Congress Needs New Leadership-- Replacing Steny Hoyer With Progressive Democrat McKayla Wilkes Would Be A Great Start

There are still 8 crackpot Republican governors who deserve to be removed from office for jeopardizing the lives of their states' citizens. None of these jerks will follow the Surgeon General and White House guidelines asking governors to impose stay-at-home orders. Other than swing state Iowa, this is the deranged Trumpist heartland

• Arkansas-- Asa Hutchinson
• Iowa-- Kim Reynolds
• Nebraska-- Pete Ricketts
• North Dakota-- Doug Burgum
• Oklahoma-- Kevin Stitt
• South Dakota-- Kristi Noem
• Utah-- Gary Herbert
• Wyoming-- Mark Gordon

Leadership matters-- and while Trump was celebrating the Dow Jones' bull trap yesterday, the NY Times revealed a government study Trump has suppressed which show projections that find stay-at-home orders, school closures and social distancing greatly reduce infections of the coronavirus, but lifting those restrictions after just 30 days will lead to a dramatic infection spike this summer and death tolls that would rival doing nothing. The risk they show of easing shelter-in-place orders currently in effect in most of the country undercut recent statements by President Trump that the United States could be ready to reopen 'very, very soon.'"

I wish I could say all the bad leadership comes from Republicans and all the Democrats represent the good leadership. But I can't. That's why that new McKayla Wilkes video is up top. If you haven't watched it yet, please watch it now. McKayla is running for a southern Maryland congressional seat occupied by Steny Hoyer and the video is very compelling, very powerful. McKayla is running on a largely Bernie platform-- from the Green New Deal to Medicare for All and free state colleges.

This morning, former Florida Congressman Alan Grayson reminded me that "One of the things that the Left used to be good at was setting the agenda-- from 1930 until around 1975. From then on, it was tax cuts for the rich, 'deregulation,' anti-abortion zealotry, whatever the NRA wanted, benefits cuts, military spending increases, and more tax cuts for the rich. What Bernie Sanders has tried to do, very patiently, is to try to take back the agenda from Fox News and Rush Limbaugh, and replace it with a new utilitarian agenda: the greatest good for the greatest number. He gives regular pols something to talk about. That a very influential position to have." And Bernie has influenced a large number of young men and women with values like his own-- AOC, Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib as well as candidates like Shan Chowdhury (NY), Audrey Denney (CA), Harper Morgan (OH), Tomas Ramos (NY), Shahid Buttar and, of course, McKayla.

Hoyer represents K Street, not the people living in Prince George's, Charles, St. Mary's and Calvert counties. Here he is, one of the most powerful member of Congress but without having ever addressed the housing crisis in his own district-- nor anywhere else. He has no plan and no interest and it isn't even mentioned on his website. McKayla, on the other hand, is campaigning loudly and clearly on affordable housing, promoting the national Housing Guarantee which includes a national cap on rent increases; federal loans and grants to municipalities and counties for the construction of twelve million new units of publicly- or communally-owned social housing over the next decade; renewing the nation’s commitment to public housing as a critical source of housing for our lowest-income communities reversing decades of disinvestment and privatization and fully funding the backlog of maintenance and repair needs; providing assistance to vulnerable communities and communities impacted by housing discrimination and unjust federal policies such as "redlining."

McKayla is also a proponent of providing meaningful foreclosure relief for homeowners impacted by predatory financing practices, unforeseen personal circumstances and environmental or economic disaster; providing federal rewards for localities that lift zoning restrictions in areas zoned exclusively for single-family housing; promoting Community Land Trusts, limited-equity co-operatives and other alternative, community-based ownership models as vehicles for developing affordable housing.

Yesterday, she told me she has been going even further, advocating measure to seriously tackle homelessness-- like instituting a Renters Bill of Rights to protect all renters from unfair eviction and sharp price increases. She would like to introduce a federal Right to Shelter, whereby the state is legally required to provide shelter for all, regardless of cost. She also supports increasing the accessibility of Universal Housing Vouchers by simplifying eligibility requirements, eliminating red tape and increasing funding for outreach and case support services ." So how about Steny? Crickets. He supports what the lobbyists tell him/pay him to support-- always has, always will.

