Spin Zone: Q4, 2016

[DMH]

Name: 

Media/Outlet: 

Reason: (Ex. Why I Love the Miracle of Christmas) 

 

[Bullet points/brief outline of talking points during appearance.]

 

Due by March 29th, at 11:59 PM EST.

[Sovereign]

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. 

[Camilo deSonido]

Name: Camilo deSonido (I/D-CA)

Media/Outlet: The Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC

Reason: 115th Congress

• I'm proud to stand with the Democratic Party. We've brought a series of historic firsts - in our leadership, you'll see gender equity and the elevation of people of different races and religious backgrounds. The White House and at least one side of the aisle in Congress will look like America, and I believe we will be a better Congress and a better America for it.
• I hope that Republicans will get it together and take this opportunity to step away from politics as usual and hyperpartisanship. They also have a lot of hatred, racism, and xenophobia coming from that side. It's 2016; I believe it's time to do better. When Senator Fakhouri and I presented the idea of direct election of Supreme Court Justices, they listed every random civil rights case they could think of to emphasize their point. Still, their actions and legislative agenda represent the exact opposite of the spirit of those cases. I hope they will put aside their pettiness and focus on delivering prosperity to the American public.
• I'm excited about this new Democratic majority. I have high hopes for Wisconsin and for furthering our majority. Senator Fakhouri is the best choice to lead our party in the Senate. Though we've had our differences of opinion, I have faith in Heather James, and I'm excited to work with her on reforms in the Democratic Party and DNC. I am also ecstatic about the de la Cruz Administration. We'll see an exceptional cabinet, and I hope we will deal with the selection of the late Justice Scalia's replacement as soon as possible.
• I'll give a few months to see public opinion, but ultimately, the amendment is just an idea. Republicans didn't have any ideas when it came down to how we selected the nominee except not doing anything and complaining. That is not governing; it's obstruction. Senator Fakhouri and I intended to present a solution. Is it the right one? It is ultimately up to the American public to decide if they believe we should proceed with the amendment. It won't go anywhere if they don't, and I'm entirely okay with that. But I would say to Republican voters and my friends on the other side of the aisle, what do you say about it now? Now, a Democratic president and a Democratic Senate majority will have the last word on who becomes the next Supreme Court Justice; if we had a direct election, everyone, including the American public themselves, would have the last word, which is all we're suggesting. Do you want a politician elected by half of the country to choose who it is, or do you want the entire electorate to have a say? All I ask is that America considers it. If you're for Americans choosing their justices, call your Senator.
• I think we do have more significant priorities than that amendment. I plan to submit a resolution that will declare our intentions as a Congress to commit to fighting against poverty; more than 100 million people are poor or low-income, and only 40 million are legally in poverty because of the shallow poverty measure, which is something we need to change. The Obama Administration has helped. Poverty has decreased in the last two years, but so many more need help. We must increase the minimum wage to a living wage. We must also make education and housing more accessible and affordable. And I've always said while the ACA was a significant improvement, it is not universal coverage, so it is not enough. We must fix this broken healthcare system and ensure every American can access the care they need. I have high expectations for the de la Cruz Administration and this Senate majority and plan to hold everyone accountable for addressing the dire needs of everyday Americans, especially the most vulnerable among us. Most of us can't afford a $500 emergency. Things that can happen to any one of us at a time can drive an American family into financial ruin. Whether you're a Republican or Democrat, if that isn't your priority coming into the next Congress, you shouldn't be there.

[SWMissourian]

Name: Andrew Clarke (D-MO) 

Media/Outlet: NBC

Reason: New Congress 

• I am looking forward to the new Congress. We have a divided government, but there’s a lot to be happy about for Democrats. We have a brand new President, the first Latina woman to ever hold the office. We have a majority in the Senate as well, and that includes two Democratic U.S. Senators from Missouri for the first time in decades. 
• But there is still a need for both practical and moral reasons to work with our Republican colleagues, and I look forward to that. We talk all the time about increased polarization, but I think we can find common ground. In Missouri, voters elected a Republican trifecta to govern the state but sent a Democratic Senator to Washington last year. There’s common ground here and I look forward to finding it and advancing solutions to the problems facing our country from it. 
• We must work to protect and expand healthcare access for working Americans. We must also work to raise real wages for all Americans, not just the wealthy elite. In light of recent events, we must work to secure our border, our streets, and our communities from violence, hate, and chaos. Additionally, our nation’s infrastructure problem must be addressed by leaders in Washington, and at the same time, we must ensure that future generations are not saddled with the consequences of irresponsible budgeting today. I think we can find common ground solutions to at least make great progress on all of these fronts. 
• Our primary focus should be on building a better future where everyday Americans are safe, prosperous, healthy, and free. Americans should be free to start families, buy decent homes, afford a decent living, believe as they wish, speak as they want, and go to sleep at night safe from violence and chaos in their communities. That’s the vision that I will continue to fight for in D.C. 

