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Sovereign

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Sovereign last won the day on March 26

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  1. ALEX ELECTED MAJORITY LEADER OF THE UNITED STATES SENATE DETROIT, MICHIGAN — In a historic vote today, Senator Alex Fakhouri has been elected to serve as Senate Majority Leader. His ascension comes in a year of historic firsts as he becomes the first Muslim American to assume the role. He previously served as chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, which saw the largest victory for Senate Democrats since 2008. He will assume the office immediately, succeeding outgoing senator Harry Reid (D-NV) who has led the Democrats since 2005. In remarks to John King on CNN prior to his election, Senator Fakhouri called for moderation and bipartisanship, while emphasizing common-sense economic goals that include investing in small business, raising the minimum wage, and expanding tax breaks for working-class families. He also praised Obama-era policies that led to the economic recovery, as well as progress made on social issues and the world stage, indicating a continuation of these successful policies. Following the closed-door vote, Alex spoke with the press just outside of the DNC HQ. His full remarks can be read below:
  2. Name: Alex Fakhouri (D-MI) Media/Outlet: Inside Politics on CNN Reason: Cooperation in the New Term The American people have spoken this past election, and they've chosen a forward-thinking agenda of inclusivity, unity, and common-sense solutions. We remain a divided government, that's true, but there is no reason we need to remain a divided country. We've just elected the first woman to serve as President of the United States in the history of our country, just under a hundred years from the passage of women's suffrage. That's something to celebrate and come together on, as we enter the new Congress. Astounding progress was made under President Obama. There's no reason to downplay it. We reached under 5% unemployment and added 10 million new jobs to the economy. We can expand on that. That doesn't just mean more jobs, that means better jobs. That means addressing poverty, and building up our communities. We can do that by expanding the Child Tax Credit, investing in small business, and raising the minimum wage. These aren't radical policies; they have widespread appeal, and I welcome my colleagues across the aisle to join us in uplifting the middle class and working class. We are prepared to face the challenges of the 21st century head on, both foreign and domestic. It is easy to look at the headlines and believe it's all doom and gloom, but look at what we've already accomplished. On the world stage, we've championed policies of peace that have disarmed America's adversaries. At home, we've gotten big government out of the business of people's private lives and bedrooms with landmark decisions and legislation. These are values that conservatives and liberals nominally agree on, and this is only from the 2010s - not far in the past at all. When we really break it down, there is far more that we agree on than disagree.
  3. Class 3 is open. They just secured a Republican hold!
  4. Name: Alex Fakhouri Media: The Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC Reason: Supreme Court Vacancy I said before, and I'll say it again: Americans must ask themselves why the Senate GOP is pursuing this now. Why are they denying this President's nominee before we even know their name, when every virtually single Supreme Court pick has at least got their day at a hearing? Why are Republicans basing this claims on a comment from 25 years ago that could be compared to idle chitchat in the backroom at room? Well, we only need to look at Majority Leader McConnell's own words back in 2010, when he brazenly admitted to the National Journal that he intended to make President Obama a one-term president. This is nothing more than unprecedented partisan gamesmanship aimed at politicizing our nation's highest court, and it's nothing short of inappropriate. Since 2012, we have seen landmark decisions protecting same-sex marriage, United States v. Windsor in 2013 and Obergefell v. Hodges in 2015. The timing of this is not a coincidence. Meanwhile, we have seen a growing trend in hate crimes against the LGBT community these past few years. From 2013 to 2014 alone, the FBI reported hate crimes related to gender identity grew by more than 200%. Clearly, there is rabid fomenting of hatred out there, and the GOP is in the center of it. You better believe if they get their Supreme Court pick, it will lead to the overturning of Windsor, Obergefell, and, ultimately their long-stated target, Roe v. Wade. Because of this stunt, the Supreme Court will be without a key vote for nearly a year. This is not a Court that can function, and several high-level decisions are being left on the backburner as a result. The question of the birth control mandate from the Affordable Care Act is on the table. The Supreme Court is also set to discuss President Obama's expansion of DACA and deferment of five million undocumented immigrants. Perhaps the biggest elephant in the room is a challenge to a Texas law that may well shut down nearly 75% of reproductive clinics in the state. These are all very important, yet oft-not discussed decisions, that need to be addressed by the Court.