Please consider hitting the 2020 Blue America congressional thermometer above and contributing what you can to McKayla's campaign. She's needs to get that video out widely and whatever you can afford will be completely appreciated.

Blue America Endorsement: Mckayla Wilkes (MD-05)

There's a big primary on April 28-- a kind of Northeast mini-Super Tuesday-- featuring New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Delaware, Rhode Island and Maryland. For the sake of argument say Bernie sweeps all 6 states. That could be the biggest news of the day, unless there's a major upset in Maryland's 5th district. The 5th, the southern part of the state, one big DC suburb that includes all or part of Prince George's, Charles, St. Mary's, Calvert and Anne Arundel counties. The district is very blue-- D+16. McCain, Romney and Trump, all won around a third of the vote. So what's the upset that could outshine the presidential race?

MD-05 has been the home base for the congressman from K Street since 1981. That would be Steny Hoyer and that would be far too long for anyone to be in Congress. Hoyer stopped representing his constituents long ago and is the most lobbyist-oriented member of Congress. As majority leader, he slows down anything and everything that smacks of progressivism-- and his opponent this cycle, Mckayla Wilkes, is all about progressivism. Blue America officially endorsed her campaign today and I asked her to tell Blue America members a little something about herself. If you'd like to help her replace Steny Hoyer-- and put someone who backs Medicare-for-All, the Green New Deal, criminal justice reform, free state college, money in politics reform... into the House where an incumbent who opposes all those things is now, please consider clicking on the Blue America 2020 congressional thermometer on the right. 





Running To Take Power Back From Special Interests
-by Mckayla Wilkes

My name is Mckayla Wilkes. Growing up, I didn’t believe in politics and I didn’t trust politicians. My father was murdered before I was born, and so my aunts helped raise me. After I lost my Aunt Sharon in the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the Pentagon, I needed help. I needed someone to talk to. Instead, I was incarcerated for skipping school. Like so many people across the country, I’ve experienced firsthand the exploitation of our healthcare and criminal justice system. Profit is centered instead of people, and corporate politicians are more beholden to their donors than their constituents.

My congressman, Steny Hoyer, takes money from the fossil fuel industry, private health insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies, and the war machine. He refuses to support Medicare-for-All, the Green New Deal, or ending the War on Drugs. Just this past year, he referred to cannabis as a “gateway drug.” As someone who was arrested for possession of marijuana, I know the toll that the racist and misguided War on Drugs has had on our communities. I’m the right person to represent Maryland’s 5th District because I can resonate with so many of the ordinary, working-class people here.

While Hoyer may have large corporate PAC donors, we can defeat him. Since 1990, no challenger to Hoyer has raised more than $6,000. I’ve already raised over $150,000 and I’m outpacing Hoyer in small-dollar donations 4-to-1. Moreover, we’re actually out in the community; I’m holding 8 town halls around the district this winter, and my team and I knocked on over 6,000 doors last weekend alone. Everywhere we go, it’s clear that Marylanders are fully ready for change. If we can speak to enough people before April 28th, we will win.

  I’m running because I believe it will take a movement to pass Medicare-for-All. It will take a movement to pass a Green New Deal, to end homelessness, to reform our criminal justice system, and to end the endless wars. I’m running to be a part of that movement and to bring in people like me who didn’t trust the political process. I’m running to take power back from special interests and be a representative who is responsive to her constituents. Above all, I’m running to create a fairer, more just, and more compassionate world. All I need is your help to do it.

Steny Hoyer Draws A Credible Primary Opponent

The best thing about my Memorial Day weekend was meeting a young woman in Maryland who's decided to take on Steny Hoyer. Briana Urbina was born in AOC's district in the Bronx. Replacing Hoyer will be even more difficult than it was replacing Crowley but after spending some time speaking with Briana, I'm convinced she's got the makings of another great congresswoman, like Alexandria. She wrote on her campaign website that "as both a lawyer and a teacher Briana witnessed the impact of failed policies at the state, local and federal level. As a mother and a caregiver she has experienced the failure of our federal government to provide for people with disabilities. As a Black Latina woman raising an African American child, she is constantly made aware of the impacts of systemic discrimination on communities of color. As a woman with 14 years sober, she has a unique understanding of the addiction crisis facing our country. And as a member of the LGBT community, she is inspired by the progress achieved over the last decade while acknowledging that progress is not permanent if it is not protected. Briana wants to represent [her district] in Congress because she is connected to community and has the energy to take on the challenges of the 21st century. Briana is eager to put forth new ideas, propose new initiatives and amplify the voices of the people in our community."

She supports the kinds of cutting edge progressive legislation Hoyer wants nothing to do with, from Medicare for All and the Green New Deal to meaningful criminal justice reform and meaningful campaign finance reform.

Briana authored her first Letter to the Editor at age 12, about the bigotry of low expectations by the teachers at her alma matter elementary school and actively participated in political activities throughout her youth. This is an open letter to Steny Hoyer she sent me last night:


Dear Congressman,

I am a proud Marylander. As a millennial with massive student loan debt and a middle-income salary, I was blessed to find a home 9 miles from the center of Washington, DC and just 30 miles from the beaches of Calvert County. My 9-mile commute to work is accessible by metro or by car. The train is definitely a more practical way to commute into DC. You don't have to worry about parking, and you can read the Express newspaper along the way. However, any DMV commuter will tell you that practical does not mean reliable. On a good day, my metro ride is about 45 minutes. But on a normal day it can take an hour. When WMATA came up with their motto "Back to Good," I could not help but laugh that the goal was to upgrade to mediocre.

Driving, however, is a different story. On a good day, my drive is about an hour during rush hour. But if there is even one event in DC, you can plan for a 90-minute drive. Traveling nine miles should not take an hour. Ask any DMV resident and they will tell you that traffic and time spent commuting shapes their lives. This is one of many reasonsI support the Green New Deal.

The Green New Deal calls for the "overhauling" of our transportation systems in order to remove pollution and greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector. It calls for, "(i) zero-emission vehicle infrastructure and manufacturing; (ii) clean, affordable, and accessible public transit; and (iii) high-speed rail." This could include projects like fixing the metro, expanding MARC rail service to Waldorf, connecting Montgomery and Prince George's counties by constructing the Purple Line, and providing rail access to Ocean City!

Congressman Hoyer, you are a fellow DMV commuter. You live in Mechanicsville, MD. You have been known to "go hard" for what you believe in. You spent the better part of this winter attacking progressive members of our caucus. You were one of the first Democrats to announce that you didn't think the House would move to impeach before reading the full Mueller report. You are certainly a man who speaks his mind, and over the course of your 52-year career in elected office, you have not been known to mince words.

So naturally, I would expect that you would support a bill that not only aims to save the planet from excess greenhouse emissions, but at minimum, could help our respective commutes. Nah. In fact, you actually worked to limit the legislative and subpoena powers from the new Select Committee on the Climate Crisis. Could this have anything to do with the $409,470 in campaign contributions from PACs and individuals affiliated with the oil and gas industry you accepted over the course of your career? Or the $43,750 you received in the 2018 election? Your top donor in the 2018 election was Exelon, a massive energy company that operates dozens of fossil fuel plants. You've also been complicit on helping Calvert County fight against the dangerous LNG plant near Cove Point. However, you are not alone. None of the top 25 Democratic recipients of fossil fuel linked contributions in the last election cycle are among those co-sponsoring the Green New Deal.

I am writing this in hopes that you change your mind and decide to lead alongside young innovative, non-corporate funded representatives, like Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez. I know you have the capacity to speak out for the things you find important, since you were more than willing to join the Republicans at AIPAC in attacking the first woman to wear a hijab in Congress. Were you just trying to secure another $106,000 in Pro-Israel PAC money to fund your next election?

I support the Green New Deal for moral and practical reasons. I plan to be around for another 50+ years, and I would like to have clean air to breathe, clean water to drink, and access to public transit. My son is 11 years old, and I hope for a better future for him. Coastal communities and many other parts of our country are in jeopardy of lethal storms due to environmental issues associated with climate change. Congressman, I know you have grandchildren; don't you want the same for them? Aren't you tired of sitting in traffic? Aren't you worried about our coastlines, the welfare of Puerto Rico, or the fire ravaged communities of California? Doesn't your title require that you lead our party instead of micro-managing it? Leadership requires the courage to act, its not a title, it's a calling.

Sincerely,

The Progressive Choice for Congress from the Maryland 5th district, Briana Urbina