1/ There's one night I will remember most when thinking about Nancy Pelosi - the night I watched her single handedly save health care for 20 million Americans.
It was at the first Democratic caucus meeting after Scott Brown won the special Senate election in Massachusetts.
2/ Many rank-and-file Democrats were in a panic, and they lined up at the microphone to tell Pelosi that it was time for us to give up on the Affordable Care Act. Or chop it up into little pieces - as some in the White House were suggesting.
3/ I remember it like it was yesterday. Pelosi sat at the front of the room in the basement of the Capitol, and she listened politely to the calls for retreat. Even some of her most loyal progressive allies were begging her to ditch the ACA in the name of political expediency.
4/ And then, when everyone had spoken, she picked up a handheld microphone. I expected her to give into the calls to give up.
But she didn't.
She did exactly the opposite.
5/ She told the room that there come times when leaders have a choice to make - stand up to the powerful status quo and change the world or give into to short term political expediency.
This was our moment, she told us, to save lives and lift millions out of health care poverty.
6/ She told us that it was time for us to stiffen our spines and march forward. She told us the country was counting on us. I watched her single handedly WILL the caucus to act. I watched her mettle change the entire mood of the room.
When she was done, no one challenged her.
7/ 2 months later, Congress passed the Affordable Care Act. And today, it's so popular the new Republican Congress won't dare touch it.
I had never seen any person do what Pelosi did that night. I've never seen it since.
There hasn't been, and will not be, anyone like her.
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Now that the election is over, it's time to write a federal budget before Dec. 16.
As Chairman of the Homeland Security Appropriations Sub-Committee, my main focus will be supersizing the effort to stop the flow of fentanyl into the U.S.
1/ Let me tell you how:
2/ Almost all the fentanyl coming from Mexico arrives at our checkpoints (not crossings between checkpoints). We are dramatically increasing the number of vehicles we inspect at our ports of entry - from 16% to 80%. That will catch a lot of product.
3/ Technology can help too. We need to invest in AI that can quickly determine which vehicles are suspicious and warrant more inspection. This year's budget needs to make a big investment in cutting edge inspection AI.
2/ First, it's interesting to note that Missouri used to have VERY tough gun laws. Up until the 2000s, the state had universal background checks, rigorous permitting laws, restrictions on concealed carry.
Then, the NRA scheduled their 2007 convention for St. Louis.
3/ This was the heyday of NRA power. The Republican Governor welcomed the NRA to down by repealing the state's tough gun laws.
From 2008-12, U.S. gun murders were declining. But in Missouri, after the gun laws were relaxed, gun murder SKYROCKETED by 35%. publichealth.jhu.edu/2014/repeal-of…
2/ Cowen is right to point out that the new right just proposes to replace one elite (that they disagree with) with a new elite (that they agree with).
A key difference of course is that their elite would exist inside some kind of (theo)(mon)(auto)cracy instead of a democracy.
3/ I just don't think the new right cares about "elites" at all. They just don't like living in a world where white men have decreasing power
The new right hates the current "elites" only because they don't properly protect white male freedom.
A quick story of how Congress is supposed to work.
1/ in January I did a meeting with pediatricians and child mental health providers about the spiraling number of kids needing mental health care.
They had a really good idea.
2/ Nearly every kid has a pediatrician. But pediatricians get very little mental health training. Often they don’t know enough to screen for and identify the signs of early mental illness. They get little training on treatment.
It’s a big gap.
3/ I couldn’t stop thinking about this. It seemed so cost effective - just skill up pediatricians and we create a whole new mental health workforce.
1/ I support halting arms sales to Saudi Arabia, but there are two practical, immediate changes the U.S. can make to Saudi policy that will have an near term impact on the war in Ukraine.
Here me out. This is important.
2/ First, the Ukrainians are using (and need more) air-to-air AMRAAM missiles. These missiles are needed to defend against Russia's criminal bombardment of civilians.
The U.S. is scheduled to send 280 AMRAAMs to Saudi Arabia. These should be redirected to Ukraine.
3/ Second, there are U.S. owned and operated Patriot anti-missile batteries in Saudi Arabia right now. If Saudi Arabia isn't willing to take the side of Ukraine and U.S. over Russia, why should we keep these Patriots in Saudi Arabia when Ukraine and our NATO allies need them?
If you’re among the thousands of former People’s United customers in Connecticut, you probably have heard about issues surrounding the M&T merger. Long story short: there have been big problems.
1/ Here’s a quick breakdown of what’s happening, and how it could impact you:
2/ Since the transition, some customers have reported problems accessing online and mobile banking resources. From barriers to logging in and accessing mobile bill pay to long customer service wait times, people experiencing difficulties have often been left without a solution.
3/ The result: serious disruptions that have left people across Connecticut without access to their money, leading to late fees and real consequences.
Even with financial compensation, people will never recoup the hours and opportunities they lost due to M&T’s mismanagement.