in voting.