  5. ALEX AND XIOMARA STAND UP FOR UNIONS ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL DETROIT, MICHIGAN — Senator Alex Fakhouri joined presidential candidate Xiomara de la Cruz on the campaign trail, taking center-stage to talk unions at a rally in Detroit. Working-class people from all across Michigan joined Alex, as he spoke on Xiomara's record as the Houston mayor, and highlighted her support for local construction and job creation which has directly benefited union workers. In his remark, Alex addressed Houston's leadership in the oil and petrochemical manufacturing industries, and suggested that her pragmatic economic approach would translate into positive outcomes for Michigan's own manufacturing sector. "Xiomara will continue to look out for and take care of all workers," said Senator Fakhouri. "Whether its the worker pulling the oil out of the ground and the worker putting the car together on the factory line." Alex also called out Republican leaders, naming Michigan Governor Rick Snyder by name as he criticized the party-wide support for "right to work" laws. Governor Snyder had been critical in passing the state's own right-to-work law in 2013. Labor groups have argued these laws have hurt workers' ability to organize, and lead to lower wages for workers in states where the laws have been implemented—statistics supported by research conducted by the Economic Policy Institute. Senator Fakhouri's full remarks can be found below:
  6. ALEX ENDORSES XIOMARA DE LA CRUZ FOR PRESIDENT DETROIT, MICHIGAN — At Palmer Park, Senator Alex Fakhouri hosted a small event where he announced his long-awaited endorsement for President of the United States. The announcement comes after long speculation from the media. Up until this evening, Senator Fakhouri, a Dearborn native, had remained tight-lipped in lending any support to any one candidate, despite speaking positively of some. "Senator Fakhouri could in particular be a key figure in moving the small but increasingly influential Muslim American community in Michigan towards a specific candidate come primary day," said CNN commentator Jake Tapper on social media. The endorsement comes just a day after an event where the Senator, a Muslim himself, joined President Obama for the a visit to the Islamic Society of Baltimore, just the third presidential visit to a mosque in U.S. history. During his remarks, Senator Fakhouri praised Mayor de la Cruz for her leadership in Houston, which maintains the third-highest median household income out of any city in the United States, and that her "youth" is desperately needed in a Washington run amok by "foulmouthed extremism." His full announcement can be read below:
  7. ALEX VISITS MUSLIM COMMUNITY CENTER WITH PRESIDENT OBAMA WINDSOR MILL, MARYLAND — Senator Alex Fakhouri joined President Obama today, alongside Maryland Senators Nolan Stokes and Ben Cardin, to visit the Islamic Society of Baltimore in Charm City. There, Alex and the President met with Muslim leaders and directly rebuked recent cultural bias against Muslims which has overtaken American media since the beginning of the War on Terror in 2001. ""We've seen Muslim children bullied," said the President. "We've seen mosques vandalized. We have to be consistent in condemning hateful rhetoric and violence against everyone." Up until recently, hate crimes have been on the decline since 9/11. However, the FBI has reported a rise starting last year, and has said that attacks on Muslims have been at their highest this year since 2001. This is supported by a California public university study which found that hate crimes against American Muslims rose 78 percent over the course of 2015. All of this coincides with increased rhetoric relating to terminology like "raidcal Islamic terror" and "Islamic extremism." Following the announcement of the visit to the mosque, a statement what put out on social media by Let Freedom Ring, a podcast hosted by Senator Cliff Fleming of Alabama: "What we've been saying is coming true, folks. They're showing their true colors." Upon returning to Michigan, Alex spoke briefly on the issue in a sharp rebuke to detractors, as well as referencing recent international events such as the 2014 Gaza conflict. His full remarks can be stated below:
  8. Name: Alex Fakhouri (D-MI) Media/Outlet: Don Lemon Tonight on CNN Reason: In Defense of TPP Free trade is the bedrock of our modern society. Let's take a look at nations that have historically had restricted, protectionist economies: Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union, the Khmer Rouge. These are not free societies. We don't even have to look that far in the past to understand its implications. We can just look at North Korea, Cuba, and Iran. And countries that were very recently closed off, such as Argentina, India, and China, certainly aren't now and there's a reason for it. Trade brings two things to a populace: paying jobs and cheaper goods. It is an inherently democratizing force, and it's something we can capitalize on if we play our cards right. The GOP talks a big game about competitiveness in the free market, but when it comes time to walk the walk, what do they have to show? I'll tell you what. They don't want competition overseas with Hanoi or Kuala Lampur or Mexico City, even though they're happy to have it here in the states where its urban versus rural. Why is that? It's because they understand the current labor model overseas is the same is their own, and that means lower wages and less safe work environments for you. I don't think we need to lower America to Vietnam's standard to compete with Vietnam. We don't need to put up with that. Instead, I have an alternate vision: I think we can raise both to the American worker's standard, and beyond, and that's exactly what TPP does—which will lead to an over-$350 billion kickback to America by 2030. The Pacific is ripe for picking. There are two major powers that could lead the way here: America or China. If we don't capitalize on this, China will. Frankly, I find it shocking the party of "tough on China" would be so willing to surrender such a large and growing trade bloc to Chinese influence, and ensuring another generation dominated by Chinese-made products. Under TPP, we are the only other nation with a manufacturing base that can compete at the standards TPP demands. That means jobs for the Michigan autoworker, for the Ohio steelworker, and for the Pennsylvania packager.
