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.”
Stephanie Akin, Politics Reporter for CQ Roll Call, breaks down
Senator Manchin's donation pool, and highlights what this support means for the conservative Democrat as well as the Republican party.
The global oil benchmark surpassed $90 for the first time in more than seven years. This comes as growing tensions between Russia and Ukraine add to concerns about the already-tight market. Jay Hatfield, Chief Investment Officer at ICAP, joined Cheddar to discuss what this benchmark means for the oil industry, and what might happen if Russia does invade its neighbor.
With the Beijing Winter Olympics set to get underway on Friday, Dan Wolken, a national columnist for USA Today, joined Cheddar News to break down the big storylines as the pandemic and international conflicts threaten to cast a cloud over the event that is aspirationally seen as a beacon of international cooperation. Wolken noted specific issues over cybersecurity for visiting athletes and disputes over human rights leading to a diplomatic boycott have been making waves even before the opening ceremony. "So you've got sort of these barbs going back and forth already between the Americans and the Chinese, and things haven't even started yet," he said. "We don't even know what's going to happen once the games start and people actually start winning medals."
We are a week away from the 2022 Beijing Olympics, and China has already faced a host of problems leading up to the opening ceremony of the Beijing games. DJ Peterson, president of Longview Global Advisors, joins Cheddar News to discuss the many concerns and controversies surrounding the event.
In 2021, QAnon, the community which traffics in conspiracy theories saw a rapid growth in its numbers. As a result of vaccine rollouts, a number of conspiracies surrounding them also began to circulate which then led to the rise of "Anti-Vaxxers". As a result, the QAnon and anti-vax communities have become increasingly intertwined and the results could be costing lives. Senior Researcher at Media Matters Alex Kaplan, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Supreme Court Justice Breyer has announced that he will officially retire from his post. He has served as the senior member of the more liberal wing in recent years. Now his retirement puts pressure on President Biden to decide on who will replace Breyer. Attorney and Media Editor at SCOTUS blog Katie Barlow, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
A long awaited report in the UK looking into the alleged parties held at 10 Downing Street during lockdown finds a culture of excessive drinking and a "failure of leadership" in Boris Johnson's government. Cheddar News speaks with international journalist Thomas Cole, who is closely monitoring latest developments.
While Donald Trump stated he would be willing to pardon Capitol Hill insurrectionists should he return to the presidency, the January 6 Committee issued subpoenas to 14 individuals who cast bogus electoral votes for the former president in seven states won by Joe Biden in 2020. Molly Jong-Fast, editor-at-large at The Daily Beast, joined Cheddar News to discuss the ongoing congressional investigation. "It is kind of crazy that every time Trump speaks, he kind of confesses a little more of what he was up to, but you really have to have proof," said Jong-Fast.
Natalie Fertig, federal cannabis policy reporter at Politico Pro, joins Cheddar News to discuss a new YouGov poll that looks at how Americans feel about marijuana and politics.
