Alabama’s Sole Congressional Democrat Sees Opportunity in House Victory
Of all the congressional candidates in Alabama Tuesday, only one was guaranteed to win. Democratic Rep. Terri Sewell faced no opposition as she reclaimed the 7th district seat. But for the first time in her congressional career, Democrats hold the majority in the House of Representatives. Rep. Sewell says Democrats will be able work with Republicans on Capitol Hill. She says Democrats also have to reach to voters in order to win in Alabama.
Interview Highlights
Whether expected investigations of the Trump administration by House Democrats will slow Congress:
“I think that you’ll see Democrats legislating more than investigating … The reality is that the American people wanted divided government because they wanted a check and balance on this president. I do believe that voters spoke up last night when they put Democrats back in charge of the House, that they do want more legislating than investigating. They want better health care, fairer wages, a more stable future for Social Security and Medicare. And that’s what we’re going to concentrate on.”
Issues Sewell believes Democrats can work with Democrats on:
“I think that infrastructure will be something that will be galvanizing on both sides. We’ve had so much deferred maintenance on our roads and bridges. And for me, when I think about infrastructure I also want to include broadband … One of the things that both Republicans and Democrats were talking about this election cycle was protecting pre-existing conditions. So when I think about being on the House Ways and Means Committee, I think we have to shore up the Affordable Care Act and work with Republicans to make sure that we do protect pre-existing conditions for all Americans.”
Democrats’ poor showing in Alabama:
“Obviously we have a lot of work cut out for us as Democrats here in Alabama, but I do believe we fielded amazing candidates. [Democratic gubernatorial candidate] Walt Maddox was a great candidate. But he faced a deeply divided and partisan climate right here in Alabama. And I believe that we as Democrats have work to do in terms of outreach to voters who don’t feel that they’re represented by today’s partisan politics … I do believe that when we are able to connect with voters, we as Democrats have better policies.”
Forget the State of the Union. What’s the state of your quiz score?
What's the state of your union, quiz-wise? Find out!
A team of midlife cheerleaders in Ukraine refuses to let war defeat them
Ukrainian women in their 50s and 60s say they've embraced cheerleading as a way to cope with the extreme stress and anxiety of four years of Russia's full-scale invasion.
Nancy Guthrie case: How do families of missing people cope with the uncertainty?
When a loved one goes missing, relatives can feel guilty simply for eating, says Charlie Shunick, whose sister was kidnapped. Shunick now helps others navigate a nightmare "nobody is prepared for."
As the U.S. celebrates its 250th birthday, many Latinos question whether they belong
Many U.S.-born Latinos feel afraid and anxious amid the political rhetoric. Still, others wouldn't miss celebrating their country
US military used laser to take down Border Protection drone, lawmakers say
The U.S. military used a laser to shoot down a Customs and Border Protection drone, members of Congress said Thursday, and the Federal Aviation Administration responded by closing more airspace near El Paso, Texas.
Deadline looms as Anthropic rejects Pentagon demands it remove AI safeguards
The Defense Department has been feuding with Anthropic over military uses of its artificial intelligence tools. At stake are hundreds of millions of dollars in contracts and access to some of the most advanced AI on the planet.
