I am thankful — and so grateful — for the ingenuity and grit of those on the front lines of COVID. This Thanksgiving, I helped serve meals to U.S. forces in Korea. I was doling out the vegetables — kudos to the soldiers (and their moms) who took healthy portions. (1/4)
Our forces in Korea were some of the very first members of the military dealing with COVID right from the beginning, back in January 2020. The leadership out here set the tone that continues today — leadership *matters*, both at home and abroad. (2/4)
In Michigan, that leadership continues from our local health departments, our nurses and doctors dedicated to caring for our communities; and from non-profits who stepped up to serve the immunocompromised; (3/4)
And from the members of the Michigan National Guard who joined in the effort to vaccinate millions across our state and so many others. People showing leadership, at every level and whenever they can, is what I’m most thankful for this year. (4/4)
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It’s fitting that my first district visit after we passed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal was @LIUNA's Michigan Laborers Training & Apprenticeship Institute — where they train the folks who will be doing the hard work of rebuilding our roads, bridges, and water infrastructure.
The bipartisan infrastructure deal’s huge impact is going to be felt by our workers & across our state: $7 billion for roads & bridges, $1.3 billion to improve our water infrastructure, & $100 million to expand Michigan’s broadband access, especially to our rural communities.
The best part? This package will create tens of thousands of good-paying, union jobs in our state that can't be outsourced. The scale of this investment in Michigan's infrastructure is something our parents & grandparents never saw, & the economic impact is going to be enormous.
I also voted tonight for a procedural motion to begin debate on the Build Back Better Act, or the ‘human infrastructure’ bill. From the start, I laid out my criteria for supporting it, including directly to @POTUS when he came to my district. (1/5)
This bill needs to be transformative for Michigan - with changes on child care & lowering prescription drug costs - and targeted, meaning it needs to be paid for, and not on the backs of the middle class (2/5)
After getting the latest draft on Nov. 3, my staff and I have pored over this legislation to understand the details and give them a thorough review. (3/5)
I understand that some House Democrats object to funding for the Iron Dome in Israel. Just to level-set, a few facts (1/5):
Iron Dome is a purely *defensive* system — it protects civilians when hundreds of rockets are shot at population centers. Whatever your views on the Israeli-Pal conflict, using a system that just saved hundreds, if not thousands, of lives as a political chit is problematic. (2/5)
Iron Dome, like other missile defense systems, was co-developed by the US and Israel. The research that went into the design of this system is shared between our two countries and can be used to protect our bases abroad, in addition to Israeli civilians in their homes. (3/5)
Just a few hours ago, after what has been a tense, 10-day odyssey, Team Slotkin successfully helped evacuate 114 Afghan nationals out of Kabul and to safety. 1/14
Over 70 of these folks were affiliated with Michigan State University, while another 30+ were former Deputy Ministers, staff, and military officers of the former Afghan government who were being threatened and hunted by the Taliban. 2/14
Most of these Afghan nationals were flown this evening to Albania, where, thanks to the generosity of the Albanian government and the expeditious work of diplomats, they will be staying for the foreseeable future. 3/14
Earlier today, I joined @POTUS in the Oval to witness him sign the PAWS Act, a bipartisan bill that connects veterans, particularly those with PTSD, to service dogs.
Afterwards, the President invited the small handful of us present to have a frank conversation about Afghanistan.
We talked for about 35 minutes. It’s clear the President is deeply engaged on the situation in Kabul.
I raised my concerns with the August 31st deadline, the importance of ensuring that both Americans and Afghans who worked on our behalf be able to get through Taliban checkpoints up until the 31st, and my concerns about what happens in the days and months after we depart.
As I head back to D.C. for votes this week, my team and I are still focused on moving Afghan nationals to the Hamid Karzai International Airport, for eventual transport out of Afghanistan. 1/9
Our office is working on evacuating over 500 Afghans, from all walks of life, who have helped the United States and the cause of freedom. It's been many long nights for me and my team over the past week, and it has been maddening. 2/9
Although this may be on the tactical side, there are several key hurdles that must be overcome for us to live up to our commitment to safely evacuate our Afghan partners. 3/9