  9. ALEX: TPP WILL BE A BOON FOR MICHIGAN MANUFACTURING DETROIT, MICHIGAN — Senator Alex Fakhouri made a visit to the United Auto Workers headquarters in Detroit to discuss the Trans-Pacific Partnership, seeking to assuage concerns about the agreement and discuss how it might benefit Michigan manufacturers. In his remarks, the Senator accused Republicans of weaponizing "fear politics" and compared the treatment of TPP to that of the Iran nuclear deal and the Paris Climate Accords. "To say TPP is an expansion of "Made in China" is ignorant at best," said Alex in a post on social media. "The Trans-Pacific Partnership includes strong labor and environmental protections, reductions to dependency on China, and increases in American exports." The full speech can be read below:
  10. ALEX VISITS FLINT AND ADDRESSES THE WATER CRISIS FLINT, MICHIGAN — Today, Senator Alex Fakhouri visited the town of Flint, Michigan, which has become the center of national attention for the conversation on American infrastructure following leaching of aged lead pipes into the water supply. The crisis has prompted a response from both state and federal authorities. There, Senator Fakhouri stood with relief workers and first responders, assisting in handing out water bottles before taking to the stage to address a crowd of onlookers. During his remarks, Alex expressed gratitude to President Obama for a prompt federal response which included an allocation of up to $5 million, while expressing frustrations at the initial response and imploring that more be done. The speech comes following of a tweet put out by Senator Fakhouri, imploring for a national response to the crisis. His full remarks are as follows:
  11. Name: Alexander Sayid Fakhouri Seat: Michigan, Class 2 Political Party: Democratic Caucus: New Democrats Place of Birth: Dearborn, Michigan Residence: Lansing, Michigan Avatar: Sadiq Khan Gender: Male (0 points) Age: 52 (0 points) Sexuality: Straight, married with > 3 children (0 points) Race: Arab (Lebanese) (10 points) Religion: Muslim (Sunni) (25 points) Educational History: Juris Doctor, New York University School of Law (10 + 5 points) Socioeconomic History: Child of Immigrants (15 points) Career History: Legal Career (1986 to 2006) (10 points) Paralegal, Brody and Sons (1986 to 1990) Private Attorney, Brody and Sons (1990 to 1995) Public Interest Attorney, Environmental Law and Policy Center (1995 to 2006) Michigan Advisory Council, Environmental Law and Policy Center (2003 to 2004) Next Generation Advisory Council, Environmental Law and Policy Center (2004 to 2006) Presidential Primary Support 1984: Gary Hart 1988: Jesse Jackson 1992: Bill Clinton 1996: Bill Clinton 2000: Al Gore 2004: John Kerry 2008: Barack Obama 2012: Barack Obama Political Experience: Director of the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (2007 to 2009) (5 points) U.S. Senator for Michigan (2009 to present) (5 points) Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure (2015 to 2017) (3 points) Voting Record: Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010 - AYE United States–Colombia Free Trade Agreement - AYE Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization - AYE Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013 - AYE Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015 - AYE TOTAL POINTS: 88/100
  12. Signing out. Took some time today to think it over, and I'm just not feeling this one this go around Will be signing in a new character shortly!
  13. MUFFINTOP ANNOUNCES POTUS EXPLORATORY COMMITTEE WASHINGTON, DC — Today, in a video since published to his official YouTube channel, Adam "Muffintop" Baker (D-CO) announced the launch of an exploratory campaign for the presidency. While Senator Baker clarified that his decision was not yet definitive, he insisted that he would run if he felt he the best suited for the job. True to his humble origins, the Senator took to his favorite restaurant in the DMV to make his remarks—Flippin' Good Burgers. There, he ordered a simple burger, fries, and milkshake as he spoke back and forth with an interviewer about the goals of his campaign, which seek to address national mental health care, racial divides, and income inequality. The full transcript of the video can be found attached:
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