CIA Analyst-Turned-Rep. Elissa Slotkin is Putting Pocketbook Issues Before Politics
*By Justin Chermol and Megan Pratz*
Elissa Slotkin is ready to swap the farmland of Michigan for the gridlock of Washington.
Come Jan. 3, the incoming Democratic congresswoman, a former CIA analyst, will represent Michigan’s 8th District, which President Trump won by a nearly 7-point margin in 2016.
Slotkin's upset victory over the Republican incumbent Mike Bishop reflected her constituents' dissatisfaction with their leadership and "the perception of chaos" in Washington.
“I think people in general feel unheard, unrepresented ー that the process needs major overhaul, and I think a lot of people call into question both parties,” Slotkin told Cheddar’s J.D. Durkin.
A third-generation Michigander, Slotkin grew up on a farm in the town of Holly. She lives on that farm today, and has seen firsthand the impact of one Trump policy that is also frustrating locals: tariffs.
“We lease all of our land to a soybean farmer and I think the tariffs have been a really destabilizing factor for a lot of our farmers,” Slotkin said. “I think they're hoping things get better, but the current situation sort of feels like the cure for the disease is worse than the disease itself when it comes to these retaliatory tariffs.
China, the world's largest importer of soy, resumed buying soybeans from U.S. farmers after a trade truce was struck with President Trump at a meeting on Dec. 1. On Saturday, Trump [tweeted](https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1079045134061371392?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnbc.com%2F2018%2F12%2F29%2Ftrump-hails-call-with-chinas-xi-says-trade-talks-are-making-progress.html) on Saturday that he had a “long and very good call” with Chinese President Xi Jinping and that a "deal is moving along very well."
In August, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) implemented a [farmer assistance program](https://www.usda.gov/media/press-releases/2018/08/27/usda-announces-details-assistance-farmers-impacted-unjustified), authorizing up to $12 billion in relief to farmers affected by trade with China.
But Slotkin said the instability has been tough on farmers, and government assistance is an unpopular solution.
“A lot of people don't love the idea that they have to receive aid,” Slotkin said. These are people who have made it their entire lives by working hard ー they don't want assistance.”
As for the drama transfixing Washington around Robert Mueller's Special Counsel investigation, the incoming congresswoman is not rushing to judgment, and said she will "read every page" of the special report before making up her mind about impeachment.
“I did not get elected to Congress, and I would not be doing my job, if I supported a truly just political act of trying to impeach him that ended up with him still in office and wasted 18 months of time where we could be getting things done,” she said.
Slotkin spent 14 years as a career national security officer in the CIA, under former President George W. Bush and former President Obama. As a young CIA officer, Slotkin said she came to respect Mueller, who was director of the FBI at the time.
"I'm a big believer in Bob Mueller," she said.
As she prepares to enter Congress, Slotkin credits her success to the pragmatism of her community and the manner in which she conducted her campaign.
“I think part of the reason we were elected was because people feel like they want a different generation that works harder and thinks bigger and never forgets that they are public servants.”
Inflation remains hot as the January PPI has increased by 1 percent, twice what analysts had been expecting with a jump of 9.7 over the year. Beth Ann Bovino, the U.S. chief economist, for S&P Global Ratings, joined Cheddar News to discuss the rapid pace of inflation alongside higher wages, predicting the Federal Reserve will act quickly and forcefully this year. "They haven't changed their forecast, yet, that's gonna come out soon. But we expect that a March rate hike is basically pretty much baked in the cake," she said. "We think six rate hikes in total for 2022."
For black history month, Cheddar is highlighting black business leaders who are driving the need for representation forward. On February 10, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce hosted an event called 'Developing the Black-Owned Business Ecosystem.' The virtual event was organized under the lobbying group's two initiatives -- the Equality of Opportunity Initiative, and the Coalition to Back Black Businesses. The event highlighted the developments needed to develop more black-owned businesses in the U.S. Dr. Anthony Wilbon, Dean of the School of Business at Howard University, joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss his experience as a speaker at the event.
A newly declassified letter by senators Ron Wyden and Martin Heinrich claimed the CIA. has been conducting a Secret Surveillance Program which has been collecting a bulk of data from American citizens. The letter which was written in April of 2021 urges the CIA to come clean about the kind of data it collects and how many Americans have been impacted. According to these two senators, the program did not have the safeguards of congressional oversight.
Art Hogan, Chief Market Strategist at National Securities, joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where he says investors are taking a wait-and-see approach when it comes to the situation between Russia and the Ukraine and elaborates on the impact higher oil prices stemming from the conflict would have on the market.
Last week, Senators Ron Wyden of Oregon and Martin Heinrich of New Mexico, Democrats on the Senate Intelligence Committee, wrote a a letter airing concerns that the CIA is collecting the data of American citizens without their consent. The lawmakers fear that the program might be exploiting private data. Morgan Wright, the chief security advisor at cybersecurity firm SentinelOne, joined Cheddar News to discuss the ramifications of the letter. "We don't have all the dots in one place to connect them," said Wright, cautioning against jumping to conclusions.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that diplomacy is still possible, while U.S. officials warn that an attack on Ukraine is imminent. Cheddar News speaks with James Astill, Washington bureau chief of The Economist on the latest developments in Eastern Europe.
As the number of Russian troops rose to 130,000 along its Ukrainian border, hopes for a diplomatic solution remain among world leaders. Jason McMann, head of geopolitical risk analysis at Morning Consult, joined Cheddar News to break down the fluid situation. "We saw signs pointing towards an increase in tensions between Ukraine and Russia, whereas today we're seeing some signs that the Russian government may be willing to continue down a path of diplomatic negotiations to try and find some sort of non-military solution," he said.
Nancy Pelosi and House Democratic leaders are now planning to amend the stop trading on congressional knowledge act, otherwise known as the 'Stock' Act. This 2012 law governs how members disclose the purchase or sale of stocks and amending it would close a loophole, eliminating the trading of individual stocks by members of congress. Pelosi has consistently opposed a ban on stock trading by lawmakers and congressional staff...so what's changed? Kedric Payne, Vice President of Campaign Legal Center, joins Cheddar News to discuss.
In a 5-4 vote, the U.S. Supreme Court allowed for a controversial new version of the Alabama congressional map to remain in place. The lower court had previously ordered that the state must redraw that congressional map because it violates the Voting Rights Act by diluting the political power of Black voters. Redistricting expert Yurij Rudensky joins Cheddar News to weigh in.
