#TBT to this day one year ago, when Nadine and I watched as @POTUS and @VP inherited an America with a weakened democracy following the January 6th insurrection, a tarnished reputation in the global arena, and a nation still reeling from an unprecedented pandemic.
In the days that followed, we worked together to set a bold and hopeful vision for the future, one where together we could defeat COVID-19 and build back better a more inclusive and prosperous nation.
And while we've made a lot of progress, there's much left to do.
From the #AmericanRescuePlan to the bipartisan infrastructure bill, we've delivered what — under normal circumstances — would be considered the crowning achievements of any Congress or @POTUS.
But these are no normal circumstances...
Working families are counting on us not to pat ourselves on the back, but to get back to work delivering on POTUS' promise to build a more inclusive and prosperous nation.
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Standing—as I always have— alongside the #ArmenianAmerican community in New Jersey and across our country who have experienced terrible losses in recent weeks due to the devastation inflicted on the region by Azerbaijani President Aliyev, with the full support of Turkey.
We should be concerned about national security issues that would affect the United States in the Caucasus.
I have 4 steps the U.S. must take to begin a new chapter of U.S. policy in the region and right past wrongs.
1️⃣ The U.S. must lead a response to the humanitarian needs created by this violence, including robust assistance to make a difference for those on the ground.
Venezuela continues to experience the worst political, economic & humanitarian crisis in our hemisphere.
Its people continue to suffer extreme food and medicine shortages, levels of criminal violence akin to a conflict zone & grave human rights abuses under the Maduro regime.
Maduro’s dictatorship has inflicted a humanitarian catastrophe on the Venezuelan people. President Trump talks tough on Venezuela, but refuses to provide temporary protection to 200,000+ Venezuelans in the U.S. at risk of deportation.
Individuals should never be imprisoned for peaceful activism. I urge Central Asian leaders to release prisoners held for these legitimate acts, including cases across #Kazakhstan, #Kyrgyzstan, #Tajikistan, #Turkmenistan & #Uzbekistan. The #COVID19 prison risk raises the stakes.
Aset Abishev was arrested in Kazakhstan for posts in support of Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan movement. @freedomhouse cited his case as an example of Kazakhstan persecuting opposition parties. He has been punished for expressing concerns about prison conditions & #COVID19.
Maks Bokayev was arrested in Kazakhstan for his work fighting for the environment, expression & against torture. The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention said his detention was based on his exercise of “freedom of expression & freedom of assembly.” He’s at high #COVID19 risk.
The #GlobalForcedMigrationReport analyzes drivers of the crisis, shortfalls of the intl response, and the Trump Admin’s retreat from global & moral leadership.
The facts represent a clarion call for strong leadership, intl solidarity, and innovation to address this crisis.
By the end of 2018, there were at least 70.8 million refugees, asylum seekers, and IDPs. 1 out of every 109 people in the world had been forced to flee their homes.
Increasingly frequent, prolonged, and violent conflict, widespread violence, and climate change are all factors driving the largest number of forced migrants in recorded history.
150-200 million people could be at risk of climate change-induced displacement by 2050.
#JamalKhashoggi's murder reminded us how authoritarians fear a free press.
It exposed the danger of having a U.S. President regularly demonize the media, & laid bare the fragility of our system & how much it relies on the people in power to respect it. wapo.st/2mX26GD
Khashoggi’s murder will be remembered as the straw that broke the camel’s back—a grim reminder that Saudi behavior has strayed so far out of line with our own values that business as usual with the kingdom was no longer in our interests.
Press freedom is under assault across the globe—including in the US. As journalists fight to advance truth and objectivity, far too many governments and non-state actors are targeting them. #WorldPressFreedomDay
In Slovakia, Afghanistan, and Saudi Arabia, journalists have been recently killed in retaliation for spreading news and information.
Others have been imprisoned in Burma, Nicaragua, and around the world. #WorldPressFreedomDay
From Turkey to the Philippines, Venezuela to Sudan, governments around the world are trying to silence the press. But the threat to press freedom isn’t limited to foreign lands—it’s something we’ve had to increasingly contend with here in the U.S. #WorldPressFreedomDay