Hello! Our chair Tina Podlodowski is on mid-winter break with family this week, so the staff of the Washington State Democratic Party is bringing you some of the news this week in her stead!

Ukraine - We’ve all been watching this week’s news of war in Ukraine, with Russia’s unjustified and unprovoked invasion. Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Ukraine, and we also want to thank the brave anti-war protesters in Russia and elsewhere who have stood up to oppose this attack. 

You can watch President Biden’s remarks from Thursday on America’s response to this invasion here:

While our focus must be on the situation in Ukraine, we can’t help but notice how, here at home, former President Donald Trump and many other conservative Republicans continue, even now, to praise and support Vladimir Putin and his invasion: 

As Russia prepared to strike Ukraine and the United States rushed to defend neighboring allies in Europe, former President Donald J. Trump had nothing but admiration for President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia.

He is “pretty smart,” Mr. Trump said on Wednesday at a Florida fund-raiser, assessing the impending invasion like a real estate deal. “He’s taken over a country for $2 worth of sanctions,” he said, “taking over a country — really a vast, vast location, a great piece of land with a lot of people — and just walking right in.”

Historians called the remarks unprecedented. “The idea that a former president would praise the man or leadership who American troops are even now traveling to confront and contain,” said Jeffrey Engel, a presidential historian at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, “is astounding.”

We hope for a resolution to this needless act of aggression as soon as possible and for Putin to be held accountable for his actions. 

If you want to get involved, here is a list of meaningful ways you can help support Ukraine and refugees fleeing violence. United Help Ukraine receives and distributes donations, food, and medical supplies to internally displaced Ukrainians, anyone affected by the conflict, and the families of wounded or killed soldiers. 

Supreme Court Nominee - Just this morning, President Biden announced the nomination of Federal Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the US Supreme Court! She is exceptionally well qualified and has the experience, character, integrity, and dedication to the Constitution and rule of law that is necessary to serve on the nation’s highest court. Not only will she make history as the first Black woman on the Supreme Court, but she will also be the first public defender to serve in this powerful institution. Judge Jackson has a proven track record of attracting bipartisan support in the Senate. She’s been confirmed three times on a bipartisan vote in the US Senate – and there’s no reason to expect anything different as she is now considered for the Supreme Court. 

We’re so excited that President Biden has continued to keep another promise he made during his 2020 campaign. More importantly, we cannot wait for the work Judge Brown Jackson will do and the perspective she will bring to a body that was all white (until 55 years ago) and all male (until 41 years ago).  

Legislature News - With just a couple weeks left until the session ends on March 10th, legislative Democrats in the House and Senate released their budget proposals for 2022 this week. While the proposals from each chamber differ slightly, both would make important investments in public schools, housing affordability and homelessness prevention, job creation, and transportation. You can read more about the House and Senate proposals at those two links. We’re looking forward to action in both chambers and seeing our Democratic leaders come together to negotiate their final budget plan for the year. 

Rick Scott and Tiffany Smiley’s Agenda - Did you see the story about GOP Sen. Rick Scott of Florida and the “agenda” he laid out for if Republicans retake control of Congress? While Senator Mitch McConnell won’t say what policies he’d pursue if back in power, and the RNC refused to even pass a platform in 2020, Scott is laying out an incredibly unpopular agenda of tax hikes and far-right, socially-conservative goals: 

Let’s start with what is not in there: any proposal to bring down inflation (which Republicans have been hollering about for months); to increase wages or reduce income inequality; to prepare workers for the 21st-century economy; to provide relief from tariffs (which are essentially taxes); and to increase school performance on basic subjects.

What it does include is embarrassing. Start with this: “We will secure our border, finish building the wall, and name it after President Donald Trump.” Republicans had their chance to do this when the defeated former president was still in office and failed. Moreover, such a project would be so expensive that it has lost support in deep-red Texas. It’s also irrelevant to real border protection — so much so that it has become a punchline.

Then there are the massive tax hikes: “All Americans should pay some income tax to have skin in the game, even if a small amount. Currently over half of Americans pay no income tax.” That would affect tens of millions of Americans, including many working-class Americans and seniors. Interestingly, many corporations pay no federal income taxes, but the plan is silent on that. It might be the most regressive tax plan Republicans have ever come up with.

We’ve got to make it clear that this is what Republicans are running on - including Tiffany Smiley, who is challenging our Senator Patty Murray, right here in WA. Smiley has been endorsed by Scott, campaigns with him, and is part of this same movement! This Washington Post article is a great resource to share on social media. We all need to make sure folks know that Smiley is a part of this! 

Thanks for reading, as always!

Your WA Democrats Staff