[William McHenry]

Name: Will Croft

Media Outlet: CNN

Reason: Election Outcome 

 

• Obviously, this election was a disappointing one for the Republican Party. While I am incredibly grateful that election night saw the people of Ohio trust me to represent them in the United States Senate, the outcome nationally was not what our party had hoped for. Today, we are presented with a situation in which both the White House and the Senate are controlled by the Democratic Party, enabling them to continue their near total grip on power in Washington. Given the disastrous policies our country has dealt with over the last eight years, this should not have been the outcome of the election. It was, however, and as Republicans we must take stock of what went wrong to ensure we start winning elections again. 
• The bottom line is this: our country is not better off today than it was eight years ago. My friends across the aisle can spin the facts as much as they want, but the reality remains that we are a weaker, poorer, less secure country today than we were when President Obama took office. Our immigration system remains broken and our borders are left open. We are less respected on the world stage, at a time when we are faced with a resurgent Russia and a substantial rise in terrorism as the result of the advent of ISIS. Economic growth remains, at best, sluggish. In his best year, 2015, annual GDP growth stood at just 1.5% - markedly lower for the annual growth achieved by every other President since Truman. 
• Despite all of this, Republicans still failed to convince the American people that we were prepared to govern on their behalf. The question we have to ask ourselves today is simple: why? In the face of historically unpopular policies and a President that routinely put politics above good governance, our party still failed to win the American people over. I believe the answer is as simple as the question: Republicans have failed to express a positive message about America's future, rooted in the commonsense principles that underscore our nation's founding. Rather than spending time talking about what we are against, it's past time that we tell the American people what we're for. 
• Thankfully, we have the opportunity to do just that by leveraging our control of the House of Representatives to put forth a positive, bold, dynamic legislative agenda for our country's future. That agenda must show the American people what the Republicans affirmatively believe in. Now is the time to present pro-growth policies that cut taxes and slash regulations, pro-individual choice policies that allow parents to send their children to the school that makes sense for them, and pro-security policies that will build up our military and secure our nation's borders. This isn't hard to do, we just need to once again act like we are the party that is prepared to lead America forward. 
• As Ohio's freshman Senator, and as a life long conservative, I hope to play a role in this redirection of the Republican Party. I will champion commonsense, conservative policies that are decidedly pro-family, pro-growth, and pro-worker. I have enormous confidence in the future of our party, but we will only start really winning again if we are prepared to firmly establish ourselves as the party of opportunity, individual freedom, and security. When we do that, when we start talking to the American people about our plans to address the issues they care about, I have no doubt we will return to power. 

[Dak]

Name: Edgar Villanueva (D-IL)

Media/Outlet: Anderson Cooper 360 on CNN

Reason: 2016 Election Results & 115th Congress

• "For the first time in our great nation's history, a Latina has been elected to the country's highest office. Not only has a woman finally been elected to the presidency, but she is a Latina. Even though we know that is fact, speaking those very words still feels truly unreal. As a little boy growing up in Puerto Rico, those ideas were considered mere dreams and goals on the proverbial bucket list. One day it will happen, but not today; however, that glass ceiling has finally been shattered into pieces. This is a pivotal moment and a turning point for our country. President-elect de la Cruz's victory in the general election represents more than partisan arguments and campaign talking points. For the first time in our nation's history, two historically underrepresented groups in our country can finally see themselves in the leader who will chart our nation's course for the next four years. NO LONGER will it be considered a dream, but an achievable and feasible reality for Latinx individuals and little girls all across this country. No longer shall the failed meritocratic argument of "if you work hard enough, you can achieve it" haunt the minds of Americans as they grow up to realize that, unfortunately, not every dream can be achieved because it has been intentionally designed that way. But with this victory, that path becomes just a bit more brighter; a bit more realistic for those who once considered it foolish to believe such a thing could happen in America. Xiomara's ascent to the presidency represents more than just the political win that many have mistakenly shaped it to be. Glass ceilings have been shattered and that needs to be celebrated. Today is a good day to be an American indeed, Anderson."
• "Thus, I am extremely excited and optimistic about the work that the 115th Congress can accomplish this upcoming session as there is still much that needs to be done. This Congress needs to undertake legislation that will raise the federal minimum wage, strengthen federal protections for organized labor, combat poverty at every level in American society, reform our broken immigration system, restructure our disproportionate and prejudicial criminal justice system, rebuild our nation's infrastructure and much more. Truly, the list of tasks that this Congress needs to accomplish is lengthy but I am convinced that these goals can be achieved through commonsense, bipartisan legislation that comes from both sides of the aisle. Now is not the time to hinge this Congress's progress upon partisan political wishes and poison pills that will do nothing but spoil the work that can be done. This is going to require compromise, patience, and determination from both parties, and I am pledging my commitment to those virtues in the conversations I will have with Senate Republicans in the upcoming session."
• "Over the past eight years, Democrats moved the federal government to make record-breaking investments in education, environmental protection, and healthcare reform. Unemployment dropped below the historic norm and our economy gained 11.6 million jobs. 15 million people were able to gain health insurance under Obamacare, illegal immigration to the country declined, and wages rose for all workers (FactCheck.org, 2017). With President-elect de la Cruz's victory in the general election, our popular mandate is clear. Socially just and equitable policies that address existing barriers and inequities in American society and level the playing field for all Americans DO work. They DO have an impact. We MUST continue these initiatives. We MUST remain steadfast in our commitment to champion policies that lift American individuals and families out of the throes of poverty and and restore their mobility in our society's socioeconomic ladder. We have been elected by our constituents to work hard on their behalf and there is plenty to do, Anderson. So, let us roll up our sleeves and get it